A bevy of Carrollton Junior High School seventh and eighth graders – and one sixth grader from Carrollton Upper Elementary – have the privilege of being selected to perform in the GMEA District 7 Honor Band in February..

Maria Menendez, CJHS band director, said District Honor Band is an auditioned-based program that collects the top players in 14 districts designated by the Georgia Music Educators Association. Carrollton schools are included in District 7, which includes schools of all classifications in northwest Georgia.

Menendez said students practice from September until December on their scales, etudes (short musical compositions), and sight reading in order to prepare for their audition. Students awarded a spot in the ensemble perform in the honor band with the best band students in their district under the direction of a guest conductor. 

“Auditioning for district honor band is like a job interview,” said Menendez. “You must be able to demonstrate your best even though you’re under pressure and nervous. Our students learn tremendously from this and apply it to other aspects of their lives, whether they make the ensemble or not.” 

Menendez said more than 1,000 students auditioned for about 200 available honor band ensemble spots. She said this was an exceptional year of CJHS participation with 15 making the honor band and that the eight students who will be advancing to All-State auditions next year is extraordinary.

“We are lucky if one student per year qualifies at this level,” she said.

The CJHS students who will participate in District Honor Band are Justin Arnold, Emma Cook, Max Duncan, Alanna Edwards (alternate), Alexandria Ennis, Bryan Escobar-Ramos, Connor Haley, Ian Larson, Allison Lowry, Julian Redwine, Eivy Reyes, Spencer Richards, Hagan Russell, Sarah Scholl and Nathan Stagliano. Cadence Carr, CUES sixth grader and an oboe player, also will participate. 

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Carrollton Junior High students who will participate in the District Honor Band in February are back row, from left, Alexandria Ennis, Spencer Richards, Emma Cook, Allison Lowry, Julian Redwine, Connor Haley, Nathan Stagliano, Justin Arnold, and Eivy Reyes. Front, from left, are Sarah Scholl, Alanna Edwards (alternate), Hagan Russell, Ian Larson, Bryan Escobar-Ramos, and Max Duncan.