Items Of Note At NOCCA: 2010 – 2011

Items Of Note At NOCCA: 2010 – 2011

The GRAMMY Foundation selected NOCCA as a 2011 Signature School Enterprise Award Recipient, one of 36 nationwide. Created in 1998, the GRAMMY Signature Schools program recognizes the top U.S. public high schools that are making an outstanding commitment to music education. The Foundation also held a GRAMMY Career Day at NOCCA to help music students understand the professional and business side of the industry. Above, from left to right: NOCCA President and CEO Kyle Wedberg, and music faculty Michael Pellera, Dr. Jee Yeoun Ko, and Phyllis Treigle accept the gift of $5,500 from GRAMMY Foundation senior director David Sears.

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Over the course of the 2010-11 school year, students won awards in the following prestigious national and regional competitions:

  • 1 student was recognized by the National Arts Recognition and Talent Search;
  • 2 seniors were finalists in the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Competition;
  • 2 seniors were recognized by the National Achievement Scholarship Program;
  • 8 students in Creative Writing and Visual Arts received national honors and Gold Key recognition in the Scholastic Arts and Writing Competition.
  • Classical Instrumental student Angelique Montes was the winner of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra 2010-11 Young Artists Concerto Competition.
  • Creative Writing student Sarah Allen earned First Place in the International House of Blues Foundation’s 2011 Spirit of the Dream Competition.

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Vocal Music students competed against 400 others at the National Association of Teachers of Singing Southern Region Auditions. NOCCA students Elena Figueroa (left), Amanda McCarthy (right) and Vivian Buchanan placed first, second and third respectively in the women’s high school division. Adjani Gibson (middle) placed third in the men’s high school division.

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Media Arts students Erin Levins won DOWNBEAT’s Performing Arts High School Best Engineered Live Recording Award while Ryan Dents received Best Engineered Studio Recording. Media Arts students also won three awards at the St. Charles Parish Film Festival in animated commercial and experimental formats, and placed 1st, 2nd and 3rd in Animation Shorts, 2nd in Music Video Short and 3rd in Documentary short at the Pelican D’Or Film Festival.

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2011 SENIOR AWARDS

  • The Helen A. Mervis Award for artistic and academic achievement and community service was awarded to Jade Thirawas.
  • The Lisa Marie Catalanello Memorial Scholarship for visual arts achievement and generosity of spirit was awarded to Drew Schenk.
  • The Daniel Price Memorial Scholarship for Aspiring Young Artists was awarded to Leigh Barrosse.
  • Ellen H. Golodner M.D. Jelly Roll to Jam Scholarship in Jazz was awarded to Michael Mason.
  • Seth Daniel P. Memorial Award for multi-disciplinary artistic accomplishment was awarded to Brent Thibodeaux.
  • The Gary Barnett and Charles Jefferson Scholarship for visual arts achievement by an Orleans Parish student was awarded to Renee Legaux.
  • Hurst Recordings Award for Outstanding Accomplishment in Audio Production was awarded to John Lebien.
  • New Orleans Rotary Club Scholarship was awarded to Peyton Nazar.

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OUTSTANDING GRADUATES AWARDS

  • Lee and Kathy Randall Award in Creative Writing – Carmilla Cannon
  • Milly and George Denegre Award in Dance – Amanda Bonds
  • Helen Hill Memorial Award in Media Arts – Erin Levins
  • Make It Funky! Award in Jazz – Evan Murphy
  • Glennadora & James H. Perry Award in Vocal Music – Amanda McCarthy
  • Freda M. Lupin Award in Musical Theatre – Rachel Abbate
  • Kuumba-Keener Award in Theatre – Celeste Cahn
  • Outstanding Graduate Award in Theatre Design – Tayler Robertson
  • The NOCCA Institute Collection Award (Visual Arts Purchase) – Caden Sage Wilson and Leigh Barrosse