Three Wharton County Junior College Choir students will perform in San Antonio this spring as part of the Texas Two Year College All-State Choir. From left to right are Gabrielle Tarlton of Liberty Hill, Spencer Cole of Needville and Alexis Alvarez of Bay City.
WHARTON, TEXAS – Wharton County Junior College will have three representatives at the Texas Music Educators Association Convention in San Antonio this spring. WCJC Choir students Alexis Alvarez of Bay City, Spencer Cole of Needville and Gabrielle Tarlton of Liberty Hill were selected to perform with the Texas Two Year College All-State Choir.
“I am proud of these students and their countless hours of dedication,” said WCJC Choir Director Dr. Karl Paoletti. “They get to perform with other community college singers and have the privilege of rehearsing and performing with a renowned guest conductor.”
Alvarez, Cole and Tarlton will join 150 students from community colleges across the state in San Antonio on Feb. 11 for several days of rehearsing before participating in a final performance on Feb. 14. This is Cole’s second time to perform with the All-State Choir and he said his initial experience was life-changing.
“I’m looking forward to having fun with the friends I made last year,” said Cole, a music major.
Alvarez, also a music major, said earning a spot on the choir is a dream come true.
“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do,” she said. “Making the choir proves to me that, with time and effort, you can achieve anything.”
Being selected for the Texas Two Year College All-State Choir is no small feat. Alvarez, Cole and Tarlton had to perform six to eight challenging selections during a live audition last fall. The tryouts were especially difficult for Tarlton as she had less than two weeks to prepare.
“It was tough for me because I decided late to try out,” said Tarlton, a psychology major. “It was kind of a scary process.”
Alvarez said time management was a major factor in the preparation.
“You had to manage your time really well so you could rehearse while doing your regular classes,” she said.
That some of the selections were in a foreign language only intensified the process. One of the songs is in an obscure Somalian dialect. The trio rehearsed together on several occasions to learn the songs and perfect their vocal performance.
All agreed that the hard work paid off in the end.
“I’m looking forward to being able to sing with people who are like-minded,” Tarlton said. “It’s going to be fun.”
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