The All-State Music Festival is a cherished event that has been held in Ames, Iowa for the past 78 years. The most prestigious musicians in the state are selected to perform in either the band, chorus or orchestra for the concert at the end of November.
Auditions are set for Oct. 26, however, preparations began before the school year even started.
Over the summer, countless students involved in the performing arts took time to master audition etudes, prepare scales on their instruments, learn concert repertoire and enhance their musical skills. Some choir students even took the opportunity to participate in the Wartburg Meistersinger All-State camp where they spent three days rehearsing seven chorus audition pieces.
Countless talented, committed PV musicians aspire to be a part of the All-State ensembles. But not every musician can audition.
Due to Iowa High School Music Association guidelines, each school can only bring a maximum of 28 vocalists, 30 band instrumentalists and 30 string instrumentalists to All-State auditions.
With a growing desire to participate in this exciting and rigorous process, the Pleasant Valley music department must host local auditions in the beginning weeks of school. Some districts struggle to fill these slots, but since PV has such a great portion of the music program interested in auditioning for All-State, the music department has a hard time narrowing down the selection.
Vocalists audition in quartets with a soprano, alto, tenor and bass. Finding the right voices to balance each other is crucial. The PV choir directors applied their expertise to carefully place singers in suitable quartets. After individual auditions occurred to select only 28 students, choir members practiced before and after school experimenting with songs in various groups and noticing complimentary matches.
Quartet placements make a significant impact on the All-State experience. “The quartet forming process is so important because while the judges are listening to you as an individual, they are also listening to your quartet as a whole, and grouping people who blend together and have similar tones is incredibly important. The process of getting to final quartets is a lot of trial and error, singing with almost everyone to find the people that you blend best with,” said senior All-State vocalist Kailee McCaw.
Final choral placements were announced this past week, and students are eager to start working on the audition repertoire with their new quartets. “I really enjoy getting to sing in quartets because every voice part is independent, so getting to sing with a unique combination of divisi is always fun,” shared McCaw.
An All-State prep clinic took place this past Saturday, Sept. 14, in Muscatine for the 28 singers to rehearse song selections, refine musical details and receive feedback from directors around the area. Students also had the opportunity to watch mock auditions, which served as helpful examples to outline audition day. Eight Pleasant Valley musicians were asked to model two different quartets. Dressed up in audition attire, these students delivered excellent performances onstage.
Even though students are still in the beginning stages of preparation, every workshop and rehearsal is key to obtain consistency, musicianship and quality.
For the band and orchestra, instrumentalists audition independently. The band will be hosting local auditions this upcoming week to select 30 wind and percussion instrumentalists. Senior clarinetist Lauren Lundie made the All-State Band last year, and she has valuable insight for those taking part in the local auditions this week: “My advice for those auditioning is to show that you are capable of doing more than just playing notes – incorporate dynamics, articulation and style,” expressed Lundie.
The prime time to practice with the help of directors is outside of regular school hours. Practices vary per person with their schedule and experience. “For my first year of auditioning, I practiced about five hours a week. I currently practice about two to three hours a week,” Lundie stated. All of this thorough preparation causes immense growth in students as they feel more confident in their abilities, work with other musicians and grasp technical skills.
Being selected for the annual All-State Music Festival is a significant honor and a goal of many. While the results cannot be guaranteed, all of these musicians deserve a round of applause for their diligent work ethic and the dedication to their craft. As audition day nears closer, these students will continue to put in the extra hours to feel sufficiently prepared and ready to take on their next steps as evolving musicians. Best of luck, Spartans!
