For the teenagers who earned a spot in the festival, the experience was equal parts excitement, nerves and pure musical joy. After all, it’s not every day you get to step out of your regular choir room and into a massive ensemble of nearly 200 singers who love music just as much as you do.

This also marks the first step on the quest to earn a coveted invitation to the PMEA All-State Chorus Festival. The next step for the singers is the PMEA Regional Chorus Festival, to be held on Feb. 20 at Forest Hills High School in Sidman, Cambria County.

The PMEA District IV Chorus Festival is known for its fast pace and high expectations. Students arrived ready to rehearse under the direction of a guest conductor Dr. Elizabeth Aragunde, who is a professor of music and director of choral activities at Shippensburg University and is contributing faculty in voice at Dickinson College. Additionally, Aragunde has taught at Bloomsburg University, Wilson College and Messiah University.

Aragunde pushed the musicians to blend, breathe and think like a single ensemble. Even with the long rehearsals, the atmosphere remained upbeat. Each of the four schools sent students who brought their own style, personality and musical strengths to the festival.

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Participating in this year’s Pennsylvania Music Educators Association District IV Chorus Festival from Mifflin County High School were front row, from left: Michael Baumgardner, Kayden Rodriguez, Lia Barahona, Cora Hartzler, Annie Hartzler, Ava Kelly and Breanna Carmany; and back row: Teagan Pisko, Jacob Traxler, Max Persing, Wyatt Simonetti, Carter Bratton, Emmah Miller, Sierra Fultz, Luke Foltz and Sierra Scyoc.

Mifflin County High School

Mifflin County High School was represented by 16 talented singers at the district festival, 14 of whom advanced to the regional level. They include: sopranos Cora Hartzler, Ava Kelly, Lia Barahona, Breanna Carmany and Annie Hartzler; altos Emmah Miller, Sierra Fultz and Sierra Scyoc; and basses Carter Bratton, Max Persing, Jacob Traxler, Wyatt Simonetti, Teagan Pisko and Kayden Rodriguez.

Congratulations to Mifflin County’s Luke Foltz and Michael Baumgardner for their strong performances at the district level. Unfortunately, the two did not advance. A special shoutout goes to Persing for being named a District IV Scholarship winner. He was one of only three students selected by the directors for this honor.

Juniata High School

Eight Juniata High School students had the opportunity to sing as part of the PMEA District IV Chorus Festival: Marissa Erhard, Shylynn Hile, Jacee Price, Julia Martin, Alivia Foltz, Kade Wagner, Brody Noerr and Yaa Serwaa on some fantastic music-making.

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Participating in this year’s Pennsylvania Music Educators Association District IV Chorus Festival from East Juniata High School were, from left: Hope Goodling, Briahna Brubaker, Cali Wagner, Chase Fisher, Kayla Gelnett and Adelie Fisher.

Erhard and Foltz scored high enough to continue on the journey to regionals.

East Juniata High School

Six East Juniata High School students participated at the PMEA District IV Chorus Festival: Briahna Brubaker, Adelie Fisher, Chase Fisher, Kayla Gelnett, Hope Goodling and Cali Wagner. None of East Juniata’s singers advanced to regionals this year.

Belleville Christian School

Sophomore Addison Crownover participated in the PMEA District IV Chorus Festival. According to the school’s social media post, she enjoyed meeting and growing with more than 200 other singers from area schools who love the musical arts. She

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Participating in this year’s Pennsylvania Music Educators Association District IV Chorus Festival from Belleville Christian School was Addison Crownover.

After two days of rehearsals, the festival wrapped up with a public concert at Juniata College in Huntingdon. Families, friends and teachers filled the seats, waiting to hear the results of all that work.

When the choir launched into its opening piece, the sound was full, bright and unmistakably proud — the kind of performance that shows just how quickly a group of strangers can become an ensemble.

For the students, the final applause marked the end of an intense but rewarding stretch of music-making. They headed home tired, happy and already talking about next year’s auditions, regionals and the music still ahead of them.

Districts might last only a couple of days, but for these young singers, it’s a reminder that their voices carry — in their schools, in their communities and on a stage filled with talent from across the region. For some, it’s on to regionals.