Fine Arts – Music

 

Celebrate the Holiday Season with the USJ Concert Choir Christmas CD!

On Sale for $20
The CDs are available for purchase at the front desk of each campus for $20. Selections include: Joy to the World, And the Glory of the Lord, O Holy Night, Lux Aurumque, For Unto Us a Child is Born, Gloria, Shout Glory, Hallelujah Chorus. Choir Director is Dian Eddleman; accompanist is Micah Snow.

 

All-Northwest Honor Choir

Caroline Haynes received the 6-year All Northwest Honor Choir award.

 

All-Northwest Junior High Honor Choir 2011

Congratulations to the students in grades seven through nine who were selected for the All-Northwest Junior High Honor Choir. They are…

1st Soprano: Sierra Glosson (1st chair), Sydney Paris, Kate Petrinjak
2nd Soprano: Caroline Sammons (2nd chair), Caroline Miller (3rd chair), Rachael Giampapa, Molly Maroney, Addison Dunn, Ali McGee, Summer Basham, Madison Perchik
2nd Alto: Clara Mariencheck (2nd chair), Emily Sanderson, Molly Morris, Taylor Ruby, Lydia Smith, Madison Martin
1st Tenor: Chandler Haynes, Drew Harbin, Patrick Aherrera, Amir Kaveh, Harrison Baker, Alexander Peftoulidis, Trey Smith, Paylor Eubank, Michael Villarreal
2nd Tenor: Elijah Moore, Seth Weiss, Gray Bigford
1st Bass: Seth Rohlwing, Gray Northern
2nd Bass: Walker Teer (1st chair), Hunter Ross (3rd chair), Sam Darnall, Peyton Antwine, Jordan Boyd, Reese Antwine, Adam Sills

Middle School Music

 

Quad State Honor Choir

USJ choral students Drew Brantley, Caroline Haynes, Georgia Poole, Rebecca Rogers, and Chris Weiner were selected to the 2011 Quad State Honor Choir. Rebecca Rogers, a senior, was also selected as a featured soloist for the choir. 

The Honor Choir festival will take place on the campus of Murray State University in Murray, KY October 30-31, 2011. The choir will be performing Vivaldi's Gloria.  On average, over 800 students audition for this ensemble, which is limited to 250 singers from four states selected by recorded audition. 

 

Tennessee All-State Honor Choir to include 20 USJ Students

Students selected to the Tennessee All State Choir are, pictured above, top row, left to right: Claire Jaggers, Lindsay Smith (1st chair), Chris Burton, Lance McGee (3rd Chair), John Villarreal, Chris Weiner, and Austin Orr. Second row, left to right: Clare Williams, Rebecca Rogers (1st chair), Cory Johnson, Connor Simmons (2nd Chair), and Meredith Maroney. First row, left to right: Brigham Short, Drew Brantley (2nd chair), Christophe Nabhan, Ryan Sanderson (3rd chair), and Hannah Aherrera (2nd chair). Not Pictured:  Will Buckley, Kirstie Finch, and Austin Rolison.

Based on their scores from the Tennessee All-Northwest Regional Honor Choir auditions, a record number of 20 University School of Jackson students in grades 10 through 12 have been selected to be members and/or alternates of the 2012 Tennessee All-State Honor Choir. This is the largest number of students from USJ selected for the All-State Choir.

Two students, Lindsay Smith and Rebecca Rogers, earned the honor by making first chair for their sections. Second chair honors went to Connor Simmons, Hannah Aherrera, and Drew Brantley. Third chair honors went to Lance McGee and Ryan Sanderson. Other USJ students named to the choir include Claire Jaggers, Chris Burton, John Villarreal, Chris Weiner, Austin Orr, Clare Williams, Cory Johnson, Meredith Maroney, Brigham Short, Christophe Nabhan, Will Buckley, Kirstie Finch, and Austin Rolison.

 

All Northwest Honor Choir

When the Tennessee All Northwest High School Honor Choir performs its annual concert in November, the University School of Jackson will be well-represented on stage. Thirty-seven USJ students in grades ten through twelfth were selected to the honor choir after auditioning before judges at Union University.

Pictured above are the students selected to the prestigious honor choir including, top row, left to right: Claire Jaggers, Lindsay Smith, Caroline Haynes, Callie Jaggers, Cory Johnson, John Villarreal, Marisa Mariencheck, Hannah Russell, Caroline Purcell, and Olivia Baker. Second row left to right: Clare Williams, Rebecca Rogers, Sally Sikes, Connor Simmons, Abby Nolen, Georgia Poole, Meredith Maroney, and Angelica Marks. Front row, left to right: Brigham Short, Drew Brantley, Christophe Nabhan, Gram Northern, Ryan Sanderson, Catherine Christie, Hannah Aherrera, and Mattie Boyd. Kneeling, left to right: Chris Burton, Austin Orr, Chris Weiner, Lance McGee, Stuart Howell, Peyton Vaughan, Austin Rolison, and Jackson Cain. Not pictured are Will Buckley, Kirstie Finch, and Reed Matheny.

USJ will also be represented among the choir’s accompanists as Hannah Aherrera was selected as one of the choir’s student accompanists.

 

Choral teacher has big plans for USJ voices

Talk about a phone call changing your life. When Dian Eddleman received a call that USJ was looking for a full-time choir teacher, she was on the verge of leaving the field of teaching all together. Fortunately, the call came at just the right time.

Windy City Music Festival, Chicago The USJ Concert Choir, and student accompanists Hannah Aherrera and Ali Graham, placed first with a gold rating in the Windy City Music Festival in Chicago. The choir also enjoyed professional performances of Million Dollar Quartet and Aida. Other highlights of the trip to Chicago included visits to the Field Museum of Natural History, Art Institute of Chicago, and the Shedd Aquarium, and shopping on the Magnificent Mile.

"I had known Tom and Tammy Grant since they were doing their master's degree work at the University of Memphis and had been a colleague of theirs for years," said Eddleman, who brought 28 years of experience of teaching music with her to USJ. "When Tom called to tell me of the position in April 2008, it was an answer to prayer. I applied, was hired, and have not looked back since."

Before her start in fall 2008, Eddleman spent a day at USJ. She knew from the minute she walked in the door that it was the right fit. "Two students met me at the door and took me to Dr. Grant's room," she said. "I have to say throughout the entire day, the students blew me away; they were all so talented, well-rounded, gracious, and polite. I was in heaven. It is the students that I love the most about my job."

When Eddleman started at USJ, she was aware of the school's reputation for having a plethora of talented students, but she wanted to spread that reputation statewide and beyond. "I knew to do that we had to perform outside the boundaries of Madison County, and I set a goal to have them perform at state and national meetings," said Eddleman.

She has held numerous leadership roles on the district, regional, and state level: Eddleman is president of the West Tennessee Vocal Music Education Association and president-elect of the Tennessee Music Education Association (TMEA). She has served on TMEA's Board of Directors for many years and has presented clinics on early childhood music and secondary choral music.

She has served as an adjudicator, clinician, and guest conductor at choral festivals. She was recently interviewed by a national publication on the benefits of teaching and traveling for students.

"Last year the concert choir auditioned and was selected to sing at a candlelight ceremony at Disney World with renowned Christian recording artist, Steven Curtis Chapman," said Eddleman. "This year the choir will spend four days in Chicago competing in the Dixie Classic Festival. These venues provide USJ exposure on the national level and are wonderful additions to a student's college application."

"With the talent and support we have here at USJ, the sky is the limit for these students," said Eddleman.