Central Junior High Full Orchestra

Performer Details

Performer Bio Synopsis

Central Junior High (grades 7-9) is part of the Hurst Euless Bedford ISD, which has been recognized as the second most diverse school district in Texas, and the 18th most diverse school district in the country. Central is the most diverse Junior High in Texas with our school’s economically disadvantaged population at 61%. According to the home language surveys, there are 35 languages other than English spoken by our CJH families. I believe that the diversity of our school is what makes it so unique and a special place to learn and work. Another very unique attribute about HEBISD is that it is one of only a handful of districts that has a K-12 strings program. Students have the opportunity to take Suzuki strings at one of the 10 (out of 21) Elementary Schools, or they can join the CJH Orchestra as a beginner in 7th grade. Due to the various ability levels of the students, Central has six orchestras ranging from Beginning Strings to the varsity Chamber Orchestra. I believe that we do an excellent job of being the bridge that helps the elementary students move from the Suzuki method to a traditional orchestra setting. To help the students make the transition, we provide orchestra opportunities at the elementary level. We have three elementary orchestras, two of which students earn placement by audition. They meet once a week and participate in several concerts a year. The third group is made up of first-time orchestra students selected by their Suzuki teachers to participate. All of these groups give our Elementary Suzuki students an opportunity to learn how to be a valuable member of an orchestra, while learning skills they will use when they advance to the secondary level. Central’s Band program has received numerous accolades such as the BBB Honor Band Award in 2006, an invitation to the Midwest Clinic in 2019, the 2021 TMEA Invited Ensemble, the Sudler Silver Shield in 2022, and performing at Music for All National Festival in 2023. Last year, the CJH Orchestra was the Invited Spotlight Performance for the Texas Music Educators Association Convention and has been a Commended and National winner with the Mark of Excellence Foundation. Combining the two strong programs into a Full Orchestra was a natural progression for growth. We made the decision to fully commit to the Full Orchestra by entering them in the Texas UIL (University Scholastic League) contest. We had consistent rehearsals throughout the school year and provided recordings and rehearsal notes to the students. The group was awarded a perfect sweepstakes award, with all six judges giving us the highest score possible. More importantly, we have built a cohesive community between the two programs. The Full Orchestra students are always excited to rehearse together, and look forward to future performance opportunities.

Central Junior High Full Orchestra

Conductor's Bio

Tara Truex is the Head Director of Orchestras at Central Junior High school in Euless, Texas. She has been teaching orchestra for 31 years, the past 20 with Central Junior High. Mrs. Truex earned her BME at the University of Northern Colorado. She moved to Midland, Texas where she taught elementary strings and junior high orchestra for eight years. She then moved to the Dallas/Fort Worth area to direct the Irving High School Orchestras. After three years at Irving, she was hired to start a new secondary orchestra program in the Hurst Euless Bedford ISD. The Central Junior High Orchestra has received twenty straight University Interscholastic League Sweepstakes Awards, every year since the program started. Central was also selected as the first Junior High Invited Spotlight Orchestra at the 2024 TMEA Convention. Her orchestras have also won numerous Mark of Excellence awards through the years. In addition to directing the orchestras at Central, Mrs. Truex is the conductor of two elementary orchestras that meet with her once a week after school. Mrs. Truex loves to collaborate with her school’s fine arts team, accompanying the choir on their winter concerts every year, and forming the Central Junior High Full Orchestra with the band division. She is currently a member of Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Orchestra Directors Association, Mu Omicron (Orchestral Music Fraternity), and was selected as Central Junior High Teacher of the year in 2014.

Additional Directors

Jacob Groening

Kevin Torrefiel

Gbohunmi Fawehinmi