Harlingen student to compete in state tourney on the sax

Angel Charles is set to perform at the Texas All-State Jazz Ensemble I in San Antonio on Feb. 15. (Courtesy: HCISD)

HARLINGEN — Angel Charles is a jazz man.

He has been for his entire lifetime, beginning in grade school, continuing to middle school and then Harlingen High School.

And now … the Texas All-State Jazz Ensemble I in San Antonio on Feb. 15.

“I’m just really happy that I was finally able to achieve what I really wanted these past few years,” said Angel, a senior at Harlingen High School who plays alto saxophone.

Angel had to audition for the Feb. 15 event in a highly competitive process. Auditions for this event were conducted throughout the state at the district, region, and area levels. He’d auditioned in previous years but did not actually succeed until this year.

This ultimate victory was achieved after years of hard work as a student of Manuel Hernandez under the direction of Maria Coronado, band director of HHS. Coronado is also a member of the Texas Music Educators Association which organizes these events.

“We’re very proud of his achievement,” Coronado said. “We’re very excited for him, and I’m super excited because I’m the organizer for the jazz band that he is going to be in.”

A news release provided by Coronado states that about 70,000 students each year enter the TMEA All-State competitive process, and 1,875 students are selected to perform in the various ensembles.”

So how did Angel at HHS stand out against so many other students?

“My director Mr. H (Manuel Hernandez) would tell me that when I solo, I make it sound a little more lyrical than most,” Angel said. “That could be one of the factors. All the conversations of everything I participated in told me that I had a really nice tone, and that my sound is unique.”

Auditions for this event were complicated and intense, Coronado said.

“Students must prepare five songs — three are written and two are improvised solo,” she said. “Students compete at the region level to qualify for the area level. Students then record the three etudes and an improvised solo in one take. In November, this recording is then listened to by five judges throughout the state and ranked.”

Angel has spent his entire formative time with music. He also plays drums, piano and a “little bass,” and he is the drum major for the Cardinal marching band.

Coronado commended her young student for all of his years of work, the endless hours of lessons and practice and rehearsals. It is only fitting that now, after all those years of study and practice, and several unsuccessful attempts to play at the coveted event in San Antonio, he can now finish off his high school years with this triumph.

He plans now to lead off with that grand success by attending university to earn a degree in music.

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