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AHSneedle

The student news site of Atlantic High School

AHSneedle

The student news site of Atlantic High School

AHSneedle

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AHS JOURNALISM GOLD SPONSOR

Amazing All-State!

Choir and Band auditions for All-State occurred and the results are in!
Senior+Nicole+Middents+points+to+her+name+on+the+Clarinet+results+poster.+Middents+has+made+All-State+for+three+years.
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Senior Nicole Middents points to her name on the Clarinet results poster. Middents has made All-State for three years.

On Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, Atlantic High School hosted the choir and band all-state auditions. These auditions happen annually, with Atlantic hosting the event for many years.

The event is an all-day commitment, with participants arriving at the school as early as 5 a.m. and not leaving until results are posted around 8 p.m. Over 200 teachers, volunteers, judges, and participants crowd into Atlantic High School. Groups and individuals can be seen practicing in any open space including hallways, the gym, and outdoors all preparing for a long, stressful day.

Over the years, band director Jarrod O’Donnell has had numerous students make it into the All-State band. This year, three band students qualified for All-State, those being sophomore Grace Mitchell on French Horn, junior Drayce Moore on Clarinet, and senior Nicole Middents on Clarinet.

Furthermore, the choir department succeeded with All-State auditions, with one choir student qualifying for All-State. Senior Genevieve McCalla qualified as a Soprano 1. The 2023-24 school year is choir director Mikayla Stockhaus’ first year teaching at AHS, and she is thrilled to have had one of her students qualify for All-State.

McCalla said that there was extra stress on the results of the contest this year. She explained that making it to All-State her sophomore was the “icing on the cake” of a fun experience, but not achieving it again her junior year raised the stakes for her senior year. McCalla is grateful for all of the experiences that All-State has given her. “All-State really helped me blossom as a musician in that it helped me open my eyes and think, ‘Hey, maybe I’m okay at this.'”

Many other students tried out for All-State. Junior Dani Bennett has auditioned three times and feels like she has become familiar with the craziness of the day and the work involved to get there. “Each time I finish the process, I feel that my singing capabilities always increase,” said Bennett. “I become more confident in not only myself but also the abilities of other people within my groups.” Bennett took a huge step forward this year by getting recalled. She did not receive a recall in her freshman or sophomore years, so it was encouraging for Bennett to see this improvement. “Even though I still have not gotten the final outcome I wish for every year, I enjoy the whole process from beginning to end.”

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About the Contributor
Alix Nath, AHS Needle Editor
Alix Nath is a sophomore at AHS and has been in journalism for almost a year. Nath is involved in Jazz Band, Show Choir Band, Band, Speech, and Debate, as well as helping with plays and musicals by working backstage. Their favorite classes are Speech and Debate. They chose to take journalism because they love to write stories and take photos. Nath’s favorite thing to do in journalism is photography. They said, “I like to capture things that you wouldn’t normally see” such as backstage at a concert or a closeup of the director’s face while performing. Journalism has helped them look at things from an outside perspective, as well as encouraged them to meet new people. Nath would describe themself as “more on the reserved side but very strong-willed.” Nath wants people to know that they are not as intimidating as they might appear.    By Emma Rose 

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