Finally Waking Up

I don’t remember if I talked about this here or not, but if I did then have a refresher and if I didn’t then now you know.

I don’t know how many of you are familiar with this, so. There are three ways to go to State in music: One, make one of the ensembles (State Festival Groups in Band, Choir, Orchestra, Jazz Band); Two, go with your school (‘Large Ensemble Contest’); Three, go with yourself or a quartet or sextet or other small group (‘Solo and Small Ensemble Contest’).

In Kansas, at least, State Festival works like this: in early November, you audition for District. There are six districts (North east, north central, north west; south east, south central, south west; I’m in North Central Kansas League, or NCKL). If you make district, you go to a clinic for a day and perform in a concert at the end of the day. The top 8 sopranos, altos, tenors, and basses from each district go to state; the kids in the other three groups go to State Live Auditions in the first weekend of January to audition for State.

I’ve been First Alternate for NKCL Sopranos the last two years, and my sophomore year I was two away from it.

Which, let me assure you, sucks.

Kristin, the best friend; Suzanne, the first alto in our quartet; Robby, the StuCo president; and Price, last year’s prom date and this year’s duet partner, all four made it. Ryan, the boyfriend, and the other three kids in his quartet, made it. I’m the only person who matters (to me) that didn’t.

But. Since I’m alternate, if someone from our district drops out I get to go. Not that that’s likely to happen. But! A few years ago, the president of our Tri-M chapter (Modern Music Masters; it’s a Music Honor Society, like NHS only for music instead of academics) was giving a speech at the opening ceremonies as President of the Tri-M Chapter of the Year. She was alternate for state choir. Six or seven kids randomly didn’t show up; she had the option to sing. She chose not to, since she didn’t feel prepared, but she could have.
My directors and I are hoping that the same thing will happen for me.

But. We’re not Chapter of the Year right now; there wasn’t any reason for me to go. We’ve been trying to fabricate one for the last month. Mr. & Mrs. Markley, the two choir directors at my school, talked last night and decided that they don’t need a reason: I am Laura, no one else is like me, I can go.

I’m going to State. And if I don’t sing, I’ll get to hang out and miss a day of school and know that there was nothing else I could have done.

On top of that, today is the day I’ve been with my boyfriend for nine months; Today is the day we got tickets to one of the traveling Cirque Du Soleil shows (Delirium, in Wichita on March 12); Today is beautiful.

This is my pleased face. =)