ORCHESTRA BRINGS BROOK HILL PAST AND PRESENT TOGETHER

We’re so proud of Brook Hill graduate Noah Claytor, ’07, who served as this year’s TMEA Middle School All-Region Orchestra clinician. Congratulations are also due to Brook Hill students Seth Sagen and Gabriel Demandante for their performance at the TMEA All-Region Orchestra Clinic and Concert!

 

Friday and Saturday, December 6th & 7th, East Texas middle school and high school orchestra musicians selected from an earlier audition process, gathered to participate in the TMEA (Texas Music Educators Association) Region 4&21 All-Region Orchestra Clinic and Concert. The annual TMEA All-Region Orchestra event is the “All-Star” Region music contest for string musicians as it is the most competitive regional music event since it involves hundreds of string students from public, private and home schools from our vast region of  Nacogdoches to Sulpher Springs, Athens to Marshall & all cities in between. All of these students are competing for a place in the All-Region Middle School or High School Orchestra.

Sophomore violinist, Seth Sagen proudly represented Brook Hill in this year’s TMEA All-Region High School Orchestra and placed first chair Concertmaster of the All-Region High School Orchestra for the second year in-a-row!

Eighth-grade violinist, Gabriel Demandante also did Brook Hill proud by earning a spot in the All-Region Middle School Orchestra! Former Brook Hill Orchestra Director, Jamie Reason, in working with Gabriel to prepare for All-Region Orchestra audition, felt he did very well for his first time to enter the TMEA All-Region Orchestra competition by placing eighth chair and first stand in the second violin section!

Brook Hill graduates were also represented at the competition. Sarah Reason, Brook Hill ‘03 alum, is the Orchestra Director at Robert E. Lee High School and had an impressive 13 string students make the TMEA All-Region High School Orchestra.

All-Region Orchestra members come together for a long weekend of many hours of rehearsal with guest orchestra clinicians and culminate with a final All-Region Orchestra Concert. This year’s TMEA Middle School All-Region Orchestra clinician was Brook Hill ‘07 alum, Noah Claytor!

Noah first learned to play the cello and what it means to play in an orchestra at Brook Hill under the instruction of former Brook Hill Orchestra Director, Mrs. Jamie Reason. Noah earned his degree and certification in music education from Stephen F. Austin University and for the past 7 years, has been the Director of Orchestras at Pasadena Memorial High School in Pasadena, TX. Under Noah’s fine and inspiring teaching, his orchestras have consistently earned UIL Sweepstakes and grown to a program of over 230 students and four orchestras!

It was a treat, blessing, and honor for our Middle School Region Orchestra students to be under the exciting, excellent, and inspiring teaching of Noah Claytor!

Brook Hill is so proud of its orchestra students and orchestra alum family!