Six students from the Saugus High School Band were selected as members of the 2020 Honor Band at California State University, Los Angeles, officials said Tuesday.
The students include bassoonist Joanna George, flutist Francesca Perez, percussionist Kairi Garton, tubist Julius Castillo, clarinetist Anthony Mercado and trumpeter Jason Treanor.
All of the students are current members of the Saugus High School Band, according to Saugus Band Director Corey Whitt.
“It’s an opportunity to get together across a weekend, to get to know other folks from other areas and have the opportunity to make new friends, make new music with people they don’t know,” said Whitt. “It’s two days of getting new musical experiences, and then they can come back to the band room with a wealth of new musical experiences and techniques.”
The students are set to work with Conductor Emily Moss, director of bands and director of instrumental music education at Cal State LA, on Friday, Jan. 31 and Saturday, Feb. 1, alongside other accepted students from around Southern California.
Whitt encourages students who are musically inclined to join a band and take advantage of the support and immersive environment offered by joining such an extracurricular, as well as the opportunities offered by band directors.
“In the wake of everything that happened at Saugus, getting students focused on anything outside of that is a success for them. They are achieving at such a high level,” said Whitt. “To have all these students that are driven and determined to succeed is wonderful. It’s a great feeling.”
The Honor Band Concert is scheduled to take place at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb.1 in the State Playhouse on the campus of California State University, Los Angeles. Tickets are expected to be available at the door.
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