Several WLCS students honored for musical chops

Last month, the Walled Lake Consolidated School District Board of Education honored several of the district’s students for their musical achievements in recent competitions.

Among those honored were the nine students who performed in the elite Michigan Band and Orchestra All-State Band and Orchestra at the Michigan Music Conference in Grand Rapids: Pujan Bhattarai (trumpet) and Kyle Krause (viola), both of Walled Lake Western High School; Hannah Brown (clarinet), Evan Kennedy (trumpet), Jeran Norman (alto saxophone), and Jacob Rexroat (clarinet) from Walled Lake Central High School; Brek Moorey (French horn) from Sarah Banks Middle School; and Katherine von Bernthal (alto saxophone) from Walled Lake Northern High School.

Ten students also received accolades at the Michigan Youth Arts Festival, a culmination of a nine-month search for the finest artistic talent in Michigan high schools. Students gathered at Western Michigan University last month to attend the festival.

The following Walled Lake students were nominated to perform in the bands and orchestras at the Michigan Youth Arts Festival last month: Brown; Sarah Jylkka (violin), Walled Lake Western; Emily Tyrrell (violin), Walled Lake Central; and von Bernthal.

The woodwind duet of Emma Meier and Amelia Mansfield, both Walled Lake Northern students, and the percussion quartet of Walled Lake Western students Logan Smith, Colin Mudie, Brandon Christie, and Matt Genesco were honored for their participation at the Michigan Youth Arts Festival.

Meanwhile, the Walled Lake Central Marching Band was recognized for being state champions for the second consecutive year.

So too was Mike Abel, a Walled Lake Central band student who was chosen as one of 100 musicians in the nation to be named a U.S. Army All-American and perform at the All-Star Football Game in San Antonio, Texas.

“These accomplishments are achievable as a result of the dedication and commitment of our music teachers, the hard-work and talent of our students, and the support and encouragement our parents give their children,” said Walled Lake Schools Superintendent Kenneth Gutman.