By Cynthia Ruiz
Mr. David Munk introduced this year’s All-State and Honor Band/Choir as well as Martin Dockter who’s All-State Choir and Yovany Balderas in Honor Band.
“We recently had an All-State choir for the Nevada Music Educator Association,” said Munk. “It was a great concert and was in Las Vegas.”
Mr. Munk and his choir students performed in Las Vegas near the end of January and collaborated with other students from all over Nevada while performing at the Las Vegas Academy.
“The students in Honor Band have audition materials and we got six section leader positions,” said Munk. “Which is the most of all the schools that include eight high schools that participate at this event.”
There is a guest conductor as well as all the other top students from several different schools that come together to perform concerts. Students rehearse beforehand for about two days minimum.
“Our success rate has been very good with the band,” said Munk. “We have 21 students that made it into the honor band which is by far the most of any school.”
Students who made it into the Honor and All-State were given a set of notes to audition and record. Martin Dockter who’s in his junior year is one of the students that is part of the All-State Choir.
“We performed at the Las Vegas Academy of Music I believe,” said Dockter. “It was great to be around and on that campus, there are a lot of people who are very committed to music.”
After he made it to All-State he was interested in performing at different places and collaborating with new students from different schools.
“It’s really fun to go out of town especially,” said Dockter. “Music is kind of all about bringing your idea to the table and being able to meet a large group of new people.
Yovany Balderas who’s in his senior year is also a member of the Honor Band.
“Experiencing it is a whole other deal,” said Balderas. “You get to meet so many new people and we manage to make a bunch of memories in such a short amount of time.”
Balderas was excited about getting the news about traveling and the idea of making new friends.
“So I guess it’s the ability to socialize,” said Balderas. “And making music with people and that I like so much about Honor Band it’s honestly a feeling like no other.”
What he also likes about going out to different cities is if it’s your first time you get to explore which makes the experience much more fun and interesting.
“I decided I wanted to play the clarinet,” said Balderas. “I ended up playing the flute which I’m glad because it’s now my main instrument and I just love playing the melody.”
