Atascocita High School orchestra to perform at Midwest Clinic

The Atascocita High School Chamber String Orchestra has been selected to perform at the 66th annual Midwest Clinic Wednesday, Dec. 19 through Saturday, Dec. 22 in Chicago.

The clinic is an international band and orchestra conference and hosts more than 16,000 participants from all 50 states and 30 foreign countries.

Its goal is to raise the standard of music education, develop new teaching techniques and hold clinics, lectures and performances for the betterment of music education, according to a press release.

"This is a great honor for our orchestra program," said Colin Catoe, director of the AHS Orchestra, in the release. "Being selected to represent the best of school music programs at an international convention is pretty extraordinary."

To be selected to perform at the clinic, the AHS Chamber Strings submitted an audio recording of the ensemble, a video of the conductors at a performance and an evaluation from three prominent directors who have worked with the organization.

"The period of processing and evaluation was an anxious experience, but it was well worth the wait when the results arrived and all we were left with was a feeling of exhilaration," sophomore violinist Jonathan Roane said in the release.

When in Chicago, the orchestra will tour the city and attend clinics, exhibit halls and visit with collegiate music schools at the conference. They will also perform in front of thousands of other musicians, educators and evaluators.

Guest conductors at the clinic will be Gene Moon from Stephen F. Austin State University and James Byo from Louisiana State University. The guest artist with the AHS Strings will be violinist Laura Kobayashi from George Mason University.

AHS Chamber Strings is the first musical ensemble from the Humble Independent School District to receive an invitation the to clinic.

For more information, visit humble.k12.tx.us and midwestclinic.org.