Dade Christian band students, Tianna Palmer (12th grade) and Lucas Larvenz (11th grade) performed at the University of Miami Frost Honor Band Festival and were recognized for the highest caliber of honor band accomplishments.
On February 14, the two students played under world-renowned conductors alongside the most talented band students in South Florida, earning them the title of this week's extraordinary students.
Palmer has been a member of the Dade Christian School band for 7 years and admits it has been a challenge to reach the highest point of her career. Coming from a family with no musical background, she discovered a passion for music she never knew she had while in the fifth grade.
During the summer before her freshman year of high school, Palmer was invited to perform with Voyageurs International, a Colorado-based company organized to take American students and their musical talents to audiences abroad. She spent two and a half weeks touring Europe performing with other Music Ambassadors in France, England, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.
Palmer has also been invited to play with the South Florida Youth Symphony, District Honor Band, and now, the UM Honor Band.
Palmer hopes to continue her musical studies in college, whether at Florida International University or Liberty University. In the future, she envisions herself being part of an orchestra and composing music. This gifted young musician has already composed her first piano ballad and is currently working on a woodwind piece.
Similar to Palmer’s story, Larvenz began playing the trumpet in the fifth grade. When asked how he decided on that particular instrument, he said, “The trumpet always has the main parts, and I knew I wanted to play something you would hear.”
Never having been one to blend in, Larvenz knew from an early age he was interested in music. “My dad plays a bunch of instruments and the piano professionally. I always knew I wanted to play, and having to take Fine Arts in elementary was a great opportunity for me.” He has spent the past 6 years polishing his skills which have earned him multiple Superior ratings at the Florida Bandmasters Association Solo and Ensemble, as well as several invitations to play with the District Honor Band the past three years.
Now in his junior year of high school, Larvenz is considering colleges with the hopes of receiving a music scholarship and joining the college band. Ultimately, he would love to be a part of a film orchestra that records motion picture scores. During the time he recently spent at the University of Miami, he was able to tour the Frost School of Music. “They have a whole music campus. It was huge! [UM] has a great music program and it’s really competitive.”
It is amazing to witness how an elementary class requirement has brought out the God-given gifts and abilities these students have within them and enabled them to blossom into talented musicians. The arts are a critical component of any school’s structure, and Dade Christian is proud to boast award winning Band and Choir programs made up of talented individuals like Palmer and Larvenz.