ETR Staff Report
“Vera’s hard work over the past six months while advancing through three rounds of auditions culminated in her earning a spot in the TMEA All-State Mixed Choir.”
Luke Dean, Tyler ISD Visual and Performing Arts Director
Tyler, TX – Vera Banta, a senior and four-year member of the Tyler Legacy High School Good Vibrations Choir, has qualified to rehearse and perform with the 2026 Texas All-State Mixed Choir. Vera will perform on Saturday, February 14, 2026, at San Antonio’s Henry B. González Convention Center, during the 2026 Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) Clinic/Convention.
Ms. Banta was chosen for this prestigious honor through a competitive process held across the state at District, Region, and Area levels. Vera is a voice student of Teresa Bledsoe and sings at school under the direction of Dr. D.J. Bulls, who is a member of the Texas Music Educators Association, a 20,400+ member organization. This is her second time performing as a member of a TMEA All-State organization.
High school students selected to perform in All-State concerts have competed through auditions to qualify at the state level. All-State is the highest honor a Texas music student can achieve. Students are selected through a multi-level process that begins with about 60,000 students from around the state vying for this honor to perform in one of 18 ensembles.
“Vera’s hard work over the past six months while advancing through three rounds of auditions culminated in her earning a spot in the TMEA All-State Mixed Choir,” Tyler ISD Visual and Performing Arts Director Luke Dean said. “This choir represents the best vocal musicians across the state, and this honor reflects Vera’s talent, discipline, and work ethic. I look forward to seeing her perform in San Antonio in February.”
Texas Music Educators Association sponsors the Texas All-State competition. This competitive process begins throughout the state in auditions hosted by 33 TMEA Regions. Individual musicians perform selected music for a panel of judges who rank each instrument or voice part. From this ranking, a select group of musicians advances from their Region to compete against musicians from other areas in eight TMEA Area competitions. The highest-ranking musicians judged at the TMEA Area competitions qualify to perform in a TMEA All-State music group. Only the top 3% of musicians who initially audition become All-State musicians.
Directed by nationally recognized conductors, All-State students participate in four days of rehearsals during the TMEA Clinic/Convention. Their performances for thousands of attendees bring this extraordinary event to a close.
For more information, contact Jennifer Hines at Jennifer.Hines@TylerISD.org.
Courtesy photo by Tyler Independent School District
Congratulations to Vera Banta from the East Texas Review Newspaper Team.
