There are 12 different high schools in the district and all chorus students are eligible to audition on Nov. 6 from those schools. The top singers from the auditions were offered an invitation to perform at districts.
“If a student is selected for District Chorus, they come back together in February 2022 to practice and perform a concert directed by a clinician,” Chorus director Patrick Vaughn said.
Vaughn explained who could audition.
“The SSAA treble ensemble is composed of sopranos and altos and is limited to freshmen and sophomores. The SATB mixed ensemble is composed of sopranos, altos, tenors and basses. It is open to junior and senior sopranos and altos and all tenors and basses,” Vaughn said.
Chorus students who were interested in becoming a part of districts began the auditioning process.
“I prepared for my audition by practicing my song a lot before my audition and by trying to have a calm mindset,” sophomore Keira Bennett said.
“We all were in the cafeteria till we heard our names called and we got taken to separate rooms and in the room we sang out prepared pieces first then we sang sight reading samples,” senior Taylor Nugen said.
“When we auditioned we went to Mount Vernon High school which is almost 30 minutes from here. When you get there they give you a card with your vocal part that tells you where to go. You get as much time as you need to warm up and once you’re ready they take you to a room with two judges behind a curtain then you sing the piece we have been practicing for weeks and a random sight reading,” junior Jasson Rodriguez said.
Most of the chorus students who auditioned received a spot to perform at districts. Many of the students who got in were very excited about their accomplishment of the invitation to perform.
Students were very excited to have received this great opportunity. “I’m most looking forward to seeing other talents from other schools because I barely get to see other concerts from other schools. So seeing other people with that kind of passion really inspires you to do more,” Rodriguez said.
“I am looking forward to learning the songs that they give us for districts because the songs are usually very fun to learn,” Bennett said.
“What I’m most looking forward to in districts is getting to see everyone and bond with people who also have common interests with me,” Nugen said
The names of the outstanding students who were offered an opportunity to perform at districts are Madisyn Dixon, Amanda Weaver, Kayla Osipchak, Felicity Espinoz, Macy Best, Isabel Dalsimer, Hanna Brunn, Erin Hoyt, Gabby Bolanos, Tara Corcoran, Taylor Nugen, Hannah Vaugh, Audrey Barns, Yixin Xie, Jaden Carothers, Trisha Tran, Jasson Rodriguez, Jessup Gravitt, Esteban Rambal-Pinero, Tim Hurd, Desmond Fitzgerald, Nick Ong, Brent Sanchez, Finn Sample, Bilal Hammon Majzoub, Evan Trachsel, Nati Asegdom, Ramzy Tabbah, David Miller, Claudio Vallejos, Saam Baluch, Danielle Hoye, Amelia Mongold, Madalyn Dixon, Ana Cruz, Keira Bennett, Abbie Lee, Juliana Flores, Yvi Reyes, Alexndra Porter, Esther Koroma and Salazar Angela.
“In addition to being invited to perform in this special choir, the students are also eligible to audition for the All-Virginia State choir. If selected for All-Virginia, they are invited to Richmond for an extended weekend (Thursday-Saturday) to rehearse and perform a separate concert of music at our annual Virginia Music Educators Conference,” Vaughn said.