The Portage Township Schools Department of Music is proud to announce that the Bands, Orchestras and Choirs of Portage High School have met the requirements of the Indiana State School Music Association (ISSMA) and been awarded the 2013-2014 All-Music Award to the Total Department, one of only eleven schools in the entire state to earn this prestigious award. In order to earn the All-Music award, individual students and large class ensembles were required to participate in every sanctioned ISSMA event and earn a Gold Rating. Level of difficulty of their music was primarily in the Group I category.
Band events included the ISSMA Marching Band Contest, District and State Solo and Ensemble Contests, Jazz Contest and Organizational Contest. This year the Advanced Band participated in the demanding State Qualifier Contest, receiving a gold award. The orchestra and choir events included District and State Solo and Ensemble Contests, Jazz Contest and Organizational Contest.
Students pictured in the press release are representing the Advanced Ensembles in the Department, but the Intermediate and Beginning ensembles also participated in most of the required contests. There were nearly 500 students from the Department of Music who have been actively involved in their music program throughout the course of the year.
Directors for the organizations that received the award include: Carrie Ann Carlson (Orchestras), Drew and Annelise Rhoda (Concert and Marching Bands), Aaron Riegle (Choirs), Andrew Schultz (Marching Band) and William Timmerman (Concert and Marching Bands). The secretary for the Department of Music is Vicky Evans.
The Portage community has every right to feel a sense of pride and admiration for these dedicated music students and their directors in earning the prestigious All-Music Award. They have placed Portage High School in a most positive light.