photo of seven students chosen as all-state band and choir members

Student musicians earn All-State honors in band, choir

Seven Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts student musicians earned recognition at recent All-State competitions.

Five members of ASMSA’s band program and two choir members received recognition at All-State Qualifications that were held February 3 in Russellville. Students who were recognized include:

  • Alex Back, principal horn, All-State Symphony Orchestra;
  • Shea Stabila, second flute, All-State Symphony Orchestra;
  • Anna Le, second violin, ninth chair, All-State Symphony Orchestra;
  • Grace Adams, string bass, second chair, All-State Symphonic Band;
  • Landon Samples, tuba, fifth chair, All-State Symphonic Band;
  • Grace Moody, soprano II, fourth chair, All-State SATB Choir; and
  • Taraji Kiyumbi, tenor I, alternate (who was later chosen to participate),All-State TTBB Choir.

Dr. Thomas Dempster, who serves as ASMSA’s director of bands as well as associate dean for arts and humanities, said the selections set a new record for instrumentalists chosen to participate in an all-state band or orchestra in one year. He said the selection of two vocalists tied a record for those chosen for all-state choir honors.

All-State clinics and concerts will be held at various locations in Hot Springs this week. All-State rehearsals for all bands and choir begin Thursday, Feb. 14. Concerts for individual groups will be held on Saturday, Feb. 17 at the Hot Springs Convention Center.

The TTBB Choir concert will be at noon in Hall A. The SATB Choir concert is set for 1 p.m. in Hall A. The Symphony Orchestra concert will be held at noon in Bank OZK Arena at the convention center. The Symphonic Band will perform at 2 p.m. in the arena.

Dempster said each of the All-State instrumentalists are enrolled in the Applied Lessons course at ASMSA. Students in the course receive one-on-one music instruction with a member of ASMSA’s music faculty. Back, Samples and Stabila participated in the Music Capstone during the 2022-23 academic year.

He said it was the second year in a row for Back to earn All-State band honors and the third year in a row that Moody was selected to participate in an All-State choir.

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