Several band and choir students are representing Greene County High School today at the Iowa High School Music Association All-State Festival auditions.
Band Director Wes Anderson says five students are looking to qualify for All-State including junior Rodney Oyres and sophomore Cora Powers on bass clarinet, sophomore Payton Davis for baritone saxophone, sophomore Kristany Schmidt on euphonium and freshman Liam Trenary on tuba. He tells Raccoon Valley Radio to try out for All-State, students spend hundreds of hours practicing everything that is required for the audition and practicing throughout the year to maintain muscle memory, musical literacy and technical skills.
Vocal Director David Heupel says eight students are competing. Those individuals include a senior trio of Lucy Vander Linden, Carter Petterson and William Graham, a freshman duet of Gabe Gerzema and Eliza Elliott, along with three soloists: senior Sophia Price, junior Mason Lehman and sophomore Jadyn Weber. He adds that it is the process of doing these auditions that he enjoys the most because he sees the growth in their abilities and as people.
Both the high school choir and band head are at Atlantic High School for their audition and the All-State Music Festival is slated for November in Ames.
8 choir students auditioning
- Lucy Vander Linden (12th grade soprano), Carter Petterson (12th tenor) and William Graham (12th bass) are auditioning in a trio.
- Gabe Gerzema (9th tenor) and Eliza Elliott (9th alto) are auditioning as a duet.
- Mason Lehman (11th bass) and Sophia Price (12th soprano) and Jadyn Weber (10th tenor) are all auditioning in a solo audition.
5 band students:
- Sophomore Cora Powers, bass clarinet (second audition)
- Junior Rodney Oyres, bass clarinet (third audition)
- Sophomore Payton Davis, baritone saxophone (second audition)
- Sophomore Kristany Schmidt, euphonium (second audition)
- Freshman Liam Trenary, tuba (first audition)