MIDWAY, Texas — Junior French horn player AJ Watson is being honored as the first Midway High School Band student in a decade to be selected as a Texas Music Educators Association All-State Musician.
This is Watson's first time performing as a member of a TMEA All-State organization. She is also the first Midway Band student to receive this recognition since Midway High School entered the 6A classification, according to Midway Independent School District.
“It just, it blows my mind sometimes," she said. "It’s crazy. I’m so lucky and blessed to have leaders and people in my life who are supportive of me, and yeah, it’s just incredible.”
Watson began the process of being chosen for this distinction last fall, along with over 50,000 other students across Texas who entered the TMEA All-State competitions at the district level. Watson also moved on to compete at the regional and area rounds.
During these auditions, individual musicians perform selected music for a panel of judges who rank each instrument or voice part. Based on these rankings, students from 33 TMEA regions are selected to advance and compete against other students in their TMEA area. The musicians who rank the highest from the eight TMEA area competitions are honored as members of a TMEA All-State music group, according to Midway ISD.
"I tried out for the French horn in the summer of fifth grade, and I don't know, I didn't make a good sound or anything the first time I played it, but as soon as I did, I was like, I like this sound. It has potential."
Watson's mother, Josephine, was named to the All-State band as a student at Temple High School during her junior year in 1994.
“They told me I needed to play the viola which was fine, it was something I was good at and loved, my junior year, like her, I made state," Josephine said.
It seems like destiny that her daughter did it all these years later, even though she wasn't a huge fan of the French horn in the beginning.
"If you would’ve asked my what instrument do you not want your kid to play, I would’ve said the French horn just because it’s so difficult.”
Watson is one of 1,800 musicians selected in the band division, and one of 42 students chosen for 6A French horn in 2021. Recognition as a member of the TMEA All-State Band is the highest honor a Texas music student can receive.
Due to the impacts of the pandemic, TMEA will not host an All-State performance event this year.
As a musician in the Midway High School Wind Ensemble, AJ is under the direction of Pam Hyatt, Director of Midway Bands and a member of TMEA. Watson also studies privately with Dr. Kim Hagelstein, a French Horn professor at Tarleton State University. Watson is the child of Clint and Josephine Watson, according to Midway ISD.
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