UIL Choir 

All three choirs, Varsity Tenor-Bass Choir, Varsity Treble Choir, and Varsity Chamber Choir all received First Division ratings (1’s) in both Concert and Sight-Reading earning all three groups Sweepstakes awards. 

All-Region Choir 

25 choir students auditioned at the Texas Music Educators Association’s (TMEA) All-Region event, and one student was selected for the All-State choir.

Five students made the top 10 in the final round. 

• Levi Johnson (freshman)
• Catherine Yurasek (sophomore)
• Isaiah Rodriguez (junior)
• Eleanor Bond (senior)
• Sydney Hayes (senior)

Catherine Yurasek, finished high enough to make All-State. All-State is the highest honor a Texas music student can receive.

Choir teacher, Mr. Yurasek, is pleased with his students’ improvement this year for All-Region choir.

“They all improved because they were all out of the top 10 last year and they all were getting close,” Mr. Yurasek said. “And it’s such a grinder, the competition is that making those sorts of improvements is important.” 

Mr. Yurasek is hoping that more students will make it to All-State next year. Catherine was the only All-State qualifier last year as well.

“I’m going to do my best to hope, then to try to make that happen for them and help them try to get there,” Mr. Yurasek said. “…I would love that. I would love to have more than one student make it to all-state. No doubt.” 

All-State Qualifier – Catherine Yurasek

 Sophomore, Catherine Yurasek, made All-State choir as 6th chair alto. This is Catherine’s second consecutive year making all-state. She is the first repeat All-State member as a freshman and sophomore. Last year, Catherine was the first DHS Freshman to be a TMEA All-State member.

Mr. Yurasek is also Catherine’s father, and was thrilled for Catherine to make all-state. 

“I was an all-stater as well, so it’s kind of a special thing when your kid goes in as an all-stater, also it’s pretty special,” Mr, Yurasek said.

Catherine’s parents are both choir teachers. They both did All-Region when they were in high school.

“My parents both made state twice,” Catherine said. “They’re also choir directors, so I felt like it was necessary to do so and I’ve been doing all-region since seventh grade.” 

Catherine and all of the choir students that qualified for all-region improved from their positions last year. Isaiah Rodriguez, Eleanor Bond, Levi Johnson, and Sydney Hayes  did not make it into the top 10 last year. This is Levi’s first year competing at  all-region

Catherine making it to all-state makes her classmates believe that they can also make it; with her successes to make it to all-state both her Freshman and Sophomore year.(Sophomore) Leonel Corona is one of Catherine’s closest friends and one of her classmates in choir.  

“Honestly, it kind of feels like maybe I could also make it to state,” Leonel said.