From late night rehearsals to early mornings, choir’s annual all-state process is in full swing.
For those who are not familiar with the all-state process, it is a rigorous competition in which choir students all across the state of Texas compete for a spot in the TMEA All-State Choir. Senior Kylee Abshire talks about the prestige of the competition.
“It’s an honor if you get to sing there,” Abshire said. “It’s a really hard competition.”
The competition includes sightreading and music that students learn in advance. However, there is a catch: students do not get the cuts of the music until the day of their audition.
There are four rounds of auditions, starting with district, in which the top approximately 20 students of every room are selected to go to region. In region, the top 16 students per room are selected. The top five of those students then advance to area. Among the remaining students, the top seven girls and eight boys have advanced to the ultimate accomplishment: they have secured themselves a spot in TMEA All-State choir.
Cheyenne Simon talks about her experience in the All-State process.
“It’s really stressful, but it pays off in the end,” Simon said.
The amount of time choir students must practice for All-State is often overlooked. Senior Briley O’Connor discusses the time commitment.
“Most students practice for about an hour everyday in class, and also after school rehearsals,” O’Connor said. “We also have voice lessons and additional practice at home.”
However, the experience of being a part of TMEA All-State is like no other.
“It was full of a bunch of people who loved music and had a passion for music,” Simon, who made the choir last year, said. “It was really nice having that environment.”
