PHS students chosen for All-State band, choir

Twenty-seven Pittsburg High School music students auditioned for and were chosen for state-wide honors and will perform in All-State concerts planned for Saturday, Feb. 23, as part of the Kansas Music Educators Conference in Wichita.

Eleven PHS band students auditioned Saturday for the KMEA 5-6A Honor Band. Three students were chosen: Lauren Valenzuela (B-flat clarinet), Abigail Carter (bass clarinet) and Marissa Vail (horn). Brittney Bramblett (alto saxophone) was chosen as an alternate.
The work that each of these students put into their auditions was astounding, noted Cooper Neil, PHS band director.

"I want to publicly let all 11 students know not only how proud I am of them for their musicianship, but how exemplary they are as human beings," Neil said. "They celebrate each other's successes while caring for each other in their disappointments. To my students, please be pleased with yourselves. You deserve it."

Also performing in concert that day will be 10 PHS choir students chosen for the All-State Treble Chorus (Jasmyn Antoni, Sapphire Blakemore, Amanda Bourbina, Addy Campbell, Hannah Casper, Kylee Eidson, Mona Estes, Gracie Puckett, Rachel Ruiz, and McKenna Shaw), and six PHS choir students chosen for the All-State Mixed Chorus (Katelyn Abarca, Emma NooNoo, Julian Archuleta, Aidan Harries, Kyra Ketcham, and Ethan McConnell).

Those students are under the direction of PHS choir teacher Susan Laushman, and auditioned for the honor before Christmas break.

“I am proud of my vocal music students,” Laushman said. “They represent Pittsburg High School and Southeast Kansas with high caliber singing and musicianship.”
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The choir concert will be at 11 a.m., while the band concert will be held at 3 p.m. Both concerts, along with other honor group concerts, will be performed in the Century II Convention Center. Admission is $7 per person.