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Why Should I Participate
in the All-State Process? 

What is it? 
The Texas Music Educators Association hosts the annual All-State Choir audition process. Students in grades 9-12 compete against singers from across the state on their respective voice part vying for a spot in either the Texas All-State Mixed Choir, Texas All-State Treble Choir, or the Texas All-State Men’s Choir. The audition process begins in September with the District auditions, with the final audition occurring the first Saturday in January.  
 How much will it cost? 
The audition fee is a one time cost of $20. Also, many students opt to attend summer camps that have various costs. It is recommended that students take private voice lessons during the summer and school year. Voice lessons provided during the school day cost $20 per half hour on a weekly basis. Summer lessons vary in cost depending on the voice teacher. Please contact you director for more information about private voice. How much time does it take? A man on his way to a concert asked a passerby “How do I get to Carnegie Hall?” the man’s reply: “Practice, Practice, Practice!” Yes, the best way to make the All-State Choir is to practice more than your competition. 

When does this all happen?
Here are the All-State dates for 2023-2024: 
District Audition (Phase 1) September 2023
Region Audition (Phase 2) October 2023
Clinic/Concert for All-Region Choirs, November 2023, Choirs are the Mixed (1-15), Treble (16-42), and Honor. This is the end of the process for Treble and Honor Choir Members. 
Pre-Area Audition, November 2023, Mixed Choir members (1-15) audition against one another in sections. Top 5 move on
Area Audition, January 13, 2024, UT Arlington, Top 5 in each section audition against the top 5 from three other regions. Top chairs are selected for the Texas All-State Mixed, Treble, or Tenor-Bass Choirs. 

  How do the auditions work?  Students will sing a portion of three to four songs from the list of all-state music called a “cut”. They will sing the cut by themselves and upload them in the The judges consider the knowledge of the music and quality of singing and rank students from highest to lowest. All students will also sight-read a short line of music. Students are given 30 seconds to study the line and then sight sing the exercise. The scoring is on a 300 point scale using Olympic scoring system (drop the highest and lowest scores and average the rest). 

Do I have a chance to make it? 
It is very difficult to make the All-State Choir. Over 15,000 students start the process in August and only about 350 make an All-State Choir, however this year there will not be as many participants because of different rules governing fine arts from school districts around the state. Although the odds seem very long, Lebanon Trail HS has had success placing students in the All-State and All-Region choirs. All-Region Mixed and Treble Choirs are a great honor as well and worthy goals, especially for younger singers in the process. 

Is it worth all this time and effort?
  First off, it doesn’t take that much time and effort. Consistent practice is the key to success. But yes, it is very much worth the time and effort. Even if a student does not make the first audition, the lessons learned and the vocal growth that will occur will improve the individual singer. Students that make the Region choir will enjoy the experience of working with an excellent clinician and singing with talented and music loving students from around the area. Students that make the All-State choir will be recognized as dedicated and high quality musicians. All-State singers get to work with a renowned All-State clinician, meet likeminded and highly talented students from across the state, be a part of the largest music convention in the world, and parents, don’t forget college night, where universities from all over the country recruit All-State performers with scholarships, an awesome All-State Concert attended by every choir director in the State of Texas, and, best of all, this is paid for by FISD. Yes, it is worth all the time and effort. I’m still not sure… Contact Mr. Buntyn and we’ll talk about it and make sure that All-State auditions are right for you. This is a wonderful experience if approached with the right attitude and work ethic. Please contact me at [email protected].