STA students selected for Metro and State honor choirs
Eight STA students were selected for seats in various levels of honor choirs, positions all finalized after the Oct. 29 auditions.
The Missouri Choral Director’s Association and its members oversee the All-District and All-State Choirs annually. photo courtesy of MCDA
November 6, 2016
Eight STA students were recently selected for seats in three different levels of honor choirs at the metro and state levels.
All-State choir auditions were held at Oak Park High School Oct. 29. Auditions ran from approximately 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.. In order to audition at the All-State auditions, students had to first make it to districts based on district auditions held Oct. 1, and four of STA’s choir members did.
The top honor, a spot in the Missouri All-State choir, was awarded to junior Courtney Talken, an alto singer. Talken was one of only 24 students from the Kansas City area to be awarded a spot in Missouri’s All-State choir, which will perform together at the Kansas City Metro Honor Choir Festival Jan. 21 at Staley High School. Additionally, the state choir will perform at the annual Missouri Music Educators Association (MMEA) gathering Jan. 25 to 28 at the Tan-Tar-A Resort in the Lake of the Ozarks.
To begin the process, sixteen STA students auditioned for a spot in the District choir at Oak Park High School Oct. 1. Of the STA students who auditioned, eight made it to some level of choir outside of STA. Seniors Gina Bisacca and Rose Genaris and juniors Bella Pichardo and Courtney Talken were all accepted into the Kansas City District Choir and could go on to audition for the All-State choir. Seniors Madi Winfield and Mary Kate Randolph, junior Greta Sonnenberg and sophomore Lauren Daugherty were all accepted in the Kansas City District Women’s Choir. Both of these choirs will also perform at the Honor Choir Festival Jan. 21.
Talken says that she is “ridiculously excited” for the honor of being part of the All-State choir. She made Districts last year, but could not audition for State until this year since she was a sophomore and one must be a junior or senior to qualify.
“I’ve been rehearsing for State ever since districts and I honestly still can’t believe I made it,” Talken wrote. “… I still count that day at Districts as the best day of my life, which is incredibly dorky I know, but if Districts was that great on its own, I can’t even imagine how amazing State is going to be and I couldn’t be more excited.”
