Following a busy season of concerts, practices and more, D38 music programs are celebrating a number of prestigious honors, including Lewis-Palmer High School’s Wind Symphony being selected to perform at the 2022 Colorado Music Educators Association Clinic and Conference and Palmer Ridge High School students being selected to All State Choir.
LPHS Wind Symphony
After submitting a video performance to Colorado Music Educators Association (CMEA) Clinic and Conference organizers, students with the Lewis-Palmer High School Wind Symphony earned a nod to perform for the prestigious group.
“This is a major achievement for our district musicians and continues the tradition of excellence and participation at CMEA. Including this performance, D38 has had 11 ensemble performances at CMEA since 2012, and multiple performances for decades before that, a feat unmatched by most districts,” Tom Chapman, Director of Bands and Popular Music Studies at LPHS, said. “According to judges the Wind Symphony…beat out schools much larger than ours, including some major 5A programs.”
Chapman said this opportunity is one few students will ever have in the state and marks 15 times an LPHS Band has received such an honor.
LPHS’ Wind Symphony will perform at the CMEA Clinic & Conference at The Broadmoor on Friday, Jan. 28, an invite-only performance. The symphony will also offer a preview concert for friends, family, and LPHS staff on Wednesday, Jan. 26.
Performers will include:
| Mackenzie Alger | Tristan Arcarese | Bree Atnip |
| Lily Billings | Ezra Bloomfield | Analiese Brown |
| Sami Burmeister | Bella D’Ambra | TJ Dowd |
| Ruby Earnest | Luke Ferrante | Cameron Gearhart |
| Anita Joy Gichuki | Shaina Gichuki | Annabelle Hall |
| Heather Hawkins | Logan Jameson | Katie Kibler |
| Katelyn Marsh | Bella McNett | Ashley Meggett |
| Alyssa Murphy | Rachel O’Connell | Andrew Pennell |
| Lilly Pike | Owen Pike | Caroline Richardson |
| Jack Shimon | Will Simpfendorfer | Niko Skorick |
| Riley Smith | Alli Sobers | Jackson Strahan |
| Sam Sutton | Luke Taylor | Jack Tuft |
| Alex Weeks |
PHRS All State Choir
Six students will represent Palmer Ridge High School at the All State Choir festival in January of 2022 after trying out with more than 1,200 fellow Colorado high schoolers.
Madeline Smith, Palmer Ridge High School Choir Director, said she’s proud of the six students, selected out of 10 total PRHS students to try out.
“These are some of the most talented students in our choirs and I’m so glad they’ll have the opportunity to participate in the Colorado All State Choir. It’s a life-changing experience,” Smith said.
Smith said her participation in All State Choir as a student changed her perspective on music, leading her to pursue a choral music education degree. She hopes her hardworking PRHS students are similarly inspired by the upcoming experience.
“In our choir program, all students learn the material they would need to demonstrate mastery over to be selected for All State Choir,” Smith said. “We prepare for these auditions as a program, knowing that if any of our choir members are selected, it is an honor for all of us and our school. We root for these students and are so proud of them for representing our school.”
The students who will participate are as follows:
| Will Baker | Raleigh Eversole V | Riana McHugh |
| Carmen Reyes | CJ Sheppard | Celeste Woody |
All-State Orchestra Results Released
As the fall semester wraps up, D38 students continue to be honored for their musical achievements.
Five students will participate in All-State Orchestra on behalf of Lewis-Palmer High Schoo.
| Will Simpfendorfer – Oboe | Allison Sobers – English Horn | Rhianna Lingle – Violin |
| Heather Hawkins – Percussion | Jack Shimon – Trumpet |
To Be Continued
As All-state results continue to pour in, this story will be updated.