Canfield bands well-represented at music conference

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Neighbors | Submitted.The Ohio Music Education Association hosted its annual Professional Development Conference Feb. 6 - 8 in Columbus. Pictured, from left, are Hayley Ward and Emily Damelio.

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Neighbors | Submitted.The Ohio Music Education Association hosted its annual Professional Development Conference Feb. 6-8 in Columbus. Pictured, from left, are Mike Kelly (Canfield High School band director), Kyle Thompson (senior trumpet plater) and Alan Baylock (2014 OMEA All-State Jazz Band guest conductor).

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Neighbors | Submitted.The Ohio Music Education Association hosted its annual Professional Development Conference Feb. 6-8 in Columbus. Pictured, from left, are Mike Kelly (Canfield High School band director), Brian Balmages (2014 OMEA All-State Concert Band guest conductor) and Emily Damielo (senior oboe player).

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Neighbors | Submitted.The Ohio Music Education Assoiciation hosted its annual Professional Development Conference Feb. 6-8 in Columbus. Pictured, from left, are Mike Kelly (Canfield High School band director), Spencer Saylor and Kelly Scurich (Canfield High School choir director).

The Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA) had its annual Professional Development Conference Feb. 6-8 in Columbus.

One of the many highlights that focus on student performance are the OMEA All-State Ensembles for band, choir, jazz band and orchestra. More than 1,000 high school students from all across Ohio submitted applications and recorded auditions in May of 2013 in hopes of being selected to perform with these prestigious ensembles.

Of those applicants selected, Canfield High School was well represented by two high school band members: senior Emily Damelio (oboe) and senior Kyle Thompson (trumpet). Damelio earned the high honor of Principal Chair oboe.

Damelio is the daughter of Charles and Kathleen Damelio. She is a member of the Canfield High School Symphonic Band, Chamber Choir and Youngstown Symphony Youth Orchestra. She has consistently earned superior ratings at OMEA Solo and Ensemble competitions. She has been selected to perform with numerous honors ensembles, including the National Association for Music Education All- National Concert Band (October 2013 in Nashville, Tenn.), Ohio State Honors Band (2012 and 2013), the Ohio Band Directors Conference Honors Band (2011) and the OMEA District 5 Honors Band (2012).

For the 2014 OMEA All-State Band, Damelio earned Principal Chair oboe and performed under the baton of international composer, conductor and performer Brian Balmages. Damelio has studied oboe with Kathy Dick, Shawn Reynolds and Danna Sundet, and plans on majoring in music when she graduates from Canfield.

Thompson is the son of Christopher Thompson and Lisa Thompson. He was one of 20 students selected to perform with the 2014 OMEA All-State Jazz Band. The jazz band was under the direction of guest conductor and internationally acclaimed jazz artist, composer and arranger, Alan Baylock. Thompson is a member of the Canfield High School Symphonic Band and Jazz Band as well as the Youngstown Symphony Youth Orchestra. He has studied trumpet with Dan Barber, Marc Pupino and Susan Sexton. Thompson will be majoring in Computer Science and Engineering at The Ohio State University next fall where he hopes to earn a coveted spot as a member of the world-renowned Pride of the Buckeyes, The Ohio State Marching Band.

Canfield High School band and choir alumni Spencer Saylor and Hayley Ward also took part as performers during the conference. Ward performed a piano part on one selection with the All-State Band. She is in her first year at Baldwin-Wallace College where she is a Piano Performance and Music Education major. One of Columbus’ top recording artists Spencer Saylor is in his second year at Capital University as a Music Industry major and Public Relations and Management minor. Saylor performed with Capital University’s 80-piece male chorus, The Chordsmen, as one of the conferences’s featured ensembles.