Anyone can play an instrument. Even fewer musicians are able to compete at the level of top tier musicians in the area, not mentioning the entire state. Last weekend, four of LZHS’ musicians ranked at the top of their district and were selected as Illinois Music Education Association participants.

Annie Li, sophomore flutist; Kirsten Mazurkiewicz, sophomore composition writer; Francis Kim, senior cellist; and Francesca Castro, senior guitarist will be going to All State and performing with each respective group.

Musicians were asked to prepare six excerpts provided by IMEA and also asked to sight read music the day of the audition. Li, Mazurkiewicz, Kim, and Castro auditioned in October and performed at the District IMEA festival in November. Selections for All-State are made from the Selectee Sheets on the basis of their rank in the section at the District Festival, eligibility by participation in their District’s Orchestra, and NOT on their audition scores, according to ilmea.org.

“IMEA is a great way to get motivated musicians and artists together to collaborate and share musical ideas, interests, and outlooks,” Mazurkiewicz said. “Active musicians should consider getting involved in the organization. Trying out for the IMEA Orchestra was exciting and I learned new techniques by focusing on the excepts given.”

IMEA is made up of junior high and high school district bands, jazz ensembles, orchestras, and choirs, according to Mazurkiewicz. In high school, there is an All-State division and Honors All-State division. Student composers, like Mazurkiewicz have a chance to be ranked first through third or get an honorable mention.