The sound of our school

The sound of the symphony slowly fades and the last note rings through the Lide center as the audience begins to rise in applause.
On Nov. 19-21, select students from orchestra, band, choir, and their instructors had the opportunity to go to UNL and participate in All-State. At the end of the weekend of separate rehearsals for the choir, band, and orchestra, they all perform at a public concert.

All students in grades 10-12 can and are encouraged to audition for All-State. Senior, Sarah Annis, a trumpet player at MN, was the only student from MN’s band this year to be a three-year member of the All-State Band.

“I began practicing the audition material in June. I practiced through the summer and fall and then signed up online and auditioned by submitting a video recording of myself,” Annis said.

The students selected are truly motivated in their effort to improve as a musician through musically enriching experiences such as allstate.

“The atmosphere is exciting and inspiring. All the musicians have worked very hard for what they earned and are passionate about making music, and the conductors each year are incredible,” Annis said

Junior, Helen Whetstine also went to All-State this year. Whetstine attended her sophomore year as well and had the honor of being the first chair in her violin section this year.

“Everyone is there to make music; even though we have fun, we never lose sight of the end goal,” Whetstine said.

When you get to the first rehearsal you get to meet your stand partner and see which chair you got.
The students get a lot from the experience. Whether this be meeting new friends or learning more about the technical aspect of an instrument, All-State makes for an unforgettable experience.

“There is an endless list of things to learn from all the people around you. It’s really awesome, too, how everyone there, whether from big cities or tiny towns across Nebraska, is united for the common goal of mastering difficult pieces of music and growing as musicians and as people,” Annis said.

The end goal being to promote musicianship and enrich the learning of not only the student, but also the teachers as well. Teachers also get to participate in All-State. They attend with their students and go to the National Music Educators Association, NMEA.

“The experience All-State is trying to produce is one that is full of musicianship. All-State is meant to join together students from across Nebraska who all have an immense passion for music and acute preparation. The All-State student will walk away from the experience rich in diversity of repertoire, musical knowledge and passion for their art form of choice,” MN’s Director of Choral Activities, Megan Tantillo said.

All together, All-State provides an experience for both students and teachers to learn as well as showcasing the best students’ ability as performers.

“My favorite experience of all three years is the overwhelming feelings or pride, accomplishment, and companionship with the others in the band when the last note of the final performance rings and the audience enthusiastically applauds us. It makes me appreciate that I have the opportunity to play with the best musicians across the state and play in such a high-level ensemble,” Annis said.