johnson percussionist wins international award

Michael Jopling, a senior percussionist at Claudia Taylor Johnson High School, won the marimba solo competition at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. Michael was one of twenty students from around the world to compete for this distinguished honor. The work he performed, Etude in D Major by Pius Cheung, is considered a graduate and post-graduate level composition. Since his recent success, Michael has been offered multiple scholarships surpassing the $400,000 mark.

Michael Jopling is a two-year Texas Music Educators Association All-State Musician. He wishes to be a professional marimbist and college professor. Michael has promoted himself online with multiple YouTube videos of him playing standard and original repertoire. One of these videos, entitled Anger Management, has 4,300 views and has been recently published. Michael is the third student from NEISD to win this prestigious award along with Kaitlyn Davos in 2006 and Damon Martinez in 2007, both from Reagan High School.

Michael is an AP scholar, resides in the top eight percent of his graduating class, and holds a cumulative grade-point average of 105.87. He has a bright future and will certainly be pivotal in the development of music and the percussive arts during the 21st century.

Posted on December 1, 2011