GCS Orchestra students winning their captions in the 2016 Indiana Music Education Association Composition Competition:

As more students find an interest in music composition and discover opportunities to highlight their work, so has the number of winning compositions increased.  This year four students won their categories.  Nathan Berkey won High School Orchestra for his composition “The Magistrate’s Arrival”, Sam Stoltzfus won Middle School Chamber for “Battle Shore”, Josh Schrock won Middle School Arranging for his arrangement of the “Theme from Fallout 4”, and Daniel Elizalde for Middle School Orchestra composing “Pluckish Dysphoria” which the 8^th grade orchestra performed this fall. The statewide recognition of their compositions will take place at the IMEA convention at 11 a.m. on January 14^th.

Four GHS Orchestra students accepted into the 2017 Indiana All State Orchestra:

At the end of last week we found out that four GHS orchestra students were accepted into the Indiana All State Orchestra.  To be accepted students had to prepare recorded auditions consisting of 6-8 excerpts of professional level music.  Hugh Birky (senior violinist), Cade Fisher (junior bassist), Matthew Herrmann (junior violinist), and Anton Pham (sophomore violist) were accepted into the prestigious ensemble.  Caroline Greaser and Kathryn Herschberger were also selected as alternates should an opening occur.  This is the first time Goshen has had more than two students placed in the ensemble since 2011.  Should all six become performers in the ensemble, it will be the first time since 2007.  They will perform at the IMEA Convention at 2:00 p.m. on January 14^th.

GHS Red Wire Jazz Strings has been selected as an honor ensemble at this year’s IMEA State Convention on January 13^th, 2017:

Each year in May directors submit recordings to be selected as an honor ensemble at the next year’s state convention.  To the best of the director’s knowledge, this is the first time a middle or high school jazz string ensemble has been selected as an honor ensemble for the convention.  The GHS Jazz String Ensemble consists of 32 students electing to come to practice each Thursday morning before school to learn about and perform jazz music.  They will perform in the Allen County Public Library theater on Friday, January 13^th at 11:00 a.m.