The district’s choirs have had great success at the All-Region Region 24 auditions and two members of the mixed choir are moving along the road towards All-State.

“The two that sang in the mixed choir will both audition in about two weeks in the pre-area round,” choir director Bruce Stevenson said. “If they get through that, they will go in January and audition in the area round which is a bigger group of singers from around the state and then if they get through that then they are in one of the two All-State choirs.”

Stevenson is happy for the students’ success.

“Well, I’m very pleased,” Stevenson. “They had a chance to show themselves to be some of the best singers in the region and the fact they got into the two choirs and they got an opportunity to have a very high level choral singing experience under really fabulous directors.”

The process for region auditions is an ongoing challenge for junior Andrea Cobos.

“It was long and hard and it’s not over,” Cobos said. “It takes a lot of willpower and whenever you’re like sitting there trying to prepare, at least for me, I had to constantly motivate myself because not only is your voice tired but it takes so much mental power to really absorb notes and understand what the music means and what you have to convey.”

Fellow member Rishab Nayar felt confident in his performance.

“Pretty good,” Nayar said. “I felt like I didn’t do too bad.”

Despite the hardships, Cobos enjoyed her experience at All-Region and it served as motivation to practice for All-State.

“When you get to the Region 24 all day clinic, it’s actually sinks in how worth it it is,” Cobos said. “Everyone is so good and all the directors and everyone that’s trying to help you is so passionate about everything about it and it’s just a really cool experience.”

It served as motivation to practice for All-State.

“At that point when I went to region I was ready to not to practice anymore because I’m probably not going to make area and I was fine with that even though I could,” Cobos said. “But then after going there and listening to what they have to say about it and singing in that choir was probably one of the best feelings I’ve ever felt. So then I was like I gotta try so now I’m back to forcing myself to practice every night and sight reading and it’s a hard process but it’s really worth it.”

Nayar has simple advice for people who aspire to be successful.

“Just practice a lot,” Nayar said. “That’s the only advice I would offer.”

Stevenson holds hopes in students’ contention for All-State.

“I have my hopes that more people will jump into the process and see the value of it and the worthwhile nature of the challenge of doing that, pushing themselves,” Stevenson said. “I still want to get some All-State singers. That would be the ultimate goal to get all the way through the five auditions and be able to say that I am one of the best singers in the state because I made an All-State choir.”

Regardless, Cobos ultimately believes the hard work pays off in the end.

“When I saw the choir at first I thought, ‘I know I can do that’ and it feels good to prove that to myself and to feel like I’m actually doing something worthwhile with singing,” Cobos said. “It’s hard being at rehearsals all day on your feet. It gets really boring at times but then sometimes when you sing altogether you’re like wow.”