Every year a group of students in band and choir audition for Kansas Music Educators Association. All music teachers belong to KMEA, which promote honor groups.

A total of 21 students mixed between the two programs made it to either State, if they are in choir, or will be trying out for State in January, if they are in band. De Soto High School band students auditioned to be placed with schools of similar size. Students that made it were placed in the ‘Gold’ band, a group composed of 1- 4A schools.

The choir members that made the middle level are, freshmen Emily Everson, Emma Goldsky, Mackenzie Kennedy, Michaela Shupe and Rex Templin. Members that made the high school level are juniors Makenzie Hill and Maddie Torline.

Band members that are in KMEA include seniors Rhiannon Caldwell, Emily Churchwell, Jonny Hodges, Laura Meyers, Jake Dunlap, Dylan Ritter, Maria Pileski and Sarah Churchwell, juniors Madison Kerr and Kyara Sarrano, sophomores Erick Sherman, Brenton Michalek, Alexander Michalek and Connar Kennard.

Choir and band auditions took place at Olathe East High School. De Soto High School band and choir is in the Northeast district. There are over 90 high schools in each of the six districts.

Freshmen auditioned by singing one song, but upper classmen had three songs they had to learn. They didn’t know until the day of auditions which song of the three, they were going to sing and they sang about two pages of the song.

Band members will audition for State on Jan. 5, while choir members will already know if they made State or not. State is held in February in Wichita. Templin and Everson have already made State, but choir teacher Mary Etta Copeland is waiting to see if Torline and Hill made it.

“It’s some extra work for these students, but when they’re already doing good work and then they can be pushed a little farther to reach more heights, it’s a good thing all around,” Copeland said.