Sentinel photo by TYLER RUPERT
Mifflin County High School students who performed as part of the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association All-State Choir are, from front left, Emma Sheetz, Abigail Liebegott, Emily Shank, and Katie Rupert; back, Aaron Staronka, Gunnar Wagner, Alex Garner, and Daniel Garner.

LEWISTOWN — Eight Mifflin County High School students represented the school in the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association All-State Choir festival, which took place April 6-8 at the Kalahari Resort in the Poconos.

The choir was under the direction of Dr. Amelia Garbisch from Bloomsburg University.

Prior to qualifying for the the state choir, students were required to audition for the music directors in their own schools in order to participate in district choir. Students then learn a new folder of music which was sung at the district choir festival.

Students had to sing at least two a cappella excerpts and rank in the top 10 in their respective sections to advance to the regional choir. Once achieved, another folder of music was be learned for the regional level of competition.

All-State Choir is one of the highest accomplishments achievable at the high school level. Students must rank in the top four in their respective voice sections in their region to be eligible to participate. In six regions across the state, students compete against 20 other voices in their respective sections, combining for a total of 160 voices. The students sing two to three excerpts a cappella, which are then judged in the categories of pitch, intonation, interpretation, rhythm, technique and tone.

Students are ranked accordingly and the top four in each section advance to states. Each of the six regions then send their 32 qualifying singers to All-State Choir.

Students balance schoolwork, many other musical ensembles, clubs, part-time jobs, and maintain academic eligibility and excellence, as most of them are enrolled in multiple Advanced Placement classes.

The rankings of the students who qualified are: Soprano 1, Abigail Liebegott, 1st chair; Soprano 2, Emma Sheetz, 3rd chair; Alto 1, Emily Shank, 4th chair; Alto 2, Katie Rupert, 3rd chair; Tenor 2, Daniel Garner, 2nd chair; Tenor 2, Gunnar Wagner, 1st chair; Bass 1, Alex Garner, 3rd chair; and Bass 1, Aaron Staronka, 1st chair.