North Lamar Fine Arts Standouts named to All-State

Texas has a reputation for some of the best high school music programs in the country and, as a result, some of the most highly skilled high school musicians.  This year two standouts from North Lamar High School’s Fine Arts Department have been named to All-State.

For the fifth straight year, the award-winning North Lamar Chamber Singers directed by Rebecca Hildreth has had one of their own named to the Texas All-State Choir.  Freshman Sean Gist, son of Sheri and Sammy Gist, was selected to perform in the Texas Small School Mixed Choir after earning first chair at the Region and Pre-Area auditions.  Preparation for the intensely difficult music consisted of six choral selections.

“It was an incredible feat for Sean to make the All-State Choir as a freshman!” said Hildreth.

Gist will represent North Lamar High School and Paris, Texas, when he performs with others at the Texas Music Educators Association Convention at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio on Saturday, February 11 at 2:00 p.m.  The Small School All-State Choir will be directed by Sandra Snow, who is the choral director for Michigan State University.

Also representing North Lamar High School at the 2016 TMEA Convention will be Seth Carter, a junior at NLHS and member of the award winning North Lamar High School Band. Carter, tuba player, was chosen for this prestigious honor through a competitive process held this year across the state at district, region and area levels.  To date 25 students from the North Lamar High School Band have been selected into the TMEA All-State Band.

Carter competed in Class 5A putting him up against some of the best musicians in the North Texas and DFW area.  Earlier this year he made first chair at All-Region Orchestra then again at All-Region and Area to qualify him for the All-State Band.  This is Carter’s first time to perform as a member of the 5A TMEA All-State Band, performing at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday February 11 at Lila Cockrell Theater under the direction of Rodney Dorsey, Director of Bands at the University of Oregon. Carter is the son of Sandra and Chris Carter.

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