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22 | April & May | College News 7 8 Senior music education major Amalia Sica was selected the 2025 STAR Student Teacher (Elementary) from 250 candidates Maria StClair, vocal performance major, was featured on the cover of Southwestern Musician (May 2025) Rachel Bailey directed the Bloomington-Normal Flute Club in a collaborative concert with Illinois Valley Flute Ensemble 9 Senior music education major Amalia Sica was selected the 2025 STAR Student Teacher (Elementary) from among 250 candidates in this year’s student teaching cohort. [7] Vocal performance major Maria StClair was featured on the cover of Southwestern Musician (May 2025), singing a solo during TXST Chorale’s performance at the 2025 Texas Music Educators Association Clinic/Convention. [8] The TXST Mysterium for New Music Ensemble performed at the closing concert for the Performance Media Fest (PMF) in South Bend, IN. Mysterium performed “Los Inocentes—River Soundscapes,” an electro-acoustic work collaboratively composed by the ensemble featuring sounds and videos of the San Marcos River. Mysterium members include undergraduate students Josh Nepote , Chelsea Perez , Kyle Stocking , and graduate students Hannah Bradley and Gabe Durand-Hollis . The ensemble is directed by Richard Hall . The PMF featured artists, musicians, and performers from all over the world. The fest was sponsored by the Ernestine M. Raclin School of the Arts at Indiana Uni- versity South Bend, the South Bend Museum of Art, and the DeBartolo Performing Arts, University of Notre Dame. Mys- terium was also given a personal tour of Sweetwater Music in Fort Wayne, IN. Sweetwater is considered the largest music store in the world, with multiple recording studios, state-of-the-art performance venues, and around 3,000 employees. The tour also featured information about career opportunities at Sweetwater and other commercial music companies such as Fender, AVID, and Selmer. ALUMNI ACCOLADES Rachel Bailey directed the Bloomington-Normal Flute Club in a collaborative concert with the Illinois Valley Flute Ensemble entitled Route Flute 66 . The Bloomington-Normal Flute Club is an all-abilities flute ensemble for adults. Its goal is to provide a space for adult flute players to grow as musicians and have a performance outlet without judgment or unneeded stress. [9] Brent Ferguson (aka Dr. B.A. Ferguson) recorded the album Guitar for Everyone’s Souls with fellow TXST alumnus TJ Laws-Nicola . The album, which includes classical and flamenco arrangements of video game music, was nominated for Best Al- bum for the 2025 Game Music Remix Awards at Video Games & Music Convention. Avigai Gonzalez directs Mariachi Escorpión, teaches music theory, and oversees the mariachi festival at Texas Southmost College. [10] Julio Gonzalez was the recipient of a $15,000 Bastrop Edu- cation Foundation Grant in support of the elementary music program at Cedar Creek Elementary School. [11] Peyton Grover will conduct the premiere of his composi- tion Xtabay , given by the Yucatan Symphony Orchestra, this summer. Additionally, his four-movement saxophone quartet