Twenty eight of the Grand Band from Eagle Land students will compete in the State Solo and Ensemble contest on May after placing at the Region UIL Solo and Ensemble competition in Groesbeck on February 3.
“I was kind of nervous but kind of excited,” junior Mayte Hidalgo said. “We’re going to continue practicing as much as we can.”
A solo requires a player to perform a song alongside an accompanist by memory, which puts them in the running of earning a Division One Ranking and advancing to State. A player who decides to use their music during the competition can earn a 1, but they do not have the chance to advance to State.
“It was great,” senior Caris Mayer. “I was happy as long as I went to state with my solo or ensemble. I am so excited.”
An ensemble requires 3 or more players of the same type (brass, clarinet, woodwind, etc.) to perform a song as a group. In order to receive a Division One ranking, the ensemble must play the song the way it was written. If an ensemble earns a 1, they advance to State.
“It feels good,” freshmen Kimmaykay Rath said.” Right now, [our ensemble] sounds good, but we just need to stay together.”
Soloists and ensembles received 34 gold medals as a whole. The solos include: Callie Morgan on tenor saxophone, Bailey Holland on trumpet, Andres (AJ) Garcia on euphonium, Yahir Yepez on trombone, Lydia Morgan on French horn, Alfonso Rodriguez on tuba, and Luke Cruce on marimba. The ensembles include: the Woodwind Trio with Kynzee Payne, Kimmaykay Rath, and Casey Couture, the Clarinet Trio with Caris Mayer, Lindsey Cockerell, and Emily Kent, the Clarinet Quartet with Mayte Hidalgo, Itzel Rosales, Skylar Cook, and Kimmaykay Rath, a Saxophone Trio with Casey Couture, Anderson Cruce, and Antonio Juaregui, a Horn Quartet with Damita Wimberly, RaeAnne Rossiaky, Bryanna (Bri) Willis, and Emma G Thomason, the Euphonium Quartet with Brooke Cobb, Christopher Tierrablanca, Andres (AJ) Garcia, and Eric Rosales, finally, the brass sextet with Benjamin Kilkenny, Connor Petty, Bailey Holland, Brooke Cobb, Lydia Morgan, and Jasmine Ocampo.
