Marion Patriot Pride Band members earned seven spots in the prestigious Arkansas All-State Band and Orchestra, following auditions Saturday at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville.
With seven spots in the ensembles, Marion had the most positions among schools in the 6A East conference.
Students earning All-State recognition include:
Kayden Harris - clarinet
Miller Owen - trumpet
Damien Nicks - alto saxophone
Ariel Ross - alto saxophone and viola
Billy Zheng - French Horn
Chris Partain – percussion
For Miller Owen, this is his third year in a row earning All-State honors. He becomes the first Marion Band student in 12 years to accomplish that feat.
Arial Ross is the only Marion student earning a spot in both the All-State Band (alto saxophone) and the All-State Orchestra (viola).
In order to qualify for All-State Band and Orchestra auditions, students must first earn a position in the All-Region Band. A total of 16 Marion Band members auditioned for All-State on Saturday.
Schools from the current 6A East conference with their All-State qualifiers are as follows:
Marion - 7
Benton - 6
Searcy - 6
Sheridan - 3
West Memphis - 3
El Dorado - 2
Greene County Tech - 1
Catholic - 1
Sylvan Hills - 0
Jacksonville - 0
The Marion All-State band and orchestra members will be participating and performing at the Arkansas Music Conference in Hot Springs February 15-17.
The Marion School District is an innovative and growing district committed to helping every student find their unique path to success in school and in life. With more than 150 years of experience serving families in Crittenden County, the district offers a high school, a junior high, a seventh grade school, and three award-winning magnet schools. For enrollment information, including information on school choice, visit https://www.msd3.org/ or call 870-739-5100.