Buford High School’s Advanced Treble Ensemble was one of only five high school choral groups in Georgia selected to perform at the 2024 Georgia Music Educators Association (GMEA) In-Service Conference. This conference is a premier music education professional development gathering held annually at the Classic Center in Athens with more than 4,000 attendees, including music directors from elementary to college levels, fine arts supervisors, college students, school administrators, professional musicians, exhibitors and family members of performing students.
Over 40 performances by groups within Georgia were showcased, and over 130 clinic sessions were led by top clinicians and educators from across the nation. “I’ve heard that receiving this invitation is the fine arts equivalent of winning a State Championship in athletics,” said Cary Clayborn, a parent who traveled with the group to Athens last month. He was impressed with the students’ dedication and said, “To see the culmination of their hard work over the last six months was so special.”
Chorus Director Taylor Greer described the event as “a huge blessing and a proud moment.” Greer leads the BHS Advanced Treble Ensemble, which is a group of singers performing advanced music at a high school level. Buford’s Advanced Treble group members participate each year in many individual and group performances. These include scheduled concerts, civic and community events, seasonal shows, district Honor Chorus, district Large Group Performance Evaluation, All-State auditions, GHSA Literary Meet, and the yearly Spring Variety Show.
Greer said their performance exceeded his expectations, “This event was a career goal, but it ended up being so much more as I watched them make beautiful music.”
Clayborn called the end of their performance, “an awesome moment. In a sanctuary full of music educators, it felt like no one wanted to stop clapping! The ovation just kept going and going. It was a moment that I hope these ladies will remember for a very long time.” Greer agreed, “My prayer for these students is that they take this experience with them for the rest of their lives.”
This is just one of many accomplishments. Throughout the years, the BHS Choral Music Department has had many notable achievements including:
- The group has performed at the GMEA In-Service Conference four times.
- They were featured as the high school ensemble at Piedmont Conservatory’s Lessons and Carols Service and collaborated with the Metro Youth Symphony Orchestra.
- An invitation was extended to sing at the London International Choral Festival in January 2024.
The BHS Advanced Treble Ensemble has consistently excelled:
- They have received superior ratings in performance and sight-reading at GMEA’s LGPE.
- Over the past 30 years, BHS students have clinched 21 Region and 15 State team championships, setting a new GHSA all-time record.
- Currently, students from this group hold the state championship in the Trio class 7A.
This year’s Advanced Chorus includes 32 singers:
Soprano I Soprano II
Rachel Brody lyanu Banks
River Eubanks Ava Bernard
Ashlyn Henderson Maggie Dale
Regan Mann Kylie Dombroski
Callie McKee Leah Kim
Lily Naderi Ella Wiginton
Milee Patel
Raina Patel
Lauren Schmidt
Alto I Alto II
Makenzie Burge Khimaya Bulli
Anna Clayborn Mollie Conner
Chloe Dale Grayson Feyko
Piper Leonard Tiffany Han
Sammie Mosier Celia Lowery
Cadence Rickards Adriana Martinez
Liliy Small Tanner Moon
Katelyn Sebring Elyn Wadstein
Abbie Staples
