During the 2017-18 school year, along with other talented music students across the United States and overseas in military base schools, Marie Rose (Rosie) McCumiskey from Kellenberg Memorial High School practiced with the dedication to gain a chair or part in her local, district, and state music honor ensembles.
Rosie joined the “best of the best” for the National Association for Music Education’s (NAfME) 2018 All-National Honor Ensembles November 25-28, 2018, at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL. The Jazz Ensemble and Mixed Choir concerts took place on November 27, and the Guitar Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra and Concert Band concerts performed on November 28, in the ballroom at Disney Coronado Springs Resort.
As a senior at Kellenberg Memorial High School, Rosie has been a member of the Chamber Music Society, the Phoenix Chamber Ensemble, and the National Honor Society. Rosie has also been a member of a number of campus ministry activities as well as the equestrian and lacrosse teams.
The All-National Honor Ensembles (ANHE) performers represent collaboration and creativity in its highest musical form. The All-National Honor Ensembles consist of a jazz ensemble, mixed choir, guitar ensemble (new this year), symphony orchestra, and concert band. Students were chosen through an audition process. The jazz ensemble included 20 instrumentalists, the mixed choir 240 vocalists, the guitar ensemble 47 guitarists, the symphony orchestra 122 instrumentalists, and the concert band 121 instrumentalists. Eligible students qualified for their state-level honor ensemble program (not applicable to guitar students) and competed against top students for a spot in these national honor ensembles.
Selected students rehearsed a challenging repertoire in preparation for performing under the baton of five of the most prominent conductors in the United States: Todd Stoll (Jazz Ensemble); Dr. Amanda Quist (Mixed Choir); Dr. Michael Quantz (Guitar Ensemble); Dr. Jean Montès (Symphony Orchestra); and Dennis Glocke (Concert Band). All conductors have received top honors in their field and spent several days rehearsing with students before the concerts.
Names, schools, and states, as well as music directors, of the 550 2018 All-National Honor Ensemble students are available on the ANHE website: nafme.org/ANHE.
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National Association for Music Education, among the world’s largest arts education organizations, is the only association that addresses all aspects of music education. NAfME advocates at the local, state, and national levels; provides resources for teachers, parents, and administrators; hosts professional development events; and offers a variety of opportunities for students and teachers. The Association orchestrates success for millions of students nationwide and has supported music educators at all teaching levels for more than a century. With more than 60,000 members, the organization is the national voice of music education in the United States.
