Three Manhattan High students were chosen to perform in the Kansas Music Educators Association All-State choir this past weekend. Senior Tysen Plumber and juniors Alissa Kohls and Bernice Poulter auditioned for KMEA earlier this year and among many students made it into the mixed choir.  

“I was nervous because I wasn’t sure how it would go singing eight hours a day, but our clinician was really good and we never got bored,” Kohls said. 

The kids practice for two days all day only breaking for meals usually. 

“We did the whole thing memorized so I think most of us were focused on like, remembering the words, and then also like we’re focused, focusing a lot on dynamics and stuff,” Plummer said. The performance was a success even though the kids were nervous about their memorization of the pieces they were singing. 

“I thought it went really well,” Kohls said. “I was nervous at first because not many people knew the songs, but he taught us really well and we ended up doing the whole performance memorized, and what songs for your performance. We sang ‘Excel to the Stars’, ‘Joy,’ ‘Being Alive’ and ‘Stomp on the Fire,’” Kohls said.

Chad Pape helped the kids prepare for the auditions and performance. 

“All the kids and all the All-State ensembles have to learn all their music ahead of time and Mr. Goodell has to do a huge amount of planning just technically to get everybody in hotel rooms and get everybody safely arranged to get to rehearsals and that kind of thing,” Pape said. 

There were also six freshmen who also performed in a competition on Friday of last week. Nevaeh Buffington, Tavia Buffington, Taryn Robinson, Lawton Weber, Tierzah Kohl and Kade Krump all competed for the Flint Hills Christian School Choir. They learned multiple songs and performed for many professionals and secret judges. They have yet to get their results but will be anxiously waiting for them on Monday. 

“I definitely thought we did really well,” Buffington said. “The sopranos are always really strong and the altos did a lot better this time with their volume, second set pretty good, and then I think overall we all really work together to pronunciate and get the songs done really well. Did you guys have to memorize the songs or was it just, yeah we had to memorize all of our songs, and then we only practice every Monday so you know that’s not a ton of time so we are expected to like practice at home and get all of our songs done.”