A.J. Owens, 8th grade, is an avid trumpet player in the MCA band program and also competes in many competitions. He recently competed in the public and private school honor band competitions and got selected to be a part of the band. On December 6, Owens competed for a spot in the public school All-Region band and placed 9th chair out of the 60 students who auditioned. When asked about this competition, Owens said, “I really enjoyed meeting new people and the full sound of both the bands together when we perform.”

He also performed in a concert for the ATSSB All-Region band that took place in January. For this concert, each student had to prepare two selections of music and then perform a blind audition in front of five judges.  The judges choose the best performer to be in the band based on tone, rhythmic accuracy, musical expression, and overall performance.

On February 1, Owens competed for a spot in the TPSMEA Middle School Honor band and placed 2nd chair out of 20 students that auditioned.  The concert for TPSMEA will take place on Saturday February 22 at the Greenhill School in Addison at 3:00 in the afternoon.

Owens is active in the MCA band as a trumpet player and is a member of the MCA Jazz Combo. He takes private trumpet lessons outside of school and still finds the time to perform in competitions as well.