A total of 14 students from LZHS have been chosen for the Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA) All-State competition. Students will be heading off to All-State Performance on January 29 and 30.

“These students really gain individual accolades (an expression of approval or praise) because there is a huge drive for musicians,” Josh Thompson, band director, said. “They have to set a goal to push themselves to practice and get motivation to work. Not everyone’s goal is set the same, but I definitely think that helps to push students.”

ILMEA or IMEC, formally known IMEA, is a music competition for Juniors and Seniors in band and choir, and sophomores, juniors, and seniors in orchestra, throughout the state of Illinois. ILMEA stands for Illinois Music Educators Association. IMEC stands for Illinois Music Educators Convention.

“Students are working on the music like etudes and scales to prepare for the audition” Thompson said. “They just have to play them to the best of their ability. Also the students get sight reading to do during the audition.”

Students audition in October and may or may not be chosen to be in the top player in the section of their instruments. Then, the students attend a festival in November and out of that, the top players compete for All-State. There is not a second audition, it’s all based on the first audition from October.

When students return from All-State, they audition again for chair placement in different groups. There are two different bands, a few different groups for choir and two groups for jazz ensembles that students are placed into after the audition.

“I’m really proud of all of the students, especially Grant Wallace [senior baritone saxophone player,]” Thompson said. “He came in freshman year, and I didn’t even let him into the Jazz ensemble because I didn’t think that he was ready. He would even say that he wasn’t ready, unfortunately, and he practiced and everything worked out. His first year without a private lesson teacher he just dug in and practiced and learned. Now he is an All-State bari sax player.”