by Turner Russell

Many of the music students (band and choir) are excited to be involved in the All-State audition program this year. All-State is a statewide honor choir/ band that you can audition to be in. Only the top 17% (vocal) students who audition are let in. Both band and choir students will audition on October 25th.

Senior Halee Glenn describes her choir All-State experience.

“Basically how it works is you get the music a little while before school starts and you start to learn it on your own. Then in September you get put into groups of 2 to 4 and work on the music with your group. Next, you audition with your group in September. After the first audition there’s a possibility that you could get recalled, which means you go and audition again except this time you sing on your own. Getting recalled is kind of like a second chance to make it, but if you don’t get recalled it either means you made it or you didn’t. If you make it you go sing in the All-State chorus in Ames.” Glenn has auditioned for All-State every year in high school and has been recalled 3 times. Glenn said that just being involved in the process makes you such a better musician and you don’t have to make it to feel like you’ve learned something.

Senior Ben Parker describes how he has been preparing, saying, “I’ve done All-State every year during high school. I made it my junior year. Currently we’re just learning a lot of notes and rhythms until we get our groups to sing in for the actual audition. My least favorite part about All-State is waiting for results the day you try out, but my favorite part is making beautiful music with your group and knowing that no matter what happens, you sound good.”

Junior Emily Yeager, who will be auditioning for band All-State, says, “We play two etudes, a minute long solo, and need to have all 12 major scales prepared, along with our chromatic scale. My favorite part is how much I grow as a musician.”

The students listed below will be auditioning for choir All-State.
1. Brecklyn Carey
2. Halee Glenn
3. Ben Parker
4. Justin Somers
5. Lydia Joseph
6. Andrew Rothfusz
7. Max Elwood
8. Sarah Fixmer
9. Paige Hendersen
10. Anna Iekel
11. Austin Mualia
12. Melanie Hart
13. Tomma Jessen
14. Jake Redler
15. Aaron Rothfusz
16. Sarah McCance
17. Nathan Gray