Two Maine South students to take part in national concerts

During the 2019-20 school year, Maine South High School students Savannah Bensing and Timothy Wilcox from worked to gain a part in the Illinois Music Education Association's District 7 and Illinois All-State Honors Ensembles.

Now Bensing and Wilcox will join the "best of the best" for the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) 2020 All-National Honor Ensembles (ANHE) Virtual Event Jan. 7-8.

The first All-National Honor Ensembles virtual event will include several rehearsals with the 2020 ANHE conductors and workshops with renowned clinicians. Each ensemble will create a final, recorded performance that will be premiered online during the National Association for Music Education's (NAfME) Music In Our Schools Month in March 2021.

Bensing and Wilcox are both three-year members of Maine South's choir and the Vocal Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Matthew Hanes. Both selected for the ILMEA District 7 Chorus and Vocal Jazz ensembles, which met virtually in November.

Bensing also is on the worship team and leads a small group at her church, and is a leader and advocate of the Maine South Dressember team. Wilcox is a varsity diver, as well as a drum major in the Maine South Marching Band. He plays jazz, rock, and concert trombone, and is involved in CYSO Jazz on the side.

The All-National Honor Ensembles performers represent collaboration and creativity in its highest musical form; students were chosen through an audition process with 241 vocalists being chosen for the Mixed Choir.

Students will be rehearsing a challenging repertoire in preparation for performing under the direction of six of the most prominent conductors in the United States. All conductors have received top honors in their field and will spend several days rehearsing with students before the concert.

The National Association for Music Education, among the world's largest arts education organizations, is the only association that addresses all aspects of music education. NAfME advocates at the local, state, and national levels; provides resources for teachers, parents, and administrators; hosts professional development events; and offers a variety of opportunities for students and teachers.

The association has supported music educators at all teaching levels for more than a century. With more than 60,000 members teaching millions of students nationwide, the organization is the national voice of music education in the United States.