Cove High hosts Region 8 band concerts on Saturday
Special to Leader-Press
The 2020 Texas Music Educators Association Region 8 High School Band Clinic and Concerts will take place Friday and Saturday, January 17-18, at Copperas Cove High School in the Lea Ledger Auditorium, 400 S. 25th Street. Band students from high schools all over Central Texas will be participating in this annual event.
This band event is made up of students who auditioned on December 7 and placed highly enough in their respective instrument group to fill a chair slot in one of four region bands, ranked from lowest to highest, to include the Freshman Band, Concert Band, Symphonic Band, and Wind Symphony.
TMEA Region 8 consists of 18 high schools that include the four high schools in Killeen as well as high schools Copperas Cove, Belton, Midway, and Temple.
The participating students in the TMEA Region 8 High School Bands receive their music for this clinic/concert just a month before the event. The guest conductors expect that they have looked at the music, practiced it, and come prepared to put it together in the large band to perform on Saturday afternoon.
Thirteen Copperas Cove band students scored highly enough at the Region 8 audition that they were invited to audition at the TMEA Area D audition. CCHS sophomore Perise Sasa Siaosi is a member of the CCHS Wind Ensemble and will play percussion in the Region 8 Wind Symphony.
“Personally, the region audition process has helped me grow both as a musician and as a person through four long months of hard work and discipline,” Siaosi said. “I am honored to have the opportunity to represent the Pride of Cove amongst some of the best musicians in the area.”
CCISD Director of Bands Tony Chapa along with his staff and students are excited to host the event.
“Performing in the TMEA Region 8 Bands provides an incredible opportunity for our students to rehearse with experienced conductors and to play with some of the best high school band students in our region,” Chapa said.
Band performances begin on Saturday at 4 p.m. with the Freshman Band; 4:45 p.m. with the Concert Band; 5:30 p.m. with the Symphonic Band; and 6:15 p.m. with the Wind Ensemble. The event is free and open to the public.
Copperas Cove students selected to participate in the TMEA Region 8 bands are listed below. Students who scored highly enough at the Region 8 audition were invited to audition at the TMEA Area D auditions in February.
FRESHMAN BAND
Deryk Tantiangco – Bassoon
John Lindemann – Bb Clarinet
Andrea Perez – Bb Clarinet
Haley Wang – Bb Clarinet
Abigail Richmond – Bass Clarinet
Bethany Hamilton – Alto Saxophone
Trinity Trabal – Tenor Saxophone
Aidan Ward – Tenor Saxophone
Deantoine Williams – French Horn
Philip Kerzee Jr. – Tuba
Madison Moriniere – Tuba
Gracie Mae Smith - Percussion
CONCERT BAND
Sharaye Harris – Flute
Amelia Baker – Flute
Michala Gradner – Bb Clarinet
Cameron Pack – Bb Clarinet
Olivia Martin – Alto Saxophone
Brandon Alvarado-Rivera – Trumpet
SYMPHONIC BAND
Gabriella Gorres – Flute (AREA)
Ryan Kirkwood – Bb Clarinet (AREA)
Krista Gray – Bb Clarinet (AREA)
Selena Falbe – Bb Clarinet (AREA)
Elmo Bailey – Trumpet
Daniel Burns – Trumpet
Jonathan Daley – Bass Trombone (AREA)
Miguel Castillo – Tuba
James Cook – Tuba
Sean Amspacher – Tuba
Ishmael DeLaCruz – Percussion
Jacklyn Perez – Percussion
Ian Gillespie – Percussion
WIND SYMPHONY
Ellie Fluent-Carpenter – Piccolo (AREA)
Lillian Peterson – Flute (AREA)
Rachel Johnson – Flute (AREA)
Marquesz Jose – Bass Clarinet (AREA)
David Sweetwood – Trumpet (AREA)
Richard Kirkpatrick – Tenor Trombone (AREA)
Elijah Cannon – Tuba (AREA)
Perise Sasa Siaosi – Percussion (AREA)