Anna Kasemir, an 8th grader at St. Mary’s School, Oak Ridge has been selected to sing in the 2017 American Choral Directors Association National Middle School/Junior High Mixed Honor Choir on March 8th-11th in Minneapolis, MN. The ACDA is the premiere national choral organization, so singers come from all over the country to participate. She will have the opportunity to rehearse with master conductors and perform choral music at the very highest levels with other fine musicians. The MS/JH honor choir will be directed by Lynnel Joy Jenkins. Ms. Jenkins is the Artistic Director of the Princeton Girlchoir and choral teacher at the Timberlane Middle School of the Hopewell Valley Regional School District in Pennington, New Jersey. Ms. Jenkins’ varied conducting and teaching experience ranges from the elementary to collegiate level. She has served as Assistant Professor of Music Education at the Westminster Choir College of Rider University and Conductor of the Resident Training Choir at the American Boychoir School in Princeton, New Jersey. Mrs. Carol Villaverde, music teacher at SMS, shared her thoughts, “I have been blessed to sing with Anna in music classes since she was in 2nd grade. After her experience last year in the ACDA Southern Division Treble Honor Choir, Anna took the initiative to audition for the National Honor Choir this year. Over 4,200 singers auditioned to sing in the honor choirs this year, and Anna was selected to participate. I am proud of her accomplishment, but what I am most grateful for is that I get to work with my favorite musicians, the children at St. Mary’s School, every day.” Congratulations to Anna! We know she will be a wonderful musical ambassador of St. Mary’s School, the Diocese of Knoxville, and the state of Tennessee.