All-State Band and Orchestras
Middle school
• Lakeside: Austin Kim, tuba
• Liberty: Zachary Flynn, trumpet; Jared Graham, baritone; Mitchell Martin, percussion
• Otwell: Sean Chua, flute
• Piney Grove: Max Grand, baritone
• Riverwatch: Jennifer Baek, clarinet and violin; Tina Baek, violin; Julian Cantillo, French horn; Jonathan Harvey, trombone; Sunou Kim, oboe; BongJoon Lee, alto sax; Joon Young Lee, alto sax; Kevin Tao, bass clarinet; Stephanie Tian, flute (alternate); Anna Zurawski, French horn (alternate)
• South Forsyth: Eugene Ahn, violin
High school
• Central: Angela Gaal, harp
• Lambert: Alvin Ashlaw, tuba; Jonathan Craig, trombone; Mitchell Lee, violin (alternate); Anne Martin, oboe; Nicholas Martinez, percussion; Joshua Pynn, bass clarinet (alternate); Yejin Shin, violin; Felix Wang, alto sax; Lucy Yang, clarinet
• South: Jake Brown, baritone; Christine Choi, clarinet; Rachel Corbitt, oboe; Sophia Lee, clarinet
• West: Emily Cho, flute; Daniel Dotson, clarinet; Carly King, violin; Christopher Overbaugh, tenor sax
Source: Forsyth County Schools
Thirty-five young musicians from the Forsyth County school system have been picked to participate in the Georgia All-State musical event in March.
Sponsored by the Georgia Music Educators Association, the Georgia All-State Band and Orchestras bring together top musicians from middle and high schools for a performance and music education weekend.
Scott McCloy, band and orchestra director at Lambert High School said the number of local students selected “truly showcases that Forsyth County has a phenomenal musical programs across the board.”
“No matter what school they’re at, they’re getting great opportunities and we’ve got great kids and great teachers,” he said. “It means a lot to the students … first off, just the honor of making all-state band and being called one of the best in your instrument from across the state … but it’s a huge resume builder … it’s a feather in the cap for them.”
Lambert, with nine students, and Riverwatch Middle, with 10, had the strongest representation.
Genise Tworek, work force development director for the school system, said this is a prestigious event for student musicians.
“A lot of the kids that do this are the ones that, as they continue with post-secondary, will be involved in some type of music program at the college level,” she said.
“This is your top students from Georgia coming together and doing a performance.”
The event is free and open to the public. While it’s a chance to hear some of the state’s best young musicians, it’s also a chance for the students to learn more about their craft through a variety of workshops.
They also get to work with some world renowned directors who will conduct the performance.
That’s the highlight for McCloy.
“I learn just as much as my students do by watching the directors they bring in to work with the students,” he said. “It’s very much an educational experience for us too. It’s just a phenomenal event.”