Sixteen students from the Ranney School, Tinton Falls, will join the Central Jersey Music Educators Association (CJMEA) and perform at music festivals in April.
According to a press release from the school, 16 musicians from the school have been accepted into the CJMEA elementary and middle school honors orchestras and bands.
The following students earned a spot in the 2017 CJMEA Elementary School Honors Orchestra: Mason Bindler, fifth grade, of Manalapan (violin); Oscar Chu, seventh grade, of Holmdel (violin); Lily Egol, seventh grade, of Holmdel (violin); Alexander Holt, fourth grade, of Wall Township (viola); Gavin Jones, fourth grade, of Millstone Township (cello).
Also, Rowan Johnson, sixth grade, of Oceanport (cello); Krishna Khentani, fourth grade, of Manalapan (violin); Kiri Patient, sixth grade, of Oceanport (viola); Isabella Paulus, fourth grade, of Colts Neck (violin); Adele Sobieski, sixth grade, of Wayside (violin); Jason Woska, fifth grade, of Marlboro (bass); and Balkan Yildirim, fifth grade, of Toms River (cello).
The following students will be in the 2017 CJMEA Elementary School Honors Band: Ankush Govil, sixth grade, of Manalapan (saxophone); Akshay Mann, sixth grade, of Marlboro (trombone); and Andrew Pepe, sixth grade, of Atlantic Highlands (mallet percussion).
Adam Rada, eighth grade, of Holmdel (trumpet), has earned a place in the 2017 CJMEA Middle School Honors Band.
The elementary and middle school honors bands and orchestras will be directed by All-School Orchestra Director Dorothy Sobieski and All-Division Band Director John Propper.
Ranney School’s orchestra and band programs begin in the third grade.
Angie Drakulich, the director of content and marketing at the Ranney School, said the Elementary School Orchestra Festival will be held at 2:30 p.m. April 1 at New Brunswick High School, 1000 Somerset St., New Brunswick.
Drakulich said the Middle School Band Festival will be held on April 22 at Monroe Township High School, 200 Schoolhouse Road, Monroe Township.
The Elementary School Band Festival will be held at Steinert High School, 2900 Klockner Road, Hamilton Township.
“Ranney students in band, orchestra and chorus were accepted into the CJMEA honors ensembles/festivals in 2016 as well. Ranney’s All-Division Orchestra Director Dorothy Sobieski has been invited to conduct one of the CJMEA elementary honors orchestra ensembles the past three years,” Drakulich said.
“Upper School students Paul Jensen III (Class of 2018) of Colts Neck and Jacob Egol (Class of 2019) of Holmdel were accepted into the CJMEA Orchestra after auditioning. Paul played timpani and Jacob played cello at a Jan. 8 regional performance,” she said.
“There is no award, but the students benefit from being able to play with and collaborate with students from other schools as well as [working] with other directors, so they can expand their musicianship and stage experience,” Drakulich said.