This year at Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School, sophomores Emersyn Teicher, Ashley Hoberman and junior Ash Mattos were selected to be a part of the All-State Choir. This prestigious and professional choir demands its members to be at the top of their game. 

“I think [the All-State Choir] will be a way for me to find my sound because right now everything that we do in choir is musical theater or pop,” Teicher told The Fanscotian. “So this is more like a choral experience. It will be a different side of singing. 

All-State Choir is not only an amazing thing to put on college applications, but it provides students with additional opportunities. They are given the chance to work with vocal professors from around the country who have studied music their entire lives.

“[The teachers] are trained to teach people how to shape their voices,” Mattos said. “It’s a different level of teaching and a different level of experience.” 

With this in-depth level of music education, there is also more responsibility placed upon the students. Singers are expected to learn the music and rehearse on their own time, which can often create additional pressure. 

There is a blind addition process to select students for the All-State Choir. This year, the additions were held virtually. Students had to record an addition and send it to the adjudicator (a judge). The adjudicator was then able to determine who would be admitted to the choir based solely on their voice.

Hoberman and Mattos each participated in the choir their freshman year and expressed excitement about the overnight trip to Atlantic City.

“I’ve met a lot of amazing singers and everyone is super talented,” Hoberman said. “It’s just a really fun experience.” 

One of the most important aspects of the All-State Choir is dedication. When you are surrounded by people who are so passionate about singing, it definitely enhances the experience for participants. 

“I want to be a vocal teacher and being surrounded by people who are really dedicated to [singing] and to the art is really nice because you get a really good sound out of the choir and we get to learn music that’s difficult,” Mattos said. “Learning difficult music is something I love because we learn new techniques and how to shape the sound. Overall, it’s just a really good experience, especially for something that I want to do in the future.”