LINK: Everything you need to know about the meals program for CTJ Band Camp and the 2018 Fall Season
CTJ Fourth in 6A State Honor Band
The Claudia Taylor Johnson Wind Ensemble finished fourth out of 16 6A schools statewide at the Texas Music Educators Association 6A State Honor Band Hearing on July 26 at
the Texas Bandmasters Association Conference in San Antonio.
The top five bands included the 2018 Honor Band Vandegrift (first), Flower Mound (second), Duncanville (third), and Coppell (fifth).
“We are thrilled to be included in the TMEA State Competition,” said CTJ Director of Bands Jarrett Lipman. “Our students understand the great challenge of advancing through the elimination process and recognize the incredible company they are a part of at all three levels of the contest. While the competitive results are always an exciting part of the process, the recordings and memories through preparing the for the state contest will last a lifetime. It was an amazing ride for the 2018 Wind Ensemble, and we can't wait to see what the future holds.”
The CTJ Wind Ensemble had placed first at the TMEA 6A Area E and Region 12 Honor Band hearings in June, advancing the group to state. The showing was Johnson’s third Top Five statewide finish in Honor Band competition since 2012. CTJ finished in third place in the 2014 TMEA 5A competition, and fifth in the 2012 TMEA 5A competition.
Superior Rating for Wind Ensemble
The Claudia Taylor Johnson
Wind Ensemble capped off its 2018 competitive season by capturing Superior Ratings from the judges and outstanding overall band at the Texas Lutheran University TBS-KKP Band Festival on May 19. The Wind Ensemble performed its 2018 UIL Honor Band selections, “The Free Lance March,” by John Philip Sousa, “Southern Harmony,” by Donald Grantham, and “March to the Scaffold” and “Dream of a Witches’ Sabbath” movements from Hector Berlioz’s “Symphonie Fantastique.” The Wind Ensemble’s performance also was awarded the exceptional musicianship trophy.
Superiors for 3 Soloists, Ensembles
Claudia Taylor Johnson had three soloists and three
ensembles — a total of 28 band members — earn
Superior/1 ratings at the UIL Texas State Solo & Ensemble competition
held May 26 in Austin at the University of Texas Butler School of Music.
Another eight soloist and two ensembles were given Excellent/2 ratings.
View the complete list.
CTJ Places 6 On TMEA All-State Band
Six Claudia Taylor Johnson band members earned positions in the TMEA 6A All-State Band following weekend auditions at Akins High School in Austin. Sophomore tenor trombone Eli Canales earned his second all-state band honor, placing first in the room during auditions. Others advancing to state include: Senior tuba Owen Bjornson, freshman euphonium Tommy Brennan, junior English horn Ian Compton (who placed second in the state), senior bass clarinet Braeden Laird, and junior percussionist Isaac LaVigne. Johnson also had four more band members named as first alternates for positions. They are: Junior alto clarinet Emily Edgar, senior piccolo Grace Gillock, senior Eb clarinet Rika Hagino, and junior tenor saxophone Parker Payne.
Since the school’s opening in 2008, Claudia Taylor Johnson has had 32 different individual members earn places in the TMEA All-State Band, gathering a total of 49 seats over that period.
You can read a history of CTJ all-state band members here.
