Senior soprano Aubrey Brown and senior alto Angie Klassen Enns were chosen for the Texas Music Educators Association All-State Small School Choir at tryouts on Jan. 6 at Midland Legacy High School.
They will perform in the all-state concert at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio on Feb. 10 .
According to choir Director Eric Hindman, this marks the first three-year all-staters in school history with Brown qualifying in 2021, 2022 and 2024, and Klassen Enns qualifying in 2021, 2023 and 2024.”
“Aubrey and Angie are very self-disciplined,” Hindman said. “Both have a love of music and singing. They also truly want to become better musicians and work the fundamentals in vocal production and music reading. They will work after school or at home on something that involves their music or singing in general.”
In all three try outs in the all-state process, musicians perform rehearsed music for judges and sightread new music for other judges. Brown said the music did not seem as difficult this year.
“Angie and I attended three different camps in the summer and school year to prepare this music, so maybe we are biased about how difficult it was,” Brown said. “The hardest piece to learn was “Veni Sancte Spiritus.” It’s a Latin piece written in five/four time, making it kind of difficult to learn.”
Both singers credited the mentorship of Hindman with their success.
“I definitely would not be as successful if I didn’t have an exceptional director like Mr. Hindman,” Klassen Enns said. “He knows just how to push me and challenge me to prepare me for upcoming competitions. He dedicates a ton of his time into preparing his students to grow as musicians by giving them opportunities to compete and practice.”
The all-state try out process begins with over 70,000 potential vocalists which eventually becomes 1,875 who are chosen for the top choirs.
“Singing in the all-state choir is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Brown said. Being surrounded by so many talented singers–it’s very humbling yet rewarding. To acknowledge that I am as talented as these people is huge.”
Klassen Enns said the accomplishment sets the Seminole choir program apart.
“It proves that Seminole High School’s choir program sets their students up for success,” Klassen Enns said. “Since the choir program introduced me to the auditioning process in junior high, it set a foundation for me to build on and grow.”
The experience of all-state choir is unforgettable according to Brown.
“All your hard work has brought you to this very moment, a moment to share a love for music that only the people along side you understand,” Brown said. “It’s definitely a goal of mine to soak up every moment…”
