Independent Day School-Corbett Campus Students to Perform in All-State Choruses

Students from school selected for honor for 12th consecutive year.

Jan. 11, 2012 (TAMPA, Fla.) – Four students from Independent Day School-Corbett Campus have been competitively selected as members of 2012 Florida All-State Choruses. The students will perform this weekend during the Florida Music Educators Association (FMEA) Conference in downtown Tampa, which will be attended by more than 8,000 participants.

For the 12th consecutive year, judges selected IDS-CC students to participate in the All-State Elementary Chorus. This year, fourth-grader Emily Barron and fifth-grader Kenny Beckford will sing with the elementary chorus, and. eighth-graders Allegra Beachy and Madeline Dixon will perform with the 7-8 All-State Mixed Chorus.

Fourth-grader Emily Barron and fifth-grader Kenny Beckford will sing with the All-State Elementary Chorus. Eighth-grade students Allegra Beachy and Madeline Dixon will perform with the 7-8 All-State Mixed Chorus.

FMEA has hosted the All-State Elementary Chorus competition for 12 years. For every one of those 12 years, judges from across the state have selected students from IDS-CC for the highly competitive program. Music teacher Michael LeBlanc says that track record speaks to the talent of the young singers at IDS-CC, as well as their commitment to hard work and personal excellence.

Participation in a Florida All-State Chorus is the state’s top honor for school chorus members. It is a unique opportunity for young musicians to rehearse selected music with nationally known master clinicians and to perform in a group with the best musicians in the state. The choruses perform annually at the FMEA Conference, one of the largest gatherings of music educators in the United States.

LeBlanc said that more than 700 students statewide auditioned for the elementary chorus and approximately 200 were selected. This year, 38 IDS-CC students tried out and 10 were selected and participated in the second round of judging.

According to IDS music teacher Barbara McBride, the audition process for middle school students is rigorous and the competition intense. For the audition, students must learn all five pieces of music that will be performed at the concert. Before the vocal audition, however, they must pass a written musical theory exam, as well as a sight-singing test. Seven IDS-CC middle school students participated in the audition process and three progressed to the final round of judging. The ultimate selection of performers was based on a ranking of students’ composite scores.

“Performing with similar caliber students – and experiencing the vast knowledge of a nationally renowned guest conductor – raises students’ skill levels tremendously,” said McBride. “In addition, the actual All-State performance is, by far, the biggest concert of their lives,” she said, noting that the audience comprises 800 to 1,000 family members, educators and guests.

“When these choruses come together to perform,” said McBride, “the sound is absolutely glorious.”