Defining All-State Success

On October 21, seven hard working potential All-State singers traveled to Atlantic to audition for the All-State Chorus. Two were chosen, along with one alternate. Congratulations to Kelsey, Colton, and Riley, our alternate.
Some may ask why I put so much time and energy into preparing students for these brutal auditions when there is so much competition. These are my thoughts. My goal for each student that enters my program is that I can help them to reach their musical potential, whatever that is.
Maybe they simply need to learn to sing on pitch. Maybe they want to learn to excel at singing on a stage. Maybe they want to sing in a college choir someday. My job is to identify their strengths, assess their potential, and push them to excel! Preparing for All-State is all part of that process. For some, it will be remembered as a huge success of their high school years. For others, they will fondly remember the preparation process: learning college-level pieces with like-minded musicians. They will know the feeling of accomplishment that comes with working hard and being well-prepared. But they may never know what it is like to sing in the All-State choir. This does NOT make them a bad singer! This just makes them a student who is striving for excellence in music, going down the road to reaching his/her potential as a high school musician. I am so proud of ALL the students that auditioned for All-State last Saturday. Their time, their commitment, their love of music, their hard work has paid off because they have grown. My hats go off to: Makaye, Lucas, Jenna, and Cassidy in addition to the ones that were chosen. Well done.