For the first time in eight years, a member of the Farmersville High School Band qualified for All-State Band.

Gavin Richardson,16, was selected as a Texas All-State Musician after going through a competitive process that began last fall and included competition at District, Region and Area levels.

All-State is the highest honor a student can receive.

The Farmersville High School junior plays tuba with the Farmersville band under the direction of Scott Cross who is a member of the Texas Music Educators Association.

The Texas Music Educators Association (TMAE) is a 19,000-plus member organization headquartered in Austin dedicated to promoting students’ dedication to musical knowledge and skill.

“I’m extremely proud of him,” Cross said. “This is a goal he set for himself and he worked very hard to achieve it. He has a lot of natural musical talent and when you add that with a strong work ethic, good things happen.”

Cross said Gavin is a student of Steffin Medina, a musician who offers private lessons through the school district.

Gavin is the son of Brad and Danielle Richardson of Farmersville.

The junior is the first Farmersville student to earn a spot in the All-State band since 2014. It is also his first time performing as a member of a TMEA All-State organization. Gavin said that he practiced during his instrumental studies class in order to prepare for the competition.

By Norishka Pachot

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