Logansport has always had a solid music program, whether it be our swing choir or our marching band. Which is why, it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that seven students from our school have been selected for Indiana’s prestigious All-State Honor Choir. 

“All-State Honor Choir is a prestigious ensemble in Indiana with high school students,” says Emily Pancake, Choir Director at LHS. “So, what happens is that high school students audition around September. They audition a song and also sight-read. Then they are scored and based on their score, they are put in a pool of some of the best students in choir.”

If they get in, students are gathered in Fort Wayne for a music conference. Pancake explains in further detail what happens once they’re there.

“So, it’s a two/three day thing and they perform at the end of the music conference,” Pancake said, “It’s really cool because music teachers and music educators get to go and do seminars and classes. While the music teachers are doing that, the students in the honor choir are basically in rehearsals all day.”

Even though seven students is an extremity and a big deal for any school, especially a smaller one, last year, we had 15. This just goes to prove that when it comes to music, Logansport does not play.

“Last year, our senior class was a particularly advanced class,” Angela Ticen, Choir Director, reflects. “It’s a rarity to just find anywhere, a group of kids that strong. 13 of those kids were from the Swing Choir and the majority of those 15 were seniors. We have three people from that senior class who are currently studying music in college, including at Jacobs School of Music, which is a very prestigious music school. So I think it was just a very abundant year of talent.” 

This year, the students selected are Calvin Mackey, Ava Martin, Justin Snay, Abigail Lupke, Cooper Prifogle, Alex Geisler, and Isabella Lucero. All of these students are above advanced when it comes to their singing.

“We are not surprised at all that they got in,” Ticen said, “I think every single person that got in this year has been admitted in the years past, and they’re all in our Swing Choir, that’s our most advanced group. We’re not caught off guard by their success at all.” 

The secret to their success: hard work and dedication.

“These are kids that we’ve known from the start are very high quality musicians, not just because of god-given talent, but because they are very motivated,” Ticen said, “They show up every single day, ready to go. These are kids who are approaching us and asking for help, these are the kids that are practicing in their off time. These are kids who are taking opportunities and making the most out of them. They’ll try, and if they fail, they’ll try again, after learning from their mistakes. They’ll continue to seek the highest standard of success for themselves. These are kids who eat, sleep, and breathe music.”

In the midst of all this, the students manage to do what they are there for: to learn and have fun. 

“The entire conference, I was literally with one of my best friends,” Calvin Mackey, who was selected for All-State both this year and last year, said. “We sang in the same part, we were the only two people in our area on that part. So, I just got to go there with one of my best friends and we sat there and we joked and we laughed and we sang. We’re both gonna be music teachers, so we have that to relate to. We also shared a hotel room together, but that’s a whole other story.”

Sharing a room with your best friend for three days is a good time, but there is a lot more that the students enjoyed. 

“We were at the Holiday Inn,” Mackey said. “We invited whoever from Logansport that was there and some other people that we had met, and we played Cards Against Humanity. There were 20 people in that little tiny room playing Cards Against Humanity, and that may very well have been one of the best times of my life.” 

Another All-State Honor Choir member, Ava Martin, shares why this was her favorite memory. 

“I loved the feeling of being surrounded by extremely talented people,” Martin said, “Everyone was just happy to be there and the game was hilarious. I was with some of my best friends, so I just remember having a great time.”

These fun memories were just one part of why All-State Choir is a big deal to these students.

“It was the second time I had ever auditioned, and I wasn’t sure if I was getting in,” Martin shares, “Sight-reading music is an important part of the audition process, and I struggle with that, so it was a huge relief when I found out that I got in. It proved to me that I was capable when it came to music.”

Calvin Mackey finished it off with a simple but sure quote.

“It’s gonna be a really good time and I’m excited to meet other people and to learn more.”