Audrey Gonzalez, a senior member of the Fort Stockton Pride of Pantherland Band, has earned the honor of being named a Texas AllState Musician. Despite the many challenges encountered throughout this school year, 2021 AllStaters remained committed to their personal musical development. They demonstrated the very perseverance and dedication that ongoing participation in a music program fosters.

Gonzalez was chosen for this honor through a competitive process that began last fall, and included District, Region, and Area levels. She plays flute under the direction of Jay Derington and Johanna Balboa, both members of the Texas Music Educators Association, a 19,000-plus-member organization headquartered in Austin. This is her first time to perform as a member of the All-State organization. Gonzalez is the child of Alex Gonzalez and Holly Lambert. She also studies privately with Johanna Balboa, the Fort Stockton Middle School band director.

The Educators Association sponsors the Texas All-State audition process to promote student dedication to musical knowledge and skill, and to encourage educators to support their students in this development. AllState is the highest honor a Texas music student can receive.

Over 50,000 students from around the state initially entered the audition process, and 1,860 students were selected for 2021. This competitive process begins throughout the state in auditions hosted by 33 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 area competitions. The highest-ranking musicians qualify to an All-State music group.

Because of COVID-19 impacts, the Educators Association will not host a 2021 performance event.