Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» Music Students Shine in FSCAA Winter Symposium Competition
January 31, 2017
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Congratulations to this year's 13 music students from Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»'s Vocal and Instrumental music department who have made history in their seating placements and Young Music Artist Scholarship Awards.
Five vocal students John Steininger, Gerald Bigas, Arman Haghani, Julia Diven and Solangel Padilla from Mrs. Lynn Sandefur's Vocal Studios and Chorus were nominated by the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» music staff to participate and were placed in the FSCAA (Florida State College Activities Association) Winter Music Symposium Honor Chorus.
Eight instrumental students from Dr. Bingham's instrumental music program and Dr. Andrew Hamilton's Trombone Studios also participated and faired well in auditions for chair /ensemble placement and individual music scholarship. 4 instrumental students Placed in the Symposium's 100-piece Honor Symphonic Band; Darren Krause, clarinet, 2nd part, Michael Gray, Alto Sax, 2nd part, Todd Crawford, trombone 3rd part and Noah Greene, Euphonium 2nd part.
One of our percussionists, Noah Woolard, placed in the percussion section after a stringent audition process. Our only instrumental string player, Ben Salhanick, Double Bass, placed 2nd part in the Honor Orchestra.
In the area of the Symposiums highly competitive Big Band; Wyatt Thomas, trombone, placed 3rd chair and Ryan Hall, trumpet, placed first chair. Ryan's placement made history as Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» had never had any student place 1st Chair in the Jazz audition process. Wyatt Thomas, who also takes applied lessons on trombone from Adjunct Professor, Dr. Andrew Hamilton, made Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» history during this Winter Music Symposium, as he also won a stringent audition process and claimed the highly coveted $1000.00 jazz scholarship. This scholarship allows the student to use the tuition to any Florida University or College of his choosing beginning next fall.
Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» music department history was made again during the performance Young Music Artist Award Winner Performance last Friday night. All other music scholarship winners in areas such as; Instrumental legit brass, woodwind, piano, guitar, male and female vocal, performed for the Symposium students, staff and general public. Since Wyatt Thomas scholarship audition was performed to a Jazz CD accompaniment, his evenings performance was accompanied by live musicians from Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³». A Jazz Quartet was formed when Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»'s Ben Salhanick (Double Bass), and Noah Woolard (drum set), plus the Honorable Mention's Merit Finalist (runner-up in the jazz category) Pianist Luke Wilmoth from Polk State College accompanied Wyatt Thomas as he performed the Jazz Standard "Cherokee" by Ray Noble. This performance marked the first time ever that Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» music department had been represented by a Symposium soloist winner, Wyatt Thomas, who also included with two members of Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»'s Jazz Combo (Ben and Noah). Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»'s Jazz Combo (MUN 2011.001) meets weekly on Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»'s campus and is taught by Dr. Bingham and Dr. Hamilton (per gratis).
