From Bowling Green High School Band
Frances Zengel, a junior at Bowling Green high school, is one of the select few chosen to participate in the 2016 OMEA All-State Band. Students began practicing the challenging audition materials for the All State Band in the spring. They submitted recordings of their audition to a committee which listened to all of the applicants’ recordings received from high school students throughout the state of Ohio. Frances, one of eight percussionists selected from the state of Ohio, will be rehearsing with the All-State Band this week in preparation for their performance at the Ohio Music Educators Conference in Cincinnati on Friday, January 29th.
Throughout Zengel’s six years in the BG City Schools band program, she has participated in many performing ensembles including OMEA District One Honor Bands, BGSU Reading Clinic, Capital University Reading Clinic, Toledo Youth Orchestra (principal chair), All Ohio State Fair Band and many more. She has performed in the Solo & Ensemble Event each year as a soloist (marimba, snare drum, timpani) receiving superior ratings. Her musical training comprises many well-respected teachers and mentors such as Dr. Isabel Huang, Dr. Robert Bell, Mr. Dave Nelson, Katie Brown and the late Dr. Roger Schupp.
“I will always remember Frances for the first day that she entered the BG middle school band room” recalls Bruce Corrigan (band director). “Her mother, Marian Zengel, was showing her around the school. Immediately, her eyes widened as she saw the many percussion instruments that she was going to get to play. She was enthralled with the possibilities. Corrigan continued, “Percussionists often show a strong interest in snare drum, mallet percussion, or drum set, but Frances clearly wanted to do it all. Even as a seventh grader, she played every instrument as if she were a professional drawing the best tone with rhythmic accuracy on a consistent basis.”
Zengel has been an exceptional academic student in Bowling Green City Schools. She is an honor student with a GPA of a 4.38 and is a member of the French National Honor Society. Zengel has received the BGHS Outstanding Freshman Award and the BGHS Sophomore Achievement Scholarship. Zengel’s free time and hobbies include writing, drawing and music composition. Zengel is not the only musician in her home. Her father, Larry Zengel, also played percussion in high school and at BGSU and her sister, Sasha, is currently a seventh grade clarinetist.
