The Shaler Area School District is proud to announce that three students from the Shaler Area Performing Arts program have been selected to represent the district at the 2026 Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) All-State Conference, taking place April 22–25 at the Kalahari Convention Center in the Pocono Mountains. Emily Bedeck (Grade 11), Adam Zang (Grade 12), and Tyler Swartzendruber (Grade 10) have each earned this prestigious honor through exceptional talent, dedication, and a rigorous multi-level audition process.
Emily Bedeck has been selected as the 2026 PMEA All-State Accompanist, placing her among the finest student musicians in the Commonwealth. A versatile performer, Emily serves as the keyboard and mallet player in the Marching Band front ensemble and Indoor Drumline, performs as a pianist in Honors Jazz Ensemble 1, and serves as the student accompanist for the Shaler Area High School Choir. Her excellence has been recognized nationally on multiple occasions, having been named Best Overall Student Accompanist at Performing Arts Consultants adjudications in Norfolk, Virginia in 2024 and at the Big Apple Music Festival in New York City in 2025.
Adam Zang and Tyler Swartzendruber have each been selected for the PMEA All-State Chorus, an honor reserved for only 30 students per voice part across the entire state. Both students ranked in the top six singers in their respective vocal sections across all of Region 1 following auditions at the Scottish Rite Cathedral. Adam is a multi-ensemble musician, participating in Honors Chamber Choir, Honors Wind Ensemble, Honors Jazz Ensemble 1, and the Marching Band. Tyler, a sophomore, has already distinguished himself as one of the top Bass I singers in the region. At the conference, both students will rehearse and perform under the direction of guest conductor Dr. Brian J. Winnie, an internationally respected choral director and Director of Choral Studies at Western Illinois University.
The Shaler Area School District congratulates Emily, Adam, and Tyler on this outstanding achievement and wishes them well as they represent Shaler Area at the highest level of student musicianship in Pennsylvania.
