Almost 80 student musicians in the Cedar Crest Middle School Falcon Ensemble were selected to perform at the 2024 Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) Conference. Sixteen ensembles from throughout the state were selected to perform, ranging from elementary to collegiate and representing all disciplines – Band, Chorus, Orchestra, Jazz. Falcon Ensemble had the distinction of being the only middle school band to be selected.
Mr. Jared Daubert, CCMS Director of Bands and Orchestras, believes this is the first time that CCMS has been chosen to perform at the annual conference, and only the second time that the district has had a performing ensemble selected to attend, with the last being a chamber orchestra from Cedar Crest High School that was selected in the mid 2000s.
Falcon Ensemble is an auditioned band at the middle school comprised of 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students. The selection process involved submitting audio recordings of Falcon Ensemble last spring. All groups that applied were reviewed, scored, and ranked through a blind evaluation process over the summer by top music educators in PMEA. The process is rigorous to ensure that PMEA puts forth the best products at its annual conference; this is truly a once-in-a-lifetime honor for Falcon Ensemble, considering how many schools and ensembles there are in the state vying for one of these coveted performance spots. Congratulations!