Twenty Kennedy musicians in band, orchestra and choir were accepted into All-State as select performers or alternates after having auditions at Independence High School in Independence, Iowa on Oct. 26.
All-State Music Festival is a group performance by All-State musicians across each music program at Hilton Coliseum in Ames that consists of the best musicians from the state. Only 25% are accepted after auditions although the chances of acceptance vary based on the number of people auditioning per instrument.
“Audition day is extremely long and everyone is on edge the whole time,” junior violinist Annabelle Oval said. “There is a homeroom you stay in to wait for your audition, then callbacks and then the results. Before your audition time, you are allotted five minutes in a practice room but most people practice in the homerooms too.”
Auditioners’ days started early and ended late. They spent hours waiting around the school after their audition to find out if they were accepted.
“The audition is so short compared to the amount of time we spend there waiting for results,” senior and choir tenor Avery Theis said. “It’s almost as if you black out for those six minutes out of sheer excitement, nervousness and adrenaline.”
The chances of getting accepted into All-State are low. When hundreds of music students perform the same part, students need to find a way to perfect and stand out when they perform the music segments to judges.
“To put it bluntly, it’s really hard,” Theis said. “You have to be extremely well prepared and find some way to stick out from the judges by singing the same songs that hundreds of others are also singing. In my opinion it not only takes talent, but dedication and some luck.”
In total, a combination of 13 music students in band, choir and orchestra were accepted into All-State and seven were selected to be alternates should other musicians drop out. The amount of students accepted from Kennedy is impressive considering schools from all over the state audition.
“Seeing my name finally on that piece of paper was such a defining moment for me and it let me know that my goals are achievable if I put myself out there and try my hardest,” senior and choir bass Jordan Harvey said.
Students find performing at the All-State concert rewarding after all the stress. The time spent with hundreds of like-minded individuals and the experience they have with their friends makes it worth it for them.
“Something that I loved about All-State last year was the fact that I was surrounded by 600 other extremely talented, dedicated, and passionate singers who want to be there just as much as I do,” Theis said. “I cannot wait to be surrounded by that environment again. Another thing that I am looking forward to is the time outside of practice with friends, playing games, shopping or just going out to eat. And the concert is a wonderful experience. To witness over 1,000 of Iowa’s best musicians is so surreal and truly magical.”
The All-State Music Festival has both combined and individual performances from the band, orchestra and choir. It will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23, at Hilton Coliseum on 1705 Center Dr, Ames, IA. Tickets can be purchased online for thirty dollars or for those unable to make it, PBS will record the concert for rebroadcast.
