10 PJC students at All State Choir event

Published or Revised February 20, 2009

Ten Paris Junior College music students recently attended the prestigious 2009 Texas Two-Year College All State Choir last weekend. Twenty-seven community colleges from across Texas brought students to the Texas Music Educators Convention in San Antonio to make up the 171 voice All State Choir. "For the first time PJC had the largest number of students in the choir" said PJC Director Pat Fowzer. "They performed to a large crowd in the San Antonio Convention Center on Saturday, February 14. We were privileged to work with a nationally known chorale conductor, Sam Houston University Director of Choirs Dr. Allen Hightower. He imparted valuable musical expertise to the students with fast-paced, exciting rehearsals and required exceptional pitch control and musicianship from them. He complimented the Paris students on their wonderful voices and their focus in rehearsals." PJC students attending were Avery sophomore Brandi Amos; Paris sophomores Cade Bailey, Sattriona Nyachwaya, Chase Nation, Kristyn Phillips and Justin Frazier; Bogota sophomore Val Schmidt; and Paris freshmen Josh Mooneyham, Alex Fowzer and Trent Little. To be included, PJC choir members had to learn the seven selections sung in English, Latin, German, and Italian. North Texas area students from PJC, Texarkana College and Navarro College were chosen at a regional audition hosted by Texarkana. PJC also had a member of the Texas Two-Year College All State Symphonic Band. Justin Hughes, a former member of the North Lamar High School Band program, made the band for the second year, the first PJC student in the band since the 1970s. According to PJC adjunct music instructor Ben Fowzer, Justin has worked long hours on his audition music and made second chair clarinet based on the audition CD, scoring well above students that actually have full fledged band programs at their junior college. Justin was directed by Fred Allen, director of bands at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. "The students of the Paris Junior College music department are having an exceptional year," concluded Pat Fowzer. "We hope that area residents will come out and hear their beautiful music in concerts scheduled for the month of April, including a special National Anthem performance for the Texas Rangers on April 3. During the convention, Mrs. Fowzer also attended several meetings of the Texas Two-Year College Choral Directors Association where she was elected Region III Representative again for an additional three-year term. She also served as accompanist for the Bass sectional for the Wednesday night first rehearsal.