28-01-2025
10 PHS students earn All-State honors
Jan. 28—Ten Ector County ISD musicians have achieved the coveted All-State Musician designation and are heading to the Texas Music Educators Association convention Feb. 12-15 in San Antonio.
All 10 students are seniors. Nine are from Permian High School and one attends STEM Academy, but is in choir at PHS. Of the 10, eight are choir, one is in PHS Band and one in PHS Orchestra. Executive Director of Fine Arts Aaron Hawley said in an email that this is the first time they have had an All-State Musician from STEM.
Director of Choirs Laurie Wash said 14,000 students across the state begin the All-State process, but only a few make it.
"It's extraordinary that these kids have accomplished this," Wash said.
She added that the students have a passion for music, detail and they're excited about pushing themselves.
"They don't shrink from difficulty and (we're) very proud of them; very proud of them," Wash said.
Aiden Armendariz, a string bass player in the orchestra, made All-State for the second time this year. Orchestra Director Todd Berridge said 350 students made All-State statewide.
Berridge said he first saw Armendariz as a sixth-grader at Wilson & Young Middle School and knew he was going to do "good things."
"He barely missed it in his sophomore year. ... The competition is so fierce," Berridge said.
He added that orchestra students go up against he rest of the state from the first audition. Band and choir are narrowed down from area competition, but for strings "it's state from the very first thing."
"To make it from the orchestra point of view, not to diminish what our brethren do in the other part, is a much more difficult process, because it's the same thing — 20,000 kids enter the process and it's whittled down," Berridge said.
At the TMEA convention, he's looking forward to watching the students in action because they are already on a professional level.
"They're normal kids, but when they get out there, they've already learned how to rehearse and how to prepare on a professional level. It's amazing," Berridge said.
Jenesis Paget, 17, who is in Kantorei and Black Magic, made All-State for the third year.
"It really is a privilege. I worked really hard for this accomplishment. It really is just an amazing experience going into All-State for the third time, being able to experience it this year with my friends. We have eight All-Staters this year (in choir)," Paget said.
The one thing Paget did differently this year was attend Texas Christian University choir camp which was extremely helpful.
She was awarded a $2,400 TMEA scholarship for a year and hopes to attend TCU to become a music educator.
This being her last year of high school, making All-State is bittersweet.
"But I know that next year I'll be able to go to TMEA as a college student and get to see things that I've never seen before. One day I want to work for TMEA. That's what I want to do," Paget said.
Paget and other students noted that PHS choir is a big family.
"There's just so much love that we spread and knowing that we're all working for the same thing to make Ms. Wash proud and get good scores; it's really good," she added.
Armendariz, an 18-year-old senior, said he feels blessed to make All-State this year.
"After making it last year, I felt like I had a better chance making it this year, because I feel like I've had my foot better in the game. Now I'm more familiar with the waters, but for sure, I feel like the Lord really just blessed me, (and) helped me (make) it again this year," he added.
He said he made more of an effort to prepare this year by starting to learn the audition music the day it came out, which was usually May 1. Armendariz learned the etudes right away and spent his whole summer practicing those.
"Then in August the orchestral excerpts came out, and so I learned those as soon as I could. After I learned them, all it took was me just perfecting them, rather than just practicing them and learning them last minute," Armendariz said.
That was a key element to his success that he learned sophomore year.
"I auditioned my sophomore year as well, but I didn't make it that year because I did not prepare at all. I didn't even know what I was getting myself into, either. I even learned one of the audition musics the week before, because I just wasn't prepared. But after that year, I finally learned and prepared a lot for that," Armendariz said.
He added that the PHS Orchestra, like the choir, is one big group of friends and family.
"One of my favorite things, too, is Mr. Berridge. He really gives us really cool music to do, especially this year, we're doing a really cool piece with our symphony, and we're doing it with the choir as well, so it's going to be so much fun. He's really given us a lot of professional repertoire that I've been so lucky to play at such a young age," Armendariz said.
He plans to attend University of Texas San Antonio, but he'll also be planting a church.
"All my music accomplishments were possible because of the Lord. That's really it," Armendariz said.
Caidence Searcy, a 17-year-old in Kantorei and VOCA (the varsity girls choir), is marking her third year as an All-Stater. She said repeated practicing raised her level of performance. She noted that she came close to making it her freshman year.
Like Paget, she also went to TCU choir camp this summer which helped her. However, she said she probably didn't practice as much as in the past.
She added that it means a lot that she's finishing out her high school career with something that means a lot to her.
"It wasn't just doing state, it was the entire process and then practicing to wait for the process the next year. It defined a lot of what I did these past few years," Searcy said.
She plans to attend Odessa College for two years while she keeps working and saving money. Then she hopes to go to University of North Texas and "get the highest degree I can" and direct a college choir.
Haley Hart, a senior at STEM Academy, has been part of PHS choirs for three years as a member of Kantorei and a small group called Black Velvet, a new women's ensemble. This is her first year to make All-State.
"It's crazy. It was unbelievable. It's such a big accomplishment. I was just really proud of everything that I had done," Hart said.
She added that the achievement was a "sweet thing for my last year."
Hart plans to attend Tarleton State University, major in music education and hopefully become an elementary music teacher.
She added that she is looking forward to the TMEA convention.
"I'm so excited to get to perform with the top of the top, the most amazing singers in Texas," she said. "I'm excited to hear the orchestra and just be able to visit the booths and everything. I'm very excited for that."
Juggling her choir commitment and commuting from STEM Academy was a challenge the first year.
"I had to ride a bus because I didn't have my license ... They dropped me off at the field house, and I had to walk all the way through and it was such a culture shock, because I've been at STEM since second grade. Walking through these halls was crazy for the first time, but I got my license, and now I drive back and forth, back and forth. It's not as hard as I thought, but it's definitely a struggle some days," Hart said.
She didn't think about giving up because what she's gained has been "so valuable."
"I wouldn't trade that," Hart said.
A total of 10 students make an All-State Ensemble:
— Aiden Armendariz (12), String Bass — PHS Orchestra (2nd Year)
— Diego Campos (12), Bb Clarinet — PHS Band
— Haley Hart (12), Alto 1 — PHS Choir (STEM Academy Student)
— Jacob Lechtenberg (12), Bass 2 — PHS Choir
— Madelyn Linville (12), Soprano 1 — PHS Choir
— Jenesis Paget (12), Alto 2 — PHS Choir (3rd Year)
— Sienna Pina (12), Soprano 2 — PHS Choir
— Valeria Rodriguez (12), Alto 1 — PHS Choir
— Bobby Schenkel (12), Tenor 2 — PHS Choir
— Caidence Searcy (12), Alto 1 — PHS Choir (3rd Year)
