By ARABELLA SERRATA
Special to the PRESS
Two Port Isabel Early College High School [PIHS] students have progressed to the Texas Music Educators Association’s [TMEA] area round for the orchestra category. Silver Tarpon Band members Mark Mejorado
and Sean Selvas earned first chair flute and tuba respectively.
According to band director Alejandro Cavazos, TMEA is an individual track in which students learn music chosen by a committee and compete against other schools. Mejorado and Selvas will continue to a concert
as the next part of the competition. According to Cavazos, these students have been auditioning for all region competitions since their junior high years. Now, as high school seniors, they are rising to the occasion and pushing themselves further.
“We felt like it was an appropriate challenge for these students to take on, and it’s been paying dividends early on. We’re hoping to continue that track,” said Cavazos.
The main goal for these students is to become Texas Music Educators Association All-State Musicians.
“They’re going to do excellent…students are only sent if they are prepared enough to perform,” said Cavazos.
The pair have already competed in the orchestra round of competition against top studio students from other schools. Cavazos is certain that these students will be able to “continue their excellence” and place well.
“It’s about the growth and the commitment to opportunity, regardless if they think they made the right choice,” said Cavazos.
The dedication to the path they have chosen is critical to their learning process. Cavazos wants his students to walk away from this experience with lifelong skills that apply to both their academic and personal lives.
Most importantly, he wants these students to be willing to see their choices out and gain all they can from them.
The band also participated in the Area Championships in the State Marching Contest alongside 26 other bands. They came in tenth place, qualifying for finals later that night. Cavazos called their final show the “best of the season” and jumped to seventh place. Unfortunately, the band needed to be in the top five to continue in the competition. – insists on the spectacular performance despite not earning the initial award.
“We ended in seventh place and just an incredible season for the students and what they’ve done. Even though we didn’t get the result we wanted, I still wanted them to appreciate that their hard work, their comradery, and what they started with and ended with is one of the most important things to take away this season,” said Cavazos.
The High School Band is also set to hold a mattress fundraiser this Saturday, Nov. 9 at the high school. Cavazos said the band chose this fundraiser because they saw a “neat opportunity” to fill a gap in retail. The
band will be selling mattresses and general bedding materials.
For more information and news on the Silver Tarpon Band, follow the official PIECHS Facebook page.