PRESIDIO — Over the past month, Presidio High School Band students have celebrated a string of strong showings at regional competitions. Band students attended the competitive Band and Jazz All Region events and qualified for the state UIL Solo & Ensemble contest.
Students who want to make the cut for the All Region bands must audition solo on their instrument in the hopes of earning a spot in one of three bands composed of the region’s top high school musicians. Percussionists Jaeli Nuñez and Benny Escontrias performed at the Band All Region event and Victoria Corrales performed at Jazz All Region on tenor sax.
Last Saturday, Benny Escontrias, Jaeli Nuñez, Imuris Garcia and Luis Sanchez participated in the regional Solo & Ensemble contest as a percussion ensemble and earned a spot at the state competition, which will be held in May. Soloists Domingo Rios, Josselyn Melchor and Ninel Catano also made the cut.
Solo & Ensemble places the emphasis on live individual performance — students can earn one of four ratings and only performers who earn the top rating advance.
To prepare for the January and February events, practice was a family affair — Lucy and John Ferguson helped offer their services to help students with private lessons, and Band Director Molly Ferguson was able to work overtime with the percussion students as a percussionist herself.
Director Ferguson was proud of all of her students, but gave special kudos to the Solo & Ensemble competitors for waking up the morning after the homecoming dance to travel to Monahans and give award-winning performances. “They’re all hardworking kids,” she said.
