Johnathan Torres, Mr. Glenn, and Josue Vasquez pose at the Music Festival.

Music Festival

January 2025

Last January 25, 2025, some of our band students competed in the Music Festival sponsored by the Houston Music Teachers Association. This competition is held every fourth Saturday in January, and this year it was held on January 25, 2025 at the Kawai Piano Gallery. The purpose of this music festival is to select the students who will advance to the Region 3 Performance Competition as well as the State Music Competition. The Region 3 Competition will be held on March 8-9, 2025 at the University of Houston Main Campus and the State Music Competition will be held on June 13-16, 2025 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel Downtown Houston.

Our Band Director, Mr. Wilford Glenn, is the current President of the Houston Music Teachers Association, which at the moment has more than 120 members. He took several of our band students to compete at the Music Festival, and he is very happy to report that our students did exceedingly well.

Madelyn Abrego, Allyson Julian-Cruz, and Isa Salgado

First of all, Allyson Julian-Cruz, earned a Superior Rating in Flute at the Music Festival, which automatically qualified her for the State Music Competition as well as the All-Star Music Festival, both to be held in June. Allyson is a 7th grade student in Ms. Hall's homeroom and a second year band student.

Matilde Robles, an 8th grade Advanced Band student in Ms. Bucher-Airola's homeroom, earned an Excellent Rating in Piano at the Music Festival. She then participated in the Performance Contest which was held February 2, 2025, advancing to the Region 3 Performance Competition to be held March 8-9, 2025 at the University of Houston Main Campus. If she obtains a rating of Superior there, she will advance to the State Competition. As of now, she will participate in the All-Star Music Festival in June.

Aaron Martinez is a sixth grade student in Mr. Bonilla's homeroom. He is a Beginner Band student who earned a Superior Rating in Trumpet at the Music Festival. He won't be able to advance to the State Music Competition because he's only a sixth grade student, but he will participate in the All-Star Music Festival in June. We have high hopes for him as he advances in his trumpet studies.

The following students will also participate in the All-Star Music Festival in June:

• Isa Salgado is an eighth grade student in Ms. Porche's homeroom who is an Advanced Band student. She earned a rating of Excellent in Flute.
• Josue Vasquez is a seventh grade student in Ms. Hall's homeroom and a Beginning Band student. He earned a Satisfactory rating in Trombone.
• Johnathan Torres is a seventh grade student also in Ms. Hall's homeroom. He is in Intermediate Band and he earned an Excellent rating in Marimba.
• Mayra Rutiaga is an eighth grade student in Ms. Veal's homeroom and an Advanced Band student. She earned a rating of Excellent in Snare Drum.
• Madelyn Abrego, an eighth grade student in Mr. Boyd's homeroom, she is also an Advanced Band student who earned a rating of Excellent in Snare Drum.

Matilde Robles and Mr. Glenn

It must be noted that in order to participate in the State Music Competition, a student must be at least in 7th grade and earn a rating of Superior in his or her instrument.

We are very proud of our band students. They have done exceedingly well and we hope that they will continue to make progress with their instruments. We wish all of them the best of luck in their musical career!