Sophie Straight
Staff Reporter

Many people in the choral and band department of De Soto High School have auditioned for KMEA, or Kansas Educator’s Music Association, though few of them actually made it. This is an organization that gives students the opportunity to participate in various singing and instrumental groups for the District and State.
In order to achieve District or State titles in either band or choir, one must audition separately. Both of these musical groups have very different auditions.
The DHS choral director, Mary Etta Copeland, has gone to State choir with her students many times and is familiar with the audition process.
“Ninth graders are considered middle school. We work on it in class, and then we do the recordings,” Copeland said. “They just had to learn a melody, and they had to record it acapella. No piano help or anything. Then we submitted it by MP3s into a website, and then I believe they had just one judge.”
Ninth graders are classified as a different level than upperclassmen, so they participate in a different choir and audition process than upperclassmen.
“For [10th-12th graders], you had three judges and you also had three songs and you didn’t know what part you were going to sing until you got there,” Copeland said.
Tenth through 12th graders receive their music within a few weeks of the school year and practice it as often as they can. Copeland worked with her students during both Madrigal blocks to prepare them for auditions.
When auditioning for State choir, a person only has one opportunity. Their audition for District is also for State, and if they don’t attend District, they are automatically disqualified from State.
Band has a similar layout, where ninth graders try out for a different band than the other grades. However, their music practice spans for a longer period of time than choir.
“What we do is, the state actually chooses what music we audition to so in May we find out what songs they are, and then I get them and I create PDFs so students know exactly what they’re supposed to be preparing, and then they’re supposed to start preparing in May,” band director Matt Bradford said. “We have registration at the beginning of October and then usually the second weekend of November is the auditions at Olathe East.”
When band members audition, they have one in mid November for district and another in mid-January for those interested in making State.
One of the placers of upper level District and State choir is junior Rex Templin, and the placer of middle level District and State choir is freshman Kirstin Stous.
Chair placers of the upper level District band are junior Jaycie Thaemert, junior Julia Lail, sophomore Kayla Deghand, sophomore Sam Howe, senior Jessica Stantion, sophomore Gabrielle Mallozzi, senior Erick Sherman, senior Brenton Michalek, sophomore Ian Ahaus, sophomore Logan Patterson, junior Megan Wilkerson, senior Alexander Michalek, sophomore Evan Sullivan, sophomore Zaid Gratz, senior Connor Kennard, and sophomore Lucas Johnson. Chair placers of the middle level District band are freshmen Kyler Gish, Trenton Biggerstaff, Jared Baruth, Zach Yarbrough and Patrick Whitaker.