Two Tyrone Area music students have brought back their experiences from this year’s All-State Festival held last week in Erie.
Junior Alicia Rodriguez and senior Morris Reese Jr. participated in the All-State Chorus and Band respectively. Each brought back their own remembrances from the event but both were impressed with the guest conductors of each event.
“I really appreciated the different techniques we learned during rehearsals from Peggy Dettwiler,” said Rodriguez.
Reese also spoke highly of his conductor, Stephen Gage.
The two students traveled last week to the event by bus with other students from the area. Students from a number of schools in the region were listed in the program for the event including Bellwood-Antis, Altoona, Hollidaysburg, State College and Bald Eagle. While Rodriguez and Reese participated in chorus or concert band events, still others participated in the All-State Vocal Jazz Ensemble, All-State Jazz Band, All-State Instrumental Jazz Ensemble and the All-State Wind Ensemble and All-State Orchestra.
Rodriguez appeared at the event as a soprano II and finished 15th out of 30 participants. As a returning senior next school she year, she has the possibility of appearing at the eastern region event scheduled in Boston. Reese placed 7th out of 7 for his performance on tuba. He also has some plans for the next school year which will see him go to a higher level.
“I plan on attending IUP (Indiana University of Pennsylvania) next fall,” said Reese. “It was nice to have a chance to perform some college level material at the All-State Festival.”
Earlier this month, during the student recognition portion of the Tyrone Area School Board meeting, Catherine Young, the district’s chorus director, spent time highlighting the accomplishments of both students which led to their appearance at the festival last week in Erie.
“Art is work, it only looks like play,” said Young. “At this level it looks easy. We even say someone ‘plays a song’ but we know it’s hard work.”
Young also took the time to thank the school board for allowing the students to be recognized as well a congratulating the Rodriguez and Reese families.
The All-State Festival program listed the following Bellwood-Antis students as part of the chorus, Lauren Otto, alto I, Shawn Wertz, tenor II.
