By BRIANNA WOOMER

The Pennsylvania Music Educators Association, or PMEA, has been around for 86 years. Every year, Bellefonte students participate in the performances and learn a great deal about themselves and their surrounding peers.

According to pmea.net, PMEA is a “statewide non profit organization of over 4,500 members.” There are 12 districts throughout the state of Pennsylvania, with Bellefonte residing in District Four. We share District Four with the rest of Centre County, Clearfield, Clinton, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, and Mifflin County.

“So each district is sort of a geographical location of several counties that are together and what happens is they form a band, choir, or orchestra from representatives of each of the school districts that are within that geographical region,” Director of Choirs and Theatre, Mr. Eric Brinser said.

Students starting from elementary school through college in Pennsylvania participate in PMEA. Participants start with Districts and may advance to Regions. From Regions, students may proceed onto All-State’s.

“…once you get to the District level then you can audition and move onto the Regional level, which is two Districts put together, and then they have an All-State level as well,” Mr. Brinser said.

District Jazz Band will be held at East Juniata High School on February 16, and five students will be representing Bellefonte at that event: seniors Hunter Bowser, Caroline Helms, Halle Mitchell, and Brandon Snook, and sophomore Kristen Brown. Three Bellefonte students qualified for Regional Orchestra in Hollidaysburg on February 23: seniors Emily Harris and Zoey Cole, and junior Katie Mussett. Qualifying students for Regional Band at Altoona on March 8 are seniors Zoey Cole, Caroline Helms, and Stephane Liliedahl; juniors Linzy Fetterolf and  Abby Harper; and sophomores Meredith Frey and Mykayla Cole. Students advancing to Regional Chorus at Glendale on March 22 include: seniors Eli Breon, Ryan Carroll, Halle Mitchell, and Johnny Purnell, and sophomore Kristen Brown.

There is a lot of learning involved as Mr. Brinser explained that after students return from Districts, everyone shares with their peers one thing that they have learned from this experience.

Band Director Mr. Caleb Rebarchak and Mr. Brinser both hope that the students take something away from this learning opportunity and express Bellefonte’s talent. The festivals and performances give participants a chance to be among other talented kids their age and make some new friends.

“I would love to see Bellefonte well represented across the board,” Mr. Rebarchak said.