Springfield High School Musicians Selected for OMEA All-District Honors Music Festival The Ohio Music Education Association District 1 2023 Honors Music Festival was held on Sunday, January 22, at the Stranahan Theater. The festival is a celebration of the outstanding band, choir and orchestra student musicians within District 1, which is made up of Defiance, Fulton, Henry, Lucas, Williams and Wood counties. Students participating in the high school honor ensembles were chosen through a blind audition process and were selected for participation in December. More than 300 students were chosen to perform and they represented more than 30 high schools across District 1.
Springfield High School had four choir students and one band student chosen to participate in this year’s festival. Kailynn Boaston, Alec Butler, Joseph Heldmann and Reese Miller all performed as members of the High School All-District Choir, which was conducted by Dr. Dara Gillis, director of choirs and theater at Rutherford B. Hayes High School in Delaware, Ohio. Andrew Smith was chosen as a member of the High School All-District Band, under the direction of Dr. Jay Jacobs, associate director of bands at the University of South Carolina.
*** One of our very own Springfield High School juniors, choir student Joseph Heldmann, was selected to sing with the Ohio Music Education Association All-State Choir. This is a rigorous audition process and a tremendous accomplishment/ honor for all vocal musicians. Just 100 students from all over Ohio are accepted to perform in this select ensemble.
The performance will take place at 8 p.m., on Friday, February 3, in the Columbus Convention Center grand ballroom. Several rehearsals helped prepare the musicians for this performance.
Recognition of his talents is not new for Joseph. Last year, as a sophomore, he performed in the OMEA District 1 High School Solo and Ensemble Adjudicated event with a Class A piece and was awarded a superior rating. He also was selected to be part of the District 1 All-District Honors Festival. Congratulations Joseph.
