This year, six students from LT were selected for the Illinois Music Educators All-State Festival (ILMEA) for band, choir, and orchestra. 

Dylan Andrade ‘25, Corinna Morrissey ‘25, and Nicholas Pabijan ‘25 were selected for band; Thomas King ‘27 and Audrey Tromp ‘27 were selected for choir, and Agnes Kuchta ‘25 was selected for orchestra. 

“This award is a great opportunity to honor the achievements of musicians because there’s not a whole lot we can be recognized for,” Kuchta said.

Earlier this year students auditioned to participate in the All-District festival. For band, students prepare two etudes, short musical compositions, and a scale sheet consisting of 24 scales. These are then submitted as recordings to be assessed. 

“It’s kinda surreal to be selected as a State musician. Most people try all four years of high school and don’t get chosen for the District ILMEA Festival, much less State, so to be chosen feels amazing,” Andrade said.

The district audition process for orchestra begins by getting the music a few months in advance. Students have to play a major scale, a minor scale, a state excerpt, and then a district excerpt that was decided a few weeks before the deadline of the audition. 

“I feel very accomplished because I put in a lot of work for it,” Kuchta said. “Not many people are able to get it, so I’m very fortunate to be one of the recipients.” 

In addition to their initial auditions, at districts, students had the chance to further impress the district representatives to be selected as members of the All-State ensembles. All-State was a multi-day rehearsal and performance experience at the Peoria Civic Center on Jan. 29- Feb. 1. 

“I’m glad that all of my hard work and dedication to my instrument has paid off over the past four years and has allowed me to have the opportunity to participate in such a great festival,” Morrissey said. 

LT is a part of one of nine districts in Illinois. Eighty schools partake in the auditions for District One. It has the largest number of participating schools compared to the other ILMEA districts, adding to the competitiveness. 

“It feels awesome [to be picked],” Tromp said. “I never thought I was capable of being selected for something like this.” 

Andrade, although recognized for band, is also a part of orchestra winds, and choir. Kuchta has been playing the violin since she was 3 years old and Tromp plays 12 instruments, but mainly focuses on piano and singing. Morrissey plays euphonium in the LT Wind Ensemble and has been playing for eight years. King has been singing for as long as he can remember and studies classically outside of school to further his skills. 

“I’m very honored,” King said. “The ILMEA All-State Festival is very selective, so it’s a high honor to be one of the few hundred chosen out of everyone who auditioned in the state.”