NOTE TO EDITORS:
To identify students selected for the WSMA High School State Honors Music Project in your circulation area, please refer to the student roster (pdf). Cities are listed in zip code order for easy reference.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kevin Thays
Phone: 608-850-3566
Web: wsmamusic.org
WAUNAKEE, Wis. (June 18, 2020) – Some of Wisconsin’s finest young musicians are about to meet up for the first-ever Wisconsin School Music Association (WSMA) High School State Honors “Virtual” Camp.
Amidst the current challenges caused by COVID-19, WSMA remains committed to providing a prestigious experience for Honors students who worked hard to earn their spot in the 2020 High School State Honors Music Project. Students will engage in holistic lessons that incorporate several musical aspects of the programmed repertoire (e.g., history, theory, style, composition, text and culture), connect with composers from around the world and work with coaches and peers in daily sectionals that focus on technique and skill in a personalized setting.
The summer camp is a unique and essential component to the High School State Honors Music Project experience as it is the first opportunity selected students have to meet the conductor and interact with other members of their ensemble. During the camp, students meet virtually via Zoom and Google Meet three times a day for four days. Camp dates are as follows: June 20-23, Band, Mixed Choir and Jazz Ensemble; June 24-27, Orchestra and Treble Choir. After camp, students will master their music for the chosen piece(s) and make a recording of themselves performing their part. The final performance on October 29 will be the premier of the virtual performances.
“WSMA is proud to connect youth with this virtual Honors experience so they can continue their musical learning and growth, even during social distancing restrictions,” said WSMA Program Director Victoria Donahue.
WSMA High School State Honors Music Project auditions were held in seven sites across the state this past February. Of the more than 1,500 auditions, 426 students in grades 9, 10 and 11 were invited to be part of the ensembles.
The 2020 WSMA High School State Honors Project conductors (links to full bios) are:
| Band | Pamela Bowen Bustos, UW-Superior |
| Orchestra | Thomas Dickey, Oklahoma State University |
| Jazz Ensemble | Michael Dease, Michigan State University |
| Mixed Choir | Lauren Fowler-Calisto, William Paterson University |
| Treble Choir | Axel Theimer, Saint John’s University and College of Saint Benedict |
For more information about WSMA or its programs, go to wsmamusic.org.
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Founded in 1932, Wisconsin School Music Association (WSMA) is a non-profit service organization with more than 1,000 member public and private schools. Students from member schools are eligible to participate in WSMA programs, such as District and State Music Festivals, Concert Festivals, State Honors Music Project, State Marching Band Championships and Student Composition Project. WSMA is governed by a board of directors made up of superintendents, principals and other officers from all over the state. WSMA believes music is a basic human need and that all children have the right to experience all that music offers them.
