Carol Stream senior named All-State Musician

Ten students from West Chicago Community High School were selected in November for the 2020 Illinois Music Education Association District 9 Honor Festival. One of these students, Samuel Incrocci, was named to the 2021 ILMEA All-State Student Programs.

ILMEA invites junior high and senior high school students from all areas of the state to prepare for and attend auditions to be selected into District Band, Chorus, Jazz and Orchestra ensembles.

This fall, the Illinois Music Education Association wanted to offer this experience despite remote learning and changes in teaching environments, and launched the first-ever digital audition opportunity for music students in Illinois.

More than 8,500 students submitted auditions in these different areas of music education and of those submissions, over 6,500 students were selected for participation in the 2020 Virtual District Festival, to take the place of an in-person performance festival.

This virtual event featured masterclasses presented by expert practitioners from around the country offering performance advice, tips and techniques to participating students, as well as a keynote address presented by Barry Houser, a University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign professor.

Students in 10th to 12th grade are eligible to be selected into ILMEA All-State Student Programs for Band, Chorus, Jazz and Orchestra; of the 6,000 high school students who auditioned and the 4,700 students who were selected into districtfFestivals, ILMEA is pleased to announce that approximately 1,500 students have been named into the 2021 ILMEA All-State Student Programs.

Samuel Incrocci, a senior from Carol Stream, is a bass in the West Chicago Community High School Concert Choir.

Incrocci was chosen based on his preparation and performance of two required song selections. Additionally he had to prepare and perform several tonal skills including the major scale, the natural minor scale, the harmonic minor scale and the melodic minor scale. He also had to prepare and perform the major, minor, diminished and augmented triads.

"Sammy continues to work diligently on growing his voice and musicianship skills daily," said Brandon Fantozzi, the high school's choral director. "He leads by example in class by bringing a positive attitude and consistent work ethic, acting as a cheerleader for the Music Department, and leading by example as Sammy is kind to all and inclusive of others."

The ILMEA Student Programs have been developed to encourage musical performance and creative expression and the many forms that may take for student musicians.

Ensembles include symphonic orchestras, wind bands, choral ensembles, jazz bands and combos, and vocal jazz ensembles.

The students named into these ensembles represent the best and brightest student musicians and the high-quality music education provided by music educators across Illinois.

For more information on the Illinois Music Education Association and opportunities for student musicians and music educators, visit www.ilmea.org.