High schoolers from all over Oregon receive the incredible opportunity to audition for an event called All-State. Run by the Oregon Music Education Association (OMEA), this choir, band, and orchestra event draws hundreds of auditions from across the state. Multiple students from Wilsonville were accepted into All-State for 2024, which took place in January.

But what exactly is All-State? All-State is an annual event that takes place in Eugene. Junior Aasha Patel says the bands, orchestras, and choirs “rehearse with renowned conductors for two days before putting on a concert.” Students get to spend time in Eugene prepping music to perform in front of an audience showing all the work they have put in.

The process of getting into All-State isn’t the easiest and takes work. Patel says to get into an honor ensemble, you need to submit an audition which “typically include scales, a solo excerpt, and a shorter etude.” The students that submit these auditions record themselves playing their instruments or singing and send it to a judge.

Being able to participate in this event is a one-of-a-kind experience for high schoolers. They can work with a new conductor and work alongside people from other schools who have a passion for music. Students can build on their skills and connect with others who are all there for the same reason: to play their music.

Unfortunately, this year All-State took place during the ice storm so it made the entire process more complicated. Usually all of the musicians are able to rehearse at the University of Oregon, but this year, due to the ice, they had to rehearse in the hotel lobby. Along with that, their rehearsal time cut down by about a third. Despite all of the complications everyone still was able to be ready when the performance time came. 

All-State is such an important event because it is all of the best high school musicians in the state. Aasha Patel says, “If you are choosing to pursue music, these connections are vital.” Being able to connect with other musicians can make it so much easier to find those to play with or get feedback from. 

Although All-State is big for Oregon students, each state has its individual honors ensemble. According to Patel “All-State is recognized as a prestigious honor ensemble” so, the students who participate in it can put their honors on college applications or any future music auditions.

All-State is a huge accomplishment and all the students that were able to participate deserve a huge round of applause for their achievements. Those who have this achievement are some of the best high school musicians in Oregon and have a bright future ahead of them in the music world!