Nine students and three alternates in total made it to state in orchestra, band and choir.

State and district for the three music groups are opportunities for passionate musicians to gain a high-level experience with other student musicians of great skill. It also gives the student recognition.

The Kansas Music Educators’ Association (KMEA) sponsors all this.

Orchestra and band state auditions occurred on Jan. 9.

Choir students had state and district auditions in November, all in one audition; whereas, band and orchestra have two separate auditions for their state and district.

Band and orchestra students willing to audition for state had to travel to Salina, Kan., at Salina Central High School. Those in choir had to travel to Olathe East High School.

Choir’s judging process is that they get ranked. The top 50 students get to go to district, and the top 20 get into state because only 20 students get into state. The auditions are highly competitive.

Choir students get evaluated in nine categories, each worth nine points. There are three judges as well.

Three students in the choir made it to state, and two were chosen as alternates.

Those who made it to state are Kaeli Whitener, junior; Brittany Taylor, sophomore, and Erin Cantrell, junior. The two alternates are Chase Simmons, sophomore, and Andrew Allen, junior.

Whitener, who made it to state choir would meet in the mornings with her choir teacher and go over her techniques. In order to make it into state, Whitener had to do a lot of preparations.

“I had to practice a lot of music,” Whitener said. “I think the music for auditions was very good, such powerful music. The Italian piece has a lot of altitude.”

Ten students as well made district choir.

For orchestra state auditions, the judging process is blind auditions, meaning the student and judges cannot see each other, but only hear. The one who is auditioning has to play a total of three songs and two scales.

The two students who made it to state orchestra are Rachael Li, senior, and Leon Tanner, senior.

“I schedule and dictate one hour, usually late at night, to playing my instrument,” Li said.

Li has auditioned before, so she wasn’t as nervous. “It’s hard not to, but I’ve been through it before, it gets easier,” Li said.

Li is looking forward to seeing her friends from other schools at KMEA and seeing the advanced orchestra as well.

Three students in orchestra have made it to district.

Band auditions require playing two octave major scales, sight-reading music and playing prepared excerpts in front of six judges.

Four students made state band: Carley Eschliman, senior; Lilly Bruington, senior; Emmanuel Okwuone, senior, and Noelle Schlenk, sophomore.

The first alternate is Christian Long, senior.

Bruington, who made it to state band plays the French horn.

“Everyone has a high level music-ship going into auditions,” Bruington said.“It’s pretty difficult to get in.”

Bruington liked the music for auditions for it was a classic for the French horn. She was nervous playing in front of the judges, but she is looking forward to going to KMEA.

Seven made it to district band.

A guest conductor picks out music for the district orchestra to practice, rehearse and perform for concerts. Music for state has already been chosen and rotates in a cycle of three years so that if one wants to audition all three years, each year would be different.

A committee of band directors picks out music for band. They use the same prepared excerpts on a four-year rotation.

A state clinician and the state choir chair pick out music for choir.

Orchestra and band have no limit in how many students make it into state or district as long as they have met the requirements and pass the auditions, but only grades 10-12 can audition for state and district.

The Northeast District is the made up of multiple school districts as well as the Olathe District. Only students who made it into district could audition for state. All of these musical groups had auditions for district in November.

The school hosted a day of rehearsal and practice for the district orchestra on Dec. 5. They performed a concert the day after.

When state auditions are done, those who have made it go to Wichita to the KMEA convention at the end of February.

State choir will work with a technician named Dr. Eph Ehly, a retired professor from UMKC at the convention.

On Feb. 25-27 the state band and orchestra will practice with a guest conductor and choir with their technician. They all will perform a concert that Saturday.