Kingfisher’s choral program has produced 10 students who recently earned All-State honors at their respective grade levels.

That includes one high school student, four at the junior high level and five in the children’s choir.

Junior high (Grades 7-9) and high school (Grades 10-12) choir students competed in the first round of auditions on Nov. 1 at Enid High School.

High school students attempt to earn All-State status through the Oklahoma Music Educators Association (OKMEA) Choral Division, which organizes and administers the high school treble chorus, high school mixed chorus and the intercollegiate choir.

The first round is a regional audition with four regions (northwest, northeast, southwest and southeast) divided by Interstates 35 and 40.

Three of Kingfisher High School’s students – Ethan McLean in bass 1, TJ Washington in tenor 2 and Gisselle Ponce in alto 1 – advanced to the second round by scoring in the top 25 for their respective sections in the northwest region.

The second round of auditions were Nov. 15 at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond.

During that round, students compete against the top scorers from all four regions and the top 25 scores from each section are selected for the OKMA All-State Honors Choir mixed chorus.

Among those selections was McLean, who will participate Jan. 22-24 in the chorus and will work with renowned composer Jake Runestad.

The concert will be on Saturday, Jan. 24, at the Tulsa Performing Arts Center.

The Oklahoma Choral Directors Association organizes and administers All-State for junior mixed chrus and treble chorus, among others.

Six of Kingfisher’s junior high students advanced to the second round of the auditions by scoring in the top 28 of their sections in the northwest region.

They were; Jackson Garrett, bass 2; Hannah Johnson, soprano 2; Evelyn Martin, alto 1; Valeria Rodriguez, soprano 1; Brailyn Schroeder, alto 1; and McKenzy Wilson, soprano 1.

The second reound was Nov. 18 at Rose State College in Midwest City.

Students who were selected for the OCDA All-State Honors Choir by scoring in the top 56 of their sections were Johnson and Martin, who will be singing in the mixed chorus, and Rodriguez and Schroeder, who will be singing with the treble chorus.

They will participate Jan. 8-12 in All-State and will be working with clinicians/ composers to prepare for their final concert at the Oklahoma City Convention Center on Jan. 10.

Children’s All-State Chorus auditions are conducted by the OKMEA Elementary Division.

Students submit recordings of them singing a vocalize, a prepared song and a harmony exercise.

Students who made this chorus are seventh graders McKenzy Wilson and Lilly Larsen, sixth graders Emily Mosley and Laurelyn Takape and fifth grader Maryjane Jiminez.

They will work with a clinician/composer from Jan. 21-23 with their final concert on Jan. 23 at the Cox Convention Center in Tulsa.

ALL-STATE SINGERS – A total of 10 KPS students were selected to various All-State choirs after recent tryouts. Pictured on top are, from left: McKenzy Wilson, Lilly Larsen, Brailyn Schroeder, Hannah Johnson, Evelyn Martin and Valeria Rodriguez. Wilson and Larsen, both seventh graders, were selected to the OKMEA All-State Children’s Choir. Schroeder, Johnsnon, Martin and Rodriguez were named to the OCDA All-State Honors Choir for junior high students. Pictured bottom left are, from left: Maryjane Jiminez, Laurelyn Takape and Emily Mosley. That trio joined Wilson and Larsen on the OKMEA All-State Children’s Choir. Pictured bottom right is Thean McLean, who was named to the OKMEA All-State Honors Choir for high school students. [Photos provided]