As the applause of introduction dies down, 100 choir students from a pool of 34 schools line the walkways in the McClintock High School auditorium on Saturday Feb 21, waiting for their cue to begin the processional and take their places on stage. These choir students began the 2014-15 Southwest Region’s concert, followed by Orchestra and finally Band. Student participants auditioned for, prepared for, and attended the festival in order to perform on stage that day.

Regionals is an event hosted every year by the Arizona Music Educator’s Association.

There are eight regions in Arizona, and 43 schools, and Perry had high representation this year, with 12 students in the regional band, 15 in the orchestra, and 7 in the choir. For the Southwest Regional concert, there are 100 students in choir, 123 in orchestra, and 117 in band based on factors such as a need for balance of sounds.

The audition process is highly selective, making participation in this event a highly respected accomplishment. Senior Madison Williams was 9th chair soprano this year and expresses her pride in being a part of the event.

“I think its just a really special experience to be a part of because whenever people come to see the performance at a regional level, I feel like they are always really impressed and moved; and I  am just as moved performing in it,” William says. “It’s just such an honor being a part of it and the biggest thing for me is that it’s an experience I don’t want to miss out on because I know how much it means for me as a musician.”

The audition process varies based on instrument, but each consists of sight reading and demonstration of prepared music. Once the student “makes” regionals, they are given the music and must have it prepared to near perfection before showing up the Friday morning before the regional performance.

“[Auditions are] a neat experience in itself because you get to talk to people  from different schools and they give you feedback on everything. So even if you don’t make it in, they will tell you what your score is for singing and for sightreading,” Williams explains. “It’s intimidating at first because you’re kind of put on the spot. I’ve tried out for it three years so it gets easier as you go, but it’s fun; you learn to enjoy it.”

Senior Jacob Ginn was first cello for the orchestra, auditioning into his chair during the Friday of Regionals. In addition, he had a solo in the concert. He comments, “it was fun, [but] a lot of responsibility because [I was] in charge of [my entire] section.”

Choir instructor Joe Little believes this experience instills a sense of leadership in the participating students,as well as several other qualities that enhance their musicianship.

“I really strive to get the students to try out for regionals because it pushes them a little bit and helps them realize that they can do a lot more than they thought,” Little states. “It affects [the students] in different ways, depending on what they’re looking for in the music. It broadens their perspective and helps them be more expressive with the music.”

Another benefit of participating in Regionals is the opportunity to audition for All State, which will be held April 16-18 at the University of Arizona. This experience involves musicians who participated in regionals and were chosen through an audition process to participate.