4 minute read
Mini-Concerts
Tampa Convention Center Lobby Stage
Thursday
January 13, 2022
1pm-1:30pm Sickles Chamber Choir
Director: Kyle T. Gray The Sickles Chamber Choir is an advanced, auditioned group at Walter L. Sickles High School in Tampa. The group has been in existence since 2018 and regularly performs in the Tampa community. The group features singers routinely chosen to represent Sickles at state and district honor festivals and regularly performs in the Florida Vocal Association MPA. In 2020, the Chamber Choir was honored to receive ratings of straight superior with distinction for its performance on stage and in the sight-reading room. The members of the Sickles Chamber Choir have a passion for singing and learning together. The singers love the study of music and building community around choral artistry.
3pm-3:30pm Leon High School Percussion Ensemble
Directors: Lee Commander, Michael Panzarino The Leon High School Percussion Ensemble is composed of a wide array of students from the Leon High School Percussion Section. Beginning students are incorporated with other performers who have had prior experience with middle school and high school percussion instruction. Students in the ensemble work collaboratively to provide guidance to younger players, which allows them to gain confidence in their performance abilities. The ensemble showcases a unique blend of students demonstrating diversity in ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and gender. During the 2020-21 school year, the students met as an after school ensemble in order to allow students participating in digital learning a chance to have an equitable percussion experience along with brick and mortar students.
4pm-4:30pm All Saints Academy Concert Strings
Director: Amber Alderman The All Saints Academy Concert Strings is the advanced string orchestra ensemble. The group performs for many events in the community and as part of the school community throughout the year, including church services, school musicals, local mission organizations, and graduation events on top of regularly scheduled concerts.
5pm-5:30pm Pine Crest School Jazz Combo (featuring Randy Brecker)
Director: Jamie Roth The Pine Crest School Jazz Combo is a seven-piece ensemble composed of the program’s most dedicated musicians, many of whom write original music and are producing their own albums. Coupled with AP and post-AP offerings in theory and composition, the jazz program strives to expand students’ improvisation and performance skills. The combo this year boasts a three-time Downbeat Student Award winner, an NAfMe Honor Ensemble member, and several FBA State musicians. The members of the band have had the opportunity to work with professional musicians and educators Randy Brecker, Ed Calle, Ben Wolfe,
Sponsored by FMEA Coordinator: Stephen Gabin
and John Medeski. Under the direction of veteran band director Jamie Roth, Pine Crest bands and band members regularly earn high ratings at MPAs and are selected for national, state, and district ensembles. In addition, Pine Crest bands have been invited to participate at jazz festivals across the country and at prestigious universities including Berkley, UM, and MIT.
Friday
January 14, 2022
10:30am-11am Plant Bass Ensemble
Director: Steven Bossert The Plant Bass Ensemble was created in fall 2020. It is made up of the bass students in the chamber and philharmonic strings orchestras at Plant High School. It was created in response to the bass students wanting their own ensemble to feature their instrument. This group rehearses weekly after school, and they receive regular coaching from professional bassists from the Tampa area. They have quickly become a popular ensemble in the South Tampa area. They received superior ratings at solo/ ensemble festival. They have performed at numerous community events in the South Tampa area.
1pm-1:30pm Gaither High School SHOWCASE 2022
Director: Debbie Cleveland Gaither High School’s SHOWCASE has been making music and entertaining audiences since 1985. Thirteen vocalists sing and dance to pop music of many genres and eras, backed by a live band consisting of two guitars, two keyboards, drums, bass guitar, and brass. The instrumentalists and vocalists collaborate to work out their own unique musical arrangements and choreography, and four full-time student technicians are responsible for setting up and running the sound system for this superior rated group. The students in SHOWCASE are required to maintain an exemplary GPA and attendance record, and many of them fulfill student leadership roles in academics, athletics, and other on-campus activities. SHOWCASE does numerous performances throughout the school year, not only at Gaither events and in the Northdale community, but all over the Tampa Bay area. Past SHOWCASE groups have performed at the Governor’s Reception, on local television, at the Straz Center, and at FMEA conferences.
2pm-2:30pm University of Central Florida Trombone Choir
Director: Luis Fred The UCF Trombone Choir was founded by Emeritus Professor Roy Pickering. In 2017, Dr. Luis Fred reinitiated the group as an extension of studio lessons and to augment chamber music training. Under Dr. Fred’s leadership, the group has traveled internationally to Costa Rica and presented at the 2019 International Brass Festival of the University of Florida. For its presentation at the FMEA Professional Development Conference, the group will present the Florida premieres of two Latin-American pieces by composers William PaganPerez and Leonel Rodriguez-Cambronero. In addition, the group will present standard repertoire.
