On Monday, February 14th, the Indiana Arts Education Network and the Indiana State School Music Association recognized the Plymouth High School band, choir, and orchestra directors along with the Lincoln Junior High School band and orchestra directors in a special ceremony in the Indiana Statehouse.
The Plymouth High School music teachers were recognized for being one of only seven high
schools in the state who received the prestigious “All-Music Award” for all three programs (band, choir, and orchestra) in the music department for the 2020-21 school year. Schools who receive this award for all three programs earn an additional award called the “Total Department Award.” The Plymouth High School music teachers who were recognized included Bryan Ames (band director), Ryan VanAntwerp (choir director), and Jodi Kallenberg (orchestra director). “This really took a lot of work and commitment from our students, staff, and parents to be able to achieve this goal in a year filled with numerous setbacks from the pandemic. This also took the full support of our administration to make sure we had all of the necessary resources to keep the music alive in our schools throughout everything we endured last year,” said band director Bryan Ames. “All of our music programs continued to thrive and were highly successful and we didn’t let COVID put a damper on our ability to succeed.”
Lincoln Junior High School band director, Lisa Wallyn, was also recognized during the ceremony for being one of only eight middle school band programs in the state to receive the “All Music Award” and the Lincoln Junior High School orchestra director, Jodi Kallenberg, was one of only three middle school orchestra programs to receive this award.
Guest speakers for the statehouse ceremony included Indiana Secretary of Education Dr. Katie Jenner, Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch, Senator Andy Zay and keynote speaker Michael Huber, CEO from the Indy Chamber of Commerce. The Indiana State School Music Association director, Mick Bridgewater, presented award certificates to the Plymouth music teachers.
Congratulations to the Plymouth Community Schools and the wonderful music staff at Plymouth High School and Lincoln Middle School on this special state recognition.
