Among the hundreds of high school music students competing for a chance to play at the Ohio Music Education Association's conference in Cleveland, nine were chosen from Fairfield High School along with the Fairfield High School Orchestra.

Six students will play with the OMEA's All-State Band at 8 p.m. Friday and three will play with OMEA's All-State Orchestra at 10:30 a.m. Saturday.

Playing with the All-State band are: Kyle Massey, Michael Amlung and Asher Lisec who play the clarinet; Lindsey Merz, the oboe; Deepak Bal, the tuba; and Josh Schmees, the euphonium.

The students were selected from applications and audition tapes they submitted to OMEA last year.

"This is a huge honor and achievement for our students," said Jill Everett, director of bands.

Playing with the All-State Orchestra are: Ryan Zhang and Mark Johnson, violinists, and Adam Neeley, violists.

The three orchestra players auditioned last November and were selected by the Ohio Southwest Regional Orchestra. They then earned a position with the All-State Orchestra by being among the top three in the regional group, said Sherry Randall, director of the Fairfield High School Orchestra.

The three students will also perform with the orchestra. They are also members of the Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra.

Ms. Randall will also be serving as the Southwest Regional Orchestra chair-elect for year 2003-2004.

"It is a big honor and sounds like a lot of work," Ms Randall said.

The nine students will stay with families of orchestra and band students from Cleveland.

If you know of an African-American who has made outstanding contributions that benefited an individual, community or citywide, you can nominate that person for Profiles of Courage, sponsored by Fifth Third Bank, Urban League of Greater Cincinnati and WCPO-TV, Channel 9.

Deadline for nomination is Tuesday. Call 281-9955 for nomination forms.

The Oldenburg Academy of the Immaculate Conception will hold its 150th Annual Academy Awards in honor of the school's anniversary, Feb. 15

Proceeds from the event will go to support the school's scholarship fund.

"This is a big function and our biggest fund raiser," said Mary Ellen Rippe, a volunteer. "This is the only college preparatory school in southeastern Indiana."

The school was founded in 1853 by the Sisters of St. Francis.

Painter John Ruthven will be at the event to help auction his original paintings that were commissioned in celebration of the academy's 150th anniversary.

There are about 200 students at the co-educational school in Oldenburg, Ind..

Allen Howard's "Some Good News" column runs Sunday-Friday. If you have suggestions about outstanding achievements or uplifting people, let him know at 768-8362, at ahoward@enquirer.com or by fax at 768-8340.