Goodnight Middle School Choir Director Brigitte Smith said, “It’s like making the All-Star team. They’re in a choir with the best-of-the-best kids from all of Austin, Pflugerville, Lockhart, Bastrop, Hays, and the Westlake areas.” Smith reports that the total number of students trying out Saturday, January 23, was 645. Of this number, 204 make the Regional Choir.

Miller Middle School Choir Director Dawn Sheridan-Reinhuber said that last year, San Marcos CISD had three students who placed in the Regional competition. This year Miller alone sent 32 students to the auditions, and nine of those students placed. “It’s a remarkable achievement,” she said, “and the students should be very proud of themselves.”

The Miller students who placed in the 2009-2010 All-Region Middle School Choir are:

8th Grade Treble Choir (Women’s) • Isabel White, Soprano 1 –1st chair in Zone 1, Region • Konnor Callendar, Soprano 1 –1st chair in Zone 2, Region • Mercedes Gonzales, Soprano 1, Region • Jennifer Gonzales, Alto, Region • Monet Moreau and Casey Jackson, Altos, District (Regional alternates)

7th Grade Treble Choir (Women’s) • Annika Santana, Soprano 1, Region • Rebecca Vaughn, Alto, Region

7th/8th Tenor Bass Choir (Men’s) • Joey Dolan-Galaviz, Bass – Region • Truett Newton, Bass – Region • Jose Mendez, Tenor 2, Region • Octavio Martinez and Johnathan Ledesma – District (Regional Alternates)

Goodnight’s Smith explains that chairs are rankings within the choirs. “For instance, they took the top 26 chairs per voice, out of about 60 girls who auditioned for each voice part, and ranked them by ‘chairs’ with 1st Chair as the top ranking. In the men’s choir, 18 students per voice part auditioned,” she said.

The Goodnight choir students who placed in the All-Region Choir are:

8th Grade Treble Choir (Women’s) • Angelica Acosta, Second Soprano, 9th Chair, Region • Abigail Palacios, Second Soprano, 12th Chair, Region • Jordyn Lattie, Second Soprano, District (Regional Alternate)

7th Grade Treble Choir (Women’s) • Victoria Rinear, Second Soprano, 1st Chair, Region • Rainy Weems, Second Soprano, 7th Chair, Region • Jordyn Cobb, Second Soprano, Region • Chelsea Davis, Alto, 2nd Chair, Region • Cassidy Wallace, Alto, District (Regional Alternate)

7th/8th Tenor/Bass Choir (Men’s) • Jon Anthony Delgado, Tenor 1, 7th Chair, Region • Joshua Heiser, Tenor 2, 7th Chair, Region • Ismael Sosa, Bass, 16th Chair, Region • Joshua Ramirez, Bass, District (Regional Alternate)

Both Smith and Sheridan agree that the audition process was arduous. Students—also active in numerous other campus groups such as athletics, dance teams, student council, clubs, etc.—prepared and practiced for several months for the try-outs. A panel of judges called them up one at a time by badge numbers to sing a solo in front of a large black screen.

District Choral Director Helen Miers adds, “I’m proud of our middle school directors and kids. They were so pumped to do well on Saturday, and they represented us with honor.”

The January 23 competition for the UIL/TMEA Region 18 Vocal Division was held at Pflugerville Middle School. Admission is free to the Middle School Region concert on February 6 at the San Marcos High School Performing Arts Center at 4 pm.