Carson all-state choral students recognized, sing with Emmy winner

Eleven students from Carson High School and six Carson Middle School and Eagle Valley Middle School students participated in the annual American Choral Directors Association Nevada All State Choir recently at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

High school students who participated included Chase Boholst, sophomore; Maximillian Bushey, junior; Cassidy Leatham, junior; Elizabeth Loos, junior; Max Powers, sophomore; Kaylee Redus, senior; Anna Roylance, senior; Leah Roylance, senior; Robert Sainz, sophomore; Parker Schmid, senior; and Eleanor Woodrum, sophomore. Middle school students included Josephine Cusack, grade 7 at CMS; Hailey Fife, grade 7 at CMS; Erick Loa, grade 8 at EVMS; Hannah Maddox, grade 7 at CMS; Savanna Pace, grade 7 at CMS; and Ellis Tuttle, grade 8 at CMS.

Of note, Anna Roylance and Parker Schmid were recognized for being in All State Choir for all four years of high school. Anna Roylance also was recognized for being the Alto 2 Section Leader because she earned the highest score out all students who auditioned for the position.

The high school students were able to work under the direction of Jake Runestad, Emmy-winning and Grammy-nominated composer and conductor. Dubbed as a “choral rock star” by American Public Media, Runestad is one of the most frequently performed composers of concert music and can be heard across the globe.

The middle school singers participated with more than 200 middle school students from Nevada under the direction of Dr. Rollo Dilworth. Dr. Dilworth is currently Vice Dean and Professor of Choral Music Education in the Department of Music Education and Therapy at Temple University's Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts in Philadelphia. Dilworth has more than 200 choral compositions and arrangements that have been published and performed throughout the world.

"This two-day event is a great opportunity for these choral students to see and participate in the next level of choral singing,” said Briana Valley, music teacher at Carson Middle School. “The growth they show in their musical abilities from Thursday morning's first rehearsal to the performance Friday night is amazing to witness. They spend two full days of singing and rehearsing with composers and the end performance is pure perfection in showing the hard work they put in."