Stephens Vocal Studio Students Earn Outstanding Results

June 8, 2009

Members of the Stephens Vocal Studio in Forney competed the weekend of May 16th at Texas State University in San Marcos Texas in the Texas Federation Music Clubs State Festival which is held annually.

Over 1400 students from all over the state of Texas competed in the competition in a number of different events, including Piano Solo and various other instruments.

In the vocal division, the areas of competition were: Vocal Solo-Art Song, Vocal Duet-Art Song, Vocal Solo-Musical Theater and Vocal Duet-Musical Theater and Sight Reading. Around 140 singers competed in the vocal division. 23 students from the Stephens Vocal Studio competed in the Vocal Solo-Art Song and Vocal Solo-Musical Theater categories as well as one student who competed in Sightreading.

Rating categories were Very Good, Excellent, Superior and Outstanding with each judge having the option of awarding an All State Winner among the Outstanding recipients in each division. Fifteen students of the Stephens Vocal Studio received the rating of Outstanding.

In the Music Theater category, the following Forney students received Outstanding awards: Lindsey Cates, Kirsten Taylor, Makayla Benedict, Tara Hawkins, Annemarie Martin, Alyssa Madrid and Amber Clark.

Sunnyvale students receiving Outstanding awards in Music Theatre were Lori McDermett, Haley Long, Adrienne Kellogg, Logan Adams, Hunter Kennedy, and Taryn Tutle. Receiving Superior awards in Music Theatre were Forney students Lauryn Peterman and Thai Reed and Sunnyvale students Jenna McLaughlin and Maddie Foote.

In the Art Song category, Sunnyvale student Brooke Fothergill received an Outstanding award and Megan Cadwallader from Forney received an Excellent rating.

The Stephens Vocal Studio can claim 4 All State Winners in this year’s Festival. They were Forney student Emily Quinones in the Primary II division of Music Theater, and Sunnyvale students Diana Taylor in the Junior II Sightreading division, and Hannah Kilpatrick, for both categories in which she competed, Elementary III Art Song division and Elementary II Music Theater division.

Emily is a third grader at Criswell Elementary School in Forney and her winning selection was “I’ve Got No Strings” from Walt Disney’s Pinnochio. Hannah is a 6th grader at Sunnyvale Middle School. She sang “You Can Fly” from Walt Disney’s Peter Pan for her Music Theater selection and “Who Has Seen the Wind?” composed by Douglas Wagner for her Art song selection.

Both girls got to showcase their winning songs by performing in the recital hall at Texas State University on the day of the competition. Diana Taylor is a ninth grader at Sunnyvale High School and was recognized on the recital hall stage for being the All State Winner in the Junior II division of the Sightreading competition.

Additionally, Amber Nichols, a 7th grader from Forney Middle School has earned a spot in the Soprano section of the 2009 Texas Choral Director’s Association Middle School Honor Choir which will rehearse and perform at the annual convention in San Antonio in July.

Mrs. Stephens, voice teacher, stated: “My students have had a phenomenal year and that is due more to their hard work and dedication than anything I have done. I am so proud of their achievements and look forward to next year as we compete in these events again after gaining valuable first-time experience this year.”

Lastly, the Stephens Vocal Studio will be present a Spring Showcase at the Sunnyvale Middle School Cafetorium on Saturday, June 6th at 4:00 p.m. for Kindergarten through middle school students and 6:00 p.m. for all high school students. Each student will be performing one pop selection and there will also be a few duets and ensembles. Admission is free.