FRANKLIN PIERCE SCHOOL DISTRICT — Ford Middle School eighth grade band student, Anna Rader, was chosen to participate in the Washington Music Educators Association’s Jr. All-State band and choir which will perform on Saturday, February 16 in Vancouver, WA during the Washington Music Educator’s Convention. Anna was chosen through an audition process from hundreds of band students from across the state of Washington.

Many professional musicians credit their All-State experience as crucial to their decision to choose music as a career. Thousands of others whose career paths took them in other directions have great memories of participating in this inspiring and motivating musical experience and claim that it was a life-changing experience for them.

Well-known Washingtonians who have participated in past years’ WMEA All-State groups include The Seattle Post-Intelligencer’s Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist David Horsey, 2008 National Teacher of the Year Andrea Peterson and jazz saxophonist Kenny G.