Four Tyler Junior College students have earned places in the 2019-2020 Texas Two-Year College All-State Choir:
• Grace Gaertner of Tyler
• Jared Kainer of Katy
• Nichole Painter of Marshall
• Kaitlyn Woodard of Bullard
They will perform at the Texas Music Educators Association’s (TMEA) annual convention in San Antonio in February.
TMEA is an annual meeting of Texas elementary through college music programs, including band, choir, orchestra and elementary music. It is one of the largest such conventions in the country, attracting some 10,000 active music educators and about 30,000 attendees from across the nation each year.
“We are thrilled to have four students represent TJC in the all-state choir,” said Dr. Eric Posada, TJC director of choral music. “TMEA is one of the most prominent music education conventions in the country, and it’s a great experience for them to be able to perform there.”
Following three days of rehearsal to learn seven musical selections, the group will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15, in the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio.
The choir will be conducted by Dr. Eugene Rogers, director of choral activities and associate professor of conducting at the University of Michigan. A two-time Michigan Emmy Award winner, a 2017 Sphinx Medal of Excellence recipient, and a 2015 Grammy Award nominee, Rogers is recognized as a leading conductor and educator throughout the United States and abroad. His choirs have toured throughout China, South Africa, and the United States and have appeared at national and regional conferences.
Posada added, “When I came here in 2017, one of my goals was to encourage students to try out for the all-state choir; and I’m proud to say that 12 students have represented TJC at this level since then.”
About the TJC music program
As one of the largest two-year college music programs in Texas, TJC graduates students each year who are prepared to excel at the university level and beyond.
Areas of concentration include: guitar, instrumental, piano and voice.
Students have performance opportunities as freshmen and sophomores that they would not be offered elsewhere, in groups such as: Collaborative Piano, Guitar Ensemble, Concert Choir, Chamber Singers, Harmony & Understanding, Apache (marching) Band, Jazz Band, Percussion Ensemble, Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble.
Faculty members are experienced educators and active performers.
TJC music majors are actively recruited by universities, and graduates transfer all over the United States.
For more on TJC music programs, go to TJC.edu/music.