Students from Independence High School (IHS) have advanced to the Area All-State Choir Competition and are preparing for auditions, which will be held in January. 

The top five students from each voice part will compete against each other for spots in the All-State choir.

Luke Noack, a senior at IHS, shares his thoughts on advancing to the next round of the competition. 

“I’m very happy about making it to the next round, and I’m looking forward to competing again in January,” he said. “I feel confident in myself and in the work that I’ve put in, but the job isn’t done until I succeed in the next round so I’ll continue to work hard to get there.”

The All-State Choir Competition consists of four auditions. In the first few rounds, students from different parts of Texas prepared the same pieces of music for the auditions. In the final upcoming round, the top 20 students will compete against students from different schools for a chance to be part of the All-State Choir.

The students who advanced from IHS prepare for the finals by listening to the music repeatedly and making sure they are singing everything correctly.

“Our advancers are preparing hard, especially since they are also learning one additional piece for the audition,” IHS Choir Director Stephanie Keen said. “Some are working with voice teachers and others are even going to vocal camps to prepare.”

Students participating in the competition also gain a lot of experience and have the opportunity to present their skills. 

“The competition is a very fun process, and I really enjoy doing it because I get to put my individual vocals on display in hopes of making it to the best high school choir in the state,” Noack said.

The students started rehearsing for the competition in the summer, and put in countless hours to prepare both music selections and sight reading skills. 

“I am so incredibly proud of the three students who advanced to the area round of All-State auditions,” Keen said. “Each one has worked hard and they truly deserve this. The students and I would also like to thank the IHS Fine Arts department, IHS administration, and student body for their continued support.”

More details about the competition and a list of all of the students who advanced to the Area competition can be found on the Frisco ISD website.