All Staters headed to perform in Ames

After earning All States on Saturday, Oct. 21, at the All State Music Festival Auditions in Hampton, 42 choir, orchestra and band students headed to Ames this weekend for their performance in a collection of 1,083 All Staters, an honor belonging to only 17 percent of those who auditioned.

The Iowa High School Music Association runs the festival every year, and their mission is to keep music as an essential component of the secondary school curriculum. They organize and regulate the festivals to stimulate students’ potential, and establish criteria and standards that insure musical and educational integrity. They also have an unbiased evaluation of performers, make programs that recognize outstanding musicians and performers, and provide musical opportunities that will enrich and aid the development of a life long appreciation of music.

Music teachers from Cedar Falls High School put students through around two months of preparations for the audition process.

“I thought everything went well. It’s a lot of work like it always is. It’s a great commitment, but I mean I think overall CF did really well. I’m happy to have made it,” said Gina Muetherties, a senior trumpet player.

Aside from the stress and rigorous training for their auditions, students did have fun along the way by making lasting friendships throughout the time preparing for the audition, up to the actual audition itself.

Senior Clare Rolinger, a soprano that auditioned for all state choir said about her quartet, “It was an honor to work with these crazy people. I am so proud of them. Thank you for being a wonderful senior year quartet. Go kick butt in Ames. I love you all so much.”

Musicians value the All State process for the practice alone as well. Many students in All State can agree that throughout the process to audition you improve as a musician.

Aidan Flack, a senior that auditioned for a bass spot in All State choir, said, “It was my first time auditioning since ninth grade, and I wasn’t really prepared at that time. I felt really confident going in this time. It was a good day, things went right. I’m just happy. I became a better singer along the way. That was a huge positive, and I also made it in, so that was really cool.”

For many, making it into allstate can be described as a breakthrough for their own personal musical achievements. Senior violin player Andrew McVicker, who auditioned for All State orchestra, said, “I’ve been auditioning since I was in ninth grade, and I’ve made alternate the last three years, but this year I finally made it in, so that was a huge thing for me.”

All State students stay overnight on Thursday, Nov. 16 and and Friday, Nov. 17 to practice and then perform on Saturday, Nov. 18 at 7:30 p.m. for hundreds of people around the state in the Hilton Coliseum, Iowa State Center, in Ames.