Sophomore Yuva Vishnu, junior Maya Leach, and senior Anniyah Maknojiya went through rigorous levels of auditions and were selected to participate and perform in the Texas Music Educators Association convention. The TMEA annually convenes the best musical performers, choirs, and bands in the state, as well as hosts a number of clinics taught by music professors and educators. This event has approximately 30,000 attendees each year. Taking place in San Antonio, the convention spanned from Feb. 11-14. Seven all-state band members and three choir students performed and had the opportunity to attend over 300 varying musical clinics.
“I would say I’m most excited for the community,” Leach said. “I’ve never made it to state before, so I’m just really excited to be with the best of the best and to learn how I can improve on all of these songs. It’ll be really cool to see how all the different tones, different voices, and styles come together.”
Leach started prepping for auditions in late July, working on a variety of different solos. For her journey towards all-state, she rehearsed with sectionals — small groups composed of specific voice parts who meet up to practice music with a director — as well as sessions with private lesson teachers, although most of her success was due to individual efforts and practice.
“I’m a soprano, so the highest voice part in terms of pitch,” Leach said. “[To prepare for auditions,] I would get feedback from private lesson teachers and mock auditions. For region, judges rank students based on their performance of the selected literature, which is just the music. For pre-area and area, they add sight reading too.”
Making it to all-state requires three qualifying rounds: region, pre-area, and area. The region audition took place in October, where participants performed their literature for a panel of judges.
“The selection process took place over several rounds and required a lot of preparation,” Maknojiya said. “First, students auditioned for the regional choir with specific music pieces, and in our specific region (Region 32), 20 are selected to be a part of region choir, and top 15 are selected to move onto the next round. At pre-area, the audition process is a bit more selective since the auditioners have to incorporate sight reading into their audition.”
The pre-area audition transpired in early December. The top five chairs from that competition advance to area. According to Vishnu, the top two make it into the mixed choir, and the next three chairs make it into their selective girls or boys choir for area auditions. Competing against three other regions in area, the top two in each voice part, including Leach, make the All-State Mixed Choir, and chairs three through six either make it to the All-State Treble Choir or All-State Tenor-Bass Choir, based on their voice part. Maknojiya made the treble choir while Vishnu performed in the tenor-bass choir.
“Out of about 29,000 auditionees, only around 500 students were chosen,” Maknojiya said. “That shows how much hard work and passion everyone has. At the convention, we sing with new people and learn from new directors. We bring those ideas and skills back to our own choir. It reminds us that our program is part of a bigger community of singers.”
The students started rehearsing with their designated all-state choirs on Feb. 11. They practiced five to eight hours a day and had their concert on Feb. 14. According to Leach, the best clinicians and directors in the state worked piecing these choirs together to perform.
“I am most excited for the feeling of being part of something bigger than myself,” Maknojiya said. “This convention brings together students who all worked hard and care deeply about music, and that creates a strong sense of connection. It’s not just about performing. It’s about learning discipline, confidence, and how music can bring people together.”
