Ten Ector County ISD students have earned the distinction of all-state musicians.
Executive Director of Fine Arts Aaron Hawley said there are five from Permian and five from Odessa High School.
“That breaks down with four with the Permian band, one with the Permian choir, three from the OHS choir and two from the OHS band. We’re very glad that both schools are represented in both the choirs and the bands,” Hawley said.
“This is the single greatest honor in Texas for a student musician because they have been working since May in many of them on this music to prepare for these auditions,” he added.
It’s roughly the top 2 percent of those that audition that make it.
“… It’s a very distinct honor for the students,” Hawley said.
This year, the students also get to go to the Texas Music Educators Association meeting in San Antonio, which they couldn’t last year due to COVID.
Aidan Caballero, a senior at Permian, is a percussionist. This is the second year running he has made all-state.
“It’s just different this year, because last year we didn’t have a concert. We never got this far. When we got the results last year, I was excited, but that was it. They just said that I made it and we couldn’t do anything else,” Caballero said.
“But this year, I’m glad we got to do a chair test. We’re assigned an ensemble now, so that’s really exciting. I can’t wait for the concert,” he said.
The TMEA convention is Feb. 9-12 in San Antonio.
Getting to this point was difficult because he had to go through three auditions.
“The first audition, I got third, which is surprising. I did not do too well. The second audition, I did a lot better. I got first and then the last audition I got second, which let me go to state,” Caballero said.
He was scared he wasn’t going to make it because he knows people who have made it one year but not the next.
“… I really wanted to make it twice in a row,” Caballero said.
He hopes to go to West Texas A&M University and study music performance.
Nydia Brito, a senior at Permian, is a flutist who made all-state for the first time.
“I’m so excited. This has been something that I’ve worked for since freshman year and so to finally be able to make it is super exciting,” Brito said.
After all the work she put in, she said she wasn’t that surprised to get the honor. She thought she might get second or third, so finding out she made it Brito was gratified.
Because it’s her senior year, it makes the achievement very special because it was like senior year last chance to finally make it to state. Brito plans to attend Texas A&M University and study architectural landscaping. She wants to keep playing the flute.
“It’s just been such a big part of my life, so I want to keep playing throughout the years,” Brito said. She added that she has been playing the instrument since sixth grade.
Shaun Price, a sophomore at Permian, has made all-state for the second time. He plays the French horn.
Price, who is in his fifth year of playing French horn, said he feels relieved to have made it this year. He said there wasn’t any pressure from other people, but his mother made all-state all four years of high school.
“… She motivates me, definitely. But she … doesn’t put pressure on me. But I feel like it’s there.”
Grace Sanchez, a junior at PHS, plays clarinet. This is the first time she has made all-state.
“It’s really a unique feeling. It’s very hard to describe, but it feels very validating, almost …,” Sanchez said.
She said her band director told her getting into Harvard is easier than making all-state.
Sanchez isn’t sure where she’ll go to college, but she’s considering studying either music or marine biology.
Trent Avary, a Permian senior, is a vocalist, and like Sanchez, it is the first year he has made all-state.
“It’s very exciting,” Avary said. “I feel very accomplished because this is something that I’ve been waiting for since I was in like seventh grade. I always saw other seniors that I looked up to making all-state and it just feels very validating.”
He said the most difficult part is staying motivated, especially when you’re going against “such great people.”
“After the first round, you have to start teaching the music to yourself, so … some days it’s like do we really want to do this. But sticking through it is really what helps, and then everyone sounds the same, so you have to make sure that you stick out …,” Avary said.
He plans to attend Texas State University and major in sound recording technology.
Paige Byford, a junior vocalist at Odessa High, was an all-stater last year.
Earning the recognition this year was super exciting and she’s looking forward to attending TMEA this year.
“I feel like I’ve worked really, really hard and I’m just really glad that I get the reward,” Byford said.
She added that she wasn’t surprised she made it.
“I really just put in like all the work that I could and I was really satisfied with my performance and I felt that if my performance wasn’t good enough to make it, then that wasn’t on me. I had done everything I could,” Byford said.
Asked if she was going to try for all-state next year, she said she’s leaning toward no.
“… I’ve made it twice. I’m going to get to go TMEA. I have done it. And next year I want to focus on my commitment to sports because that’s what I want to go to college for,” Byford said.
Byford is in varsity volleyball, basketball and track.
She has been singing for as long as she can remember.
“My family has grown up singing. I’ve grown up singing on the stage at church. It’s just a really huge passion of mine,” Byford said.
Byford, who attends Grace Christian Fellowship, said she wants to keep singing.
“I think church is definitely the outlet for my singing because it’s just amazing for me to glorify the Lord. This is something that he gave me,” Byford added.
Ulysses Rodriguez, a bass clarinetist from OHS, has been playing the instrument for about five years. He played clarinet previously.
Rodriguez said this is his most incredible achievement.
“… It’s really the highlight of my high school career, because I’ve actually never done something this great,” he added.
This is the first time he has earned all-state honors.
He said he has gotten close the past few years.
“It makes it a lot more special,” Rodriguez added.
All-state honorees
- Trent Avary, Bass 2 – PHS Choir
- Nydia Brito, Flute – PHS Band
- Paige Byford, Soprano 1 – OHS Choir
- Aidan Caballero, Percussion – PHS Band
- Justus Davis, Tenor – OHS Choir
- Caitlin Fitzgerald, Soprano 2 – OHS Choir
- TJ Hinojos, Percussion – OHS Band
- Shaun Price, Horn – PHS Band
- Ulysses Rodriguez, Bass Clarinet – OHS Band
- Grace Sanchez, Clarinet – PHS Band
