The annual All-District Choir auditions were held at Hillsboro High School on September 24th. Russell Pinnell, a senior, was accepted to this prestigious spot. Every year, only one or two students are selected for their vocal abilities.
Eight people went to audition for a spot in the choir: senior Russell Pinnell; juniors Savanna Hanna, Hunter Garren, and Angela Kuhlmann; sophomores Chloe Lueckenhoff and Bailey Leuthauser; and freshmen Ryan Stutzmann and Emily Delgado. Their music teacher and choir director, Mrs. Katherine Taylor, accompanied them. They left around one P.M. for Hillsboro.
“I was really nervous about singing and not making it into districts because of a cold I've had for about two weeks. I was worried but I did my best and it paid off,” says Russell, who was the lucky Shamrock to make it in the elite choir.
The process starts with learning a new song, usually in Italian. The people that want to try out for this choir will memorize this song. The choir goes over this song many times to practice. They will then go to the school where they audition and sing the song, but they are also tested on sight reading (singing notes that they have seen for the first time, usually making up words, like ‘ta,’ to go with the rhythm and tempo). Finally, the people will wait for the results, hoping that they made it in.
Last year, Russell made it into districts and even made it into All-State Choir, which takes the top twenty people in their vocal section into a more advanced choir.
Bailey Leuthauser says, “I was really nervous to start out. I did it last year and it was really scary. I did it this year and it was not as bad as it was the first time. I was more confident in what I was doing. I came better prepared this year. Although I didn’t get in, I did my best and I had a good time.”
“I felt so much better about auditioning this year,” says Savanna Hanna. “I knew what was going to happen, so I came better prepared than I did last year, since last year was my first time auditioning.”
Good job to all the people that auditioned! Keep it up!