After competing in both the regional and area competitions, ten students have made the all-state band and all-state choir. These students will be performing at the yearly Texas Music Education Association, or TMEA, convention in San Antonio on Feb. 15.
The All-State choir is a choir composed of some of the best altos, tenors, and basses of the state, and making the cut for this ensemble is not an easy task.
“It starts with about 28,000- 30,000 students,” assistant choir director Neal Patel said. “If you make the state, one of the all-state choirs was ensembles. You’re like the top 1 percent of singers in the state of Texas.”
In the field of music, all-state is a big chance to both show off musical talents and the work you have put into the music and an even bigger accomplishment to those who make it.
“For the students, it’s a big honor and a huge deal, and it just shows their determination and their hard work when they achieve that goal,” Patel said.
In preparation for the competition to regionals, area, and finally all-state competitions, the choir has been practicing all first and second semester.
“ I’ve been preparing since August this year, and my teachers have just helped me with a bunch of voice lessons and I have a voice teacher through the school here too so that’s helped me. It doesn’t just take one person [to get to state],” junior Caroline Davidson said.
Musicality is the key to vocal creativity, what it takes and what it is are important, the primary thing to obtaining that is finding that knowledge.
“What gets you placed in an all-state ensemble or making an all-state choir is how musical you are with it and what you do with the actual music,” Patel said. “Anybody can just sing pitches and rhythms on a page, but how do you make that musical? What do you do with that music to make it come alive?”
Along with the two choristers in the choir, six band and orchestra members will perform in the All-State band at San Antonio.
“The students get to be a part of the all-state band, which is a concert that is given, made up of students from all over Texas,” Jordan said. “It’s so important because it allows the students to create a higher level of proficiency on their instruments.”
The All-State band has been working hard to make state. Junior Ian Hyde, who plays the clarinet, emphasizes the importance of consistency in perfecting musical performance.
“It’s just all about the work you put in and being consistent and not getting lazy but also just actually digging in and doing it all,” Hyde said.
Work ethic and determination are also necessary to get a spot in the state competition, it’s all about repetition and not giving up.
“The first factor that helps them get into All-State is their desire to do it, so all of them that made All-State had a big desire to do that, to work on these etudes,” Jordan said “The fact that they can sit there and work on the same pieces of music for so long, that shows their desire to be able to do it.”
Over the past months, the All-State band members have worked to become better musicians, and to perfect their abilities on their respective instruments.
“ I have a lot of great teachers who also work with me. I try to surround myself with people that are also really good and have their instrument say,” Hyde said. “I learn a lot for my career but also from my teacher.”
All-State and other competitions provide an opportunity for students to demonstrate musical talent, discipline, and resilience. These events challenge students to perform at their best and grow as musicians.
“It is important that it helps our students achieve something, but it’s more individual for them. I think it’s an important process that teaches grit. It teaches determination,” Patel said. “It teaches a lot of things that aren’t necessarily directly related to music, but mentally how they, how they can sustain and how they can maybe have, be resilient from giving up.”
