NOTE TO MEDIA:
To identify students selected for the WSMA Middle Level State Honors Music Project in your circulation area, please refer to the student roster (pdf). Schools and 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., (October 14, 2024) — Many of Wisconsin’s most accomplished junior high and middle school music students (choir, orchestra, band) will perform in Verona on Saturday, October 26 at the Wisconsin School Music Association (WSMA) Middle Level State Honors Music Project concerts.
Throughout the state, 313 students in grades 6-8 were selected from more than 1,100 who auditioned for the program in April. Auditions were held virtually and in person as individual student performances that included a prepared solo, memorized scales and sight-reading exercises.
WSMA State Honors Music Project brings student musicians together to work with nationally known conductors in a professional setting. The 2024 WSMA Middle Level State Honors conductors are:
Band: Dr. Alexander Gonzalez, Southern Oregon University, OR
Orchestra: Dr. Mark Laycock, Wichita State University, KS
Choir: Ashley Dame, Wylie East High School, TX
“Learning, interacting and performing with other inspiring musicians from across the state under the direction of a nationally recognized conductor and some of Wisconsin’s finest music educators, offers students an incredible enrichment opportunity,” said Erica Ruppert, WSMA program director.
The October 26 concerts, which take place at Verona Area High School Performing Arts Center (3 p.m. – Band; 4 p.m. – Orchestra; 5 p.m. – Choir), celebrate the extraordinary accomplishments of Wisconsin’s young musicians. Tickets may be purchased at the door for $18/adult, $10/youth, high school and collegiate with ID, and each ticket provides admission to all three concerts.
Students in grades 6-8 who attend a WSMA member school and participate in the school’s music program will be eligible to audition for the 2025 WSMA Middle Level State Honors Project. Auditions will be held in April at six locations throughout Wisconsin. For more information on Middle Level State Honors and other WSMA programs, visit 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 across the state. WSMA believes music is a basic human need and that all children have the right to experience all that music offers them.
