On January 24th 2023, 15 students in Lockport Township High School’s choirs and bands traveled to Peoria, Illinois for the Illinois Music Education Conference (IMEC) which is run by the Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA). At the Illinois Music Education Conference, students all over the state of Illinois play in Band, Orchestra, Chorus, and Jazz ensembles. Students must audition to be into one of these prestigious ensembles, which are made up of the best student musicians in the state. Additionally, some students travel to IMEC for the Future Music Educator Seminar (FMES) which is provided to prepare students for jobs in music education.
The students at Lockport that received the honor of performing in these ensembles are listed below along with their respective ensembles:
Steven Clawson – Honors Band
Delaney Coleman – Honors Band
Jessica Ing – Honors Band
Christopher Ripley – Honors Band
Kyan Santiago – All-State Band
Kevin Smolinski – All-State Band
Jacob Rodeghero – Honors Orchestra
Caden Nommenson – Future Music Educator Seminar
Graham Carlson – Honors Chorus
Cheyenne Klimkiewicz – All-State Chorus
Evelyn Moan – Honors Chorus
Soren Moan – All-State Chorus
Tara Mastorakos – Honors Chorus
Moira Sagon – All-State Chorus
Abigail Sanford – Honors Chorus
Members of the All-State Band, Honors Band, Honors Orchestra, All-State Chorus, and Honors Chorus had these respective conductors: Catherine Rand of the University of Southern Mississippi, Rodney Dorsey of the Florida State University, Carolyn Watson of the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Julie Yu of the Oklahoma City University, and Eugene Rogers of the University of Michigan. All of the names listed above are conductors with a high level of experience and teach at a collegiate level, thus reflecting how valuable being chosen for one of these ensembles are.
In addition to the guidance listed above, the student musicians also got to experience watching Air Force Band musicians perform for them, sectionals with the music staff at the University of Illinois, and a large convention center filled with booths being run by colleges, instrument companies, youth orchestras, and much more.
Opportunities like this provide an educational experience for students along with motivation to improve in their respective fields. The importance of large associations dedicated to education of teachers and students is immeasurable.
