Eleven Newberg High School musicians performed in the top state and northwest orchestras and bands last Sunday at the Oregon Music Education Association (OMEA) conference in Portland.

The performance caps a selection process that began last fall when students submitted audition tapes to OMEA. Expert musicians judged the auditions, which included specific exercises. Top auditions were forwarded to the National Association for Music Education (NAFME) Northwest Division to be judged with the top applications from six northwest states. Three Newberg musicians were selected to play in the All Northwest honor groups:

• All Northwest Orchestra - Reagan Call (violin)
• All Northwest Band - Cassidy Helikson – (bass clarinet) and Matt Staples – (clarinet)

Eight Newberg High School students were selected to the highly competitive OMEA All State Band and Orchestra:

• All State Orchestra - Kora Favara (bass), Anjel Urciel (cello), Jacob Consenz (cello)
• All State Band - Alexis Cartales (clarinet), Tyler Mayes (clarinet), CJ Koch (clarinet), Angel Nunez (baritone saxaphone), Marissa Beam (tenor saxaphone) and Thomas Gaumer (trombone)

Students had three days to rehearse before the Sunday concerts.

“To be selected as a member of the All-State or Northwest Band is difficult at best,” according to Dick Elliott, Associate director of bands at George Fox University. “It’s a real feather in these kid’s cap.”

The OMEA and All-Norwest performance are held in conjuction with the OMEA annual conferece, which includes workshop sessions for music educators. NHS choir director, Robert Hawthorne, presented a session on inclusion of special needs students in musical groups. NHS band director Joel Tanner was the site host for the All Northwest Jazz Choir and Jazz Band.