Lincoln East High School's home of Spartan news

The Oracle

Lincoln East High School's home of Spartan news

The Oracle

Lincoln East High School's home of Spartan news

The Oracle

All-State Music: The Opportunity of a Lifetime

All-State+Music%3A+The+Opportunity+of+a+Lifetime

Many may have noticed that the local high schools were quite desolate on Thursday, November 17. While many were attending UNL Math Day, the majority of missing students were in the downtown area at the All-State Music conference. This annual three-day event– hosted by the Nebraska Music Educators Association– brings together the best musicians in the state to perform a concert directed by fabulous professional musicians from around the country. Conductors present in this year’s showcase included Dana Landry from Colorado, Richard Bjella from Texas, Steven D. Davis from Missouri, and Anthony Elliott from Michigan.

To take part in the All-State experience, students must go through an audition process which consists of an online application along with a digital recording of the designated excerpt. The auditions get sorted by teachers on the state music board. A little over 30 East students who auditioned were welcomed to attend the conference starting on the afternoon of Wednesday, November 16 for the instrumental musicians in band, orchestra, and jazz band. Choir students joined them Thursday morning for an all-day practice and they all put on a collective concert on Friday, November 18 at the Lied Center for Performing Arts in Downtown Lincoln.

Representing East in the Choir Personnel was junior Belle Kendle. She enjoyed the environment full of talented singers and musicians of whom she could identify old friends and made new ones. She said, “It’s stunning to be in a room of 440 other singers, all gathered to make music with our own unique instruments.”

She reminisced in the most significant moment of this grand experience by describing the composer’s face after the choir successfully performed his piece. “It was filled with joy and happiness and a ‘Yes! They really did it!’ look. It filled me with the same joy and satisfaction, because I knew we were giving the audience a great gift of music.”

Everyone has a passion in one place or another. Hundreds, and even thousands, of students in the state have an undying fervor for music, so this conference is the perfect opportunity to exploit that enthusiasm. Kendle encourages everyone with love for music to audition in the future. “Even if you don’t make it your first time, you grow as a musician and understand the auditioning process better.” She revealed that she wasn’t fully accepted last year–only an alternate– but she continued giving tremendous effort in order to succeed this year. Music instructors all around will quickly tell you that the Nebraska All-State Music conference is a unique and wonderful occasion that you won’t want to miss.