June 6, 2019 500 AM
PRESIDIO – Student musicians in the Presidio music and band program have won honors at the state solo and ensemble contest for so many years they’ve kind of lost track when the winning streak began.
“I think it’s been about 30 years,” said Lucy Ferguson, the school’s longtime music instructor and band director, who, along with her husband, John, the district counselor and former band director, have overseen the award-winning music program for three decades.
Presidio student musicians kept the streak going this year with two first-place awards (called a Division I rating in Association of Texas Small School Bands nomenclature) and a second-place honor (Division II).
First Division winners were Octavio Padron for his tuba solo, and the 12-member percussion ensemble of Aaron Valenzuela, Manuel Bustamante, Brittany Huitron, Nadia Dominguez, Aile Loya, Ismael Flotte, Mason Bishop, Pedro Sanchez, Carlos Sanchez, Adrian Escontrias, Jose Armendariz Jr., and Andy Perez.
The brass quintet earned a Division 2 honor and included Alexis Contreras and Isabel Subia on trumpet, Isabella Ornelas on French horn, Sebastian Madrid on trombone, and Michael Hernandez on tuba.
“They all did awesome, fantastic at state,” Lucy Ferguson said.
