The Cougars got the beat. On Oct. 25, Kennedy High School students traveled to Manchester, Iowa to compete against Iowa’s greatest, young musicians for a spot on the State ensemble.

“It was one of the biggest auditions of my life,” Jamie Milota, so., said.

Out of all the students who auditioned from all over Iowa, 18 students made it from Kennedy High School.

“High schools send their best players, so I was competing against the best in the state,” Lydia Yang, jr., said.

The audition was no easy task to take on. Many lessons, countless hours practicing, numerous critiques, and many S.M.A.R.T. lunch tutorials went into preparation.

“I had mock auditions, Chamber choir, and for two months, we rehearsed every other day,” Jason Grobstitch, sr., said.

Kennedy orchestra qualifiers include Joyce Lai, fr., Jasmine Li, so., Calvin Mackin, so., Jamie Milota, so., and Austin Wu, jr.

All orchestra qualifiers will be traveling to Ames, Iowa on Nov. 20 to do chair auditions. They will spend three days there practicing with the state orchestra and have their performance Saturday, Nov.22.

Compared to previous years, more students from Kennedy who auditioned for state this year made it than in the past.

Band qualifiers, Elijah Feuerhelm, jr., Lexi Forstrom, sr., Josh Lyman, sr., Aaron Unash, sr., McKenna Woods, jr., and Lydia Yang, jr. will spend the same three days preparing for state band as well at Iowa State University. All band members are under the direction of Lesley Fleer and Jared Wacker.

The Hilton Hotel in Ames, Iowa is where you can go to listen to Kennedy’s state chorus qualifiers Grant Barton, sr., Maia Bennett, jr., Molly Osborn, jr., Rizwan Sidhu, jr., Amy Wacker, sr., and alternates-Jason Grobstitch, sr. and Nathan Schulte,jr. They will be rehearsing Nov. 21 and 22. They are under the direction of Storm Ziegler and Scott Mutters.

“I was really excited to find out that I had finally made it,” Amy Wacker, sr., said.