Each Fall, the Iowa High School Music Association’s All-State Music Festival takes place at the Hilton Coliseum at Iowa State University. On Average, West sends over 30 students per year to audition for Band, Orchestra, and Choir. Typically only a few students are chosen, as All-State is the most prestigious musical honor for high school students. However, for the past two years, the numbers only seem to be climbing.
Last year, four students were accepted into the All-State Festival. Kyle Squire was the only student accepted for choir, while Jaxon Thoms was selected as an alternate for the French Horn for Orchestra. Additionally, Phoebe Morgan and Esther Shin were selected as Violinists for the Orchestra.
This year, five students were recognized for the IHSMA All-State Festival, with one as an alternate for band, three for Orchestra, and one for Choir. Four of these students are returning All-Staters.
Junior Jaxon Thoms is no stranger to All-State. Since his freshman year, he has been auditioning each fall, but his journey began long before high school. “When I was in 8th grade, I learned about major scales, and my teacher at the time, Edgar East, said that there was an opportunity in high school for me to try out for all-state, which I wanted to do because I wanted to do everything band-related,” says Thoms.
In his time at West, Thoms has been selected as an alternate for both freshman and sophomore year. This year, while trying to make a change to reach all-state potential, Thoms was left under more stress than usual. “It becomes a very stressful time for me, stacking up marching band, orchestra, and preparing for all-state is a lot, and it takes a toll on me,” Thoms states. “I would constantly tell myself I am not good enough, and it could always be better. In my practices, I felt like I could not stop until it sounded perfect, which would result in me overplaying, getting mad, and forcing myself to continue even when I shouldn’t. It also made me practice every day, and although that sounds good, I would play way more than I should. As days crept closer, it felt like the time I had was shorter and shorter, and I just became more and more nervous until the day of. I don’t think I was ever not anxious from when the music was released until I found out my results.”
However, this year served a big change. “I put in a ton of effort into trying to get in. In my fancy all black suit, I entered my audition room, greeted my judge and took my seat. I did not feel as nervous this year as in previous years, and I believe it was my mind telling me I should be confident. I performed my solo, etudes, and scales. Then the hardest part was waiting for results,” Thoms shares.
While waiting for results, Thoms received news that he was recalled. For his call back, he competed against 3 other students for only 3 spots. Thoms “went into the second audition just as confident as before, ready to show [he] was good enough for all-state.” In the end, Thoms received first horn in the orchestra, which is the best spot for a French horn.
Upon finding out, Thoms was overwhelmed with emotion. “I was beyond happy to the point where my eyes began to water. I had spent years trying to reach this goal, and I had finally accomplished it,” says Thoms. “I first started by telling my band director, who was extremely happy for me and excited as well. I then called my mom and told her that her son had finally made all-state. I messaged my professor telling her that my hard work paid off and I received a horn 1. I texted some of my friends who graduated to tell them that I had made all-state, which they really wanted for me. I received my music from the office and took some pictures and for the rest of the day all that was on my mind was: I am good enough. I did it.”
Sophomore Phoebe Morgan first started playing violin at five years old. “I asked my parents to either sign me up for harp or violin lessons after attending a concert where I saw both in action, and my parents decided that they’d rather not try fitting a harp into their car, so they signed me up for violin lessons.”
As a freshman, Phoebe Morgan was accepted to the All-State Orchestra in the spot of Violin 2. Now, as a sophomore, she is returning yet again, but this time as a Violin 1. Morgan says, “I must’ve done something better… I think this year I was a bit more focused, and I also played a more complicated piece, which helped a lot.”
Returning to all-state has stirred a lot of emotions within Morgan, but has brought plenty of support as well. Morgan has many ties to the musicians of Iowa, all of whom inspire her. “Of course my parents and my violin teachers motivate me, but my true inspiration comes from my friends who also go through All-State preparation and auditions. There’s Esther here in Waterloo, and then there’s my friends from my performance group and orchestra in Iowa City. We’re incredibly supportive of each other – we’ll send each other audition tips and recordings in the months we spend preparing, and I could probably go back in my texts and find ten different people that wished me good luck the morning of the auditions, most of them fellow auditioners, says Morgan. “They motivate me to get in as well because I know most of them will get in, and I want to hang out with them at the festival!”
In her return, Morgan has seen many students come and go. “I was overjoyed that I got in, but I was also sad because a couple of my other friends who tried out didn’t make it. The bigger excitement came when Jaxon Thoms got in. I barely know him, but I know that he’s gotten alternate the last two years, so it was amazing that he got into the orchestra on French Horn! Throughout the day, I kept getting texts from my friends auditioning in Iowa City and Independence saying they’d gotten in, so that was heartwarming as well.”
Morgan has put in plenty of work throughout her Violin career. “I’ve taken lessons with three different teachers, and I currently study at the Preucil School of Music in Iowa City with Sonja Zeithamel. I’m in the most advanced orchestra and performance group there, and I’m deeply involved in their chamber music (small ensemble) programs as well. In the fall of 2024, when I started at West, I jumped immediately into the Symphony Strings, and this is my second year there as well.”
However, the road to All-State hasn’t always been so easy for Morgan. From long days of travel to taking on the mental toll, she has pushed through time and time again. “Have I always loved it? I think so. There are definitely off-days, which I don’t think a lot of non-musicians realize. Some days I can barely play anything, and that’s ok. But I keep coming back to it, and I keep practicing, and rehearsals are the highlight of my week. I’ve said many times that even though I’m busy and even though violin is hard, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Senior Esther Shin has been playing Violin since she was just four years old, but her journey hasn’t always been so simple. “Playing from a young age, I had to decide if I wanted to continue playing the violin as I got older. I had a year off of playing to decide if I wanted to continue or not,” says Shin. “I think that break has allowed me to reflect about my level of interest, and think about how I want to appeal to others with music.”
Thanks to playing the violin for the majority of her life, Shin’s dedication to her musicality hasn’t gone unnoticed. For the past four years, Shin has been accepted into the All-State festival as a violinist.
Despite making a comeback, she still has pre-performance nerves like anybody else. “I think All-State has been a huge part of my schedule. It can get stressful when thinking about upcoming auditions. In contrast to other years, this year, I was able to appreciate my preparation process with the thought that this was my final year.”
From working through her nerves, Shin has found a way to perfect her personal performance quality. “Compared to previous years, I’ve slowly built a work ethic that has worked best for me. I’ve learned to be attentive and intentional with my practices,” says Shin.
Shin, while experienced, has acknowledged that most of her inspiration comes from her support system; her parents. “I would say my biggest inspiration comes from my parents. They have always provided for my music career ever since I can remember and it makes me want to return my gratitude through each performance.”
With this year being her final year in high school, Shin has reflected a lot on her All-State journey, but has noted her excitement for this year. “Right when I was accepted, I felt a sense of relief and was very grateful. My friends and family could agree on this, but I was pretty stressed leading up to the audition. So when I saw my name on the list, it was really exciting.”
Last year, senior Kyle Squire made history as the first student from West High to make it to All-State for choir since 2018. This year, he is returning and setting yet another record as the first returning all-stater since 2016. “The biggest point of that whole year was that I was the first singer to make it in from West High in many years. The feeling of unfettered joy and disbelief upon the posting of the acceptance list was absolutely unmatched.”
Squire hasn’t always had success in terms of All-State. Squire says, “My first time auditioning for All-State was my sophomore year, two years ago. Despite having the drive to make it, I was ill-prepared and just not ready for the level of music I was dealing with, which was compounded by the fact that I didn’t actually start learning the music until roughly three weeks from the audition date.”
Through his initial struggle, Squire has since become dedicated to improving. “[This] next year, however, I was ready. I started learning the music at a reasonable time, and my vocals had improved as well. Of course, the biggest point of [last] year was that I was the first singer to make it in from West High in many years.”
Squire’s improvement has led to more room for celebration for his musical achievements. “The feeling of unfettered joy and disbelief upon the posting of the acceptance list was absolutely unmatched.”
With his success, Squire has been aiming to get more students to work hard and aim to receive All-State results too. “Being accepted for the second year in a row was extremely exciting, as you might expect. The sheer joyous surprise of the previous year did dissipate somewhat, but it was still an amazing feeling. The only thing that I regret after two years of success is the lack of results for the others in the choir. Many are just as excellent as I am, if not more so, but the competitiveness of this process means that only the best of the best (roughly 20-25% of auditionees) are accepted,” says Squire. “As I previously mentioned, there was also a part of me which felt incredibly sad. This part was present last year, but was much more prevalent this time around, as I deeply wanted other singers from West to get in. Unfortunately, it wasn’t in the cards, and I’ll be the sole representative of our choir yet again. However, I must thank all the others who auditioned for both their bravery, and their support of me.”
Coming from a musical family, Squire has always been gifted in terms of his voice. “My family has always been incredibly musical, given that my dad taught choir and my mom teaches piano and sings.”
In his time at West, Squire has only continued to improve his technique for the future. “Throughout my years of singing in high school, I have gained an understanding of the work ethic and drive needed to perform at your maximum level,” says Squire. “I have grown in ways I never thought possible before, and my relationship with singing has developed from a vague interest to a true passion. I hope to continue singing everywhere I go in life, as performance feels like a calling to me. And I have discovered that when passion calls, picking up leads to great things.”
For the first time, sophomore Jude Tink has been accepted into the All-State Festival for Band. Despite only making it this year, Tink first auditioned last year. Tink says, “I did audition last year and didn’t make it, so making it this year is very exciting. Last year, I didn’t practice enough, so I only knew like 4 scales and didn’t have a great tone. I’ve definitely learned a lot since then.”
Even though Tink has only auditioned for the past two years, he has already found a passion for making it to All-State. “I always feel excited when All-State comes around because I finally have something to do, and I love the etudes they give us. But when it comes to the actual audition, I get nervous. My freshman year, I was shaking during my audition, but this year I kept it under control, which is a win in itself,” says Tink.
Over the course of only a year, Tink believes that he has grown significantly. “Since last year, I know more scales, have better tone, and have changed my practice schedule so I get more practice time in. I still learn the same way, I just tried to learn harder and practice to make All-State, which seems to have paid off.”
Achieving an All-State level as a sophomore is a very impressive achievement. Only few underclassmen are accepted simply due to the experience that upperclassmen may convey in their musical tones.
“I was elated! When they showed everyone the people who made it and I saw my name, it just seemed so surreal. I didn’t think I could make it, considering I didn’t make it last year, and when I saw my name and received my folder of music and congratulations, it felt good to know that I had the skill required to be one of the best and receive an honor like All-State, and that they actually want me to perform with them,” states Tink.
Tink has been inspired all throughout his All-State journey. “I think my biggest inspiration throughout my journey was just the accomplishment of making All-State itself. Something like that would be a great experience for me and it would also look great on any college application, especially multiple years in a row, so making it as a sophomore means a lot,” says Tink. “I think All-State will benefit me in the future because it will look great on my college application, or even later in the future, a job application involving music if that’s ever what I want to do. All-State will also be a great experience for me in terms of being able to perform on a semi-professional level and see what that’s like.”
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