A record 29 students made it to All-State, with 15 students making it in choir and 14 in band. From the students that made it to All-State, they described the auditions as long, stressful and a lot of work. “All-State is an amazing way for musicians to evolve,” senior Drew Hendrickson said. “It’s very stressful, but very rewarding.”

Auditioning for All-State is no easy task for students. While in an audition, students go into a room with a judge and an accompanist. “It reassured me that all the lessons I take, activities I’m a part of, and time I spend practicing have been worth it,” senior Tyler Martin said, who made All-State band. For the auditions, choir students had to remember various aspects of music, such as crescendos, decrescendos and so on.

All-State groups perform Nov. 21 at Iowa State University (ISU) along with other schools from around the state. Schools spend two days rehearsing and on the final day, the groups all perform a concert for the music festival.