It takes a great amount of discipline to pass the first round of auditions for the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) All-State district competition, to the extent that a slight hum in the waiting room will result in a disqualification.
Yet aspiring musicians from Coppell High School continue to silently wait for their name to be called to the stage, eager to improve their skill set.
TMEA oversees the All-State Choir process. The organization also holds an annual convention where selected choirs perform for thousands of music educators.
Coppell junior Ayesha Shelar made it past the district round of All-State auditions this year for the first time within her three years in choir, crediting her persistence.
“I was super diligent about my practicing schedule and precise in the way of how I prepared for the songs,” Shelar said.
Through this process, Shelar strengthened her character.
“Just from the audition process, I’ve gained a lot of experience and ways to handle stress that have affected me in my daily life as well,” said Shelar. “So it’s kind of how much work you put in is how much work you get out.”
TMEA provides students with similar goals with a critique, and in turn, creates stronger singers.
The audition process is four rounds and at the end, singers are either put into a Treble or Mixed TMEA choir depending judge’s scores and chair position.
Coppell head choir director Bona Coogle thinks TMEA is more than just a competition for singers, but a chance for them to grow as they progress in their music career.
“I want them to understand that they should be able to set higher standards and goals for themselves, and to just enjoy the process of when you’re facing challenging repertoire or when you’re facing conflicts,” Coogle said.
Returning singers to the auditioning process who made it into a TMEA choir may find it difficult as well.
One such student is Acapella junior Piper Baranowski, who qualified for All-State Region area in the 2023-24 school year and made its Treble Choir.
“It’s honestly one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do,” Baranowski said. “It’s not just the music that is challenging – it’s also the audition process itself. If you don’t have that experience, it can be really difficult.”
Regardless of the result, the audition process provided Baranowski a positive experience.
“I hope to make the Mixed Choir this year, because the last two years, I made the treble choir which is amazing,” Baranowski said. “It was an incredible experience, but I do wish to set my goals higher, and I just think no matter what choir you make, if you make it, that’s a great honor.”
The TMEA auditioning is an opportunity to learn, that they are unlikely to forget.
“One of the most difficult things about the process is finding that balance between being humble and also being confident in yourself, because you have to realize that you’re one in a million, it could be you or it could be anybody else out of thousands of people, but also being confident in yourself is so important,” Baranowski said.
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