Three Coal City vocalists selected for ILMEA All-State Choir

Coal City High School had three student vocalists selected for the Illinois Music Education Association’s All-State Choir.

According to a Monday news release, over 10,000 student musicians from elementary, middle and high schools around Illinois participated in a virtual audition process and of those auditions, more than 7,000 students were selected to participate in district festivals celebrating student musicians in bands, orchestras, choruses and jazz ensembles.

Coal City’s vocal and instrumental musicians participated in the district one events, which had students from across the Chicagoland area, and is considered one of the most competitive districts.

Six Coal City High School vocal students, Austin Harding, Logan Hausman, Melody Kinder, Mason Nayshok, Olivia Sage and Martin Ramirez, were selected to participate in the District 1 choir in November and two instrumental students, Mackenzie Messina and Sam Vota, were elected to the District 1 band.

Four middle school students, vocalists Jackson Hollis and Haley Johnson and instrumental musicians Abby Hitchcock and Tess Jeschke performed with the district band.

Kinder, Natyshok and Ramirez were then selected to the all-state choir and will participate in the all-state concert on Saturday, Feb. 1, in Peoria.

“Students in the performing ensembles represent the best student musicians in Illinois and will come together to present a series of All-State Concerts,” reads the Monday news release. “On Friday, Jan. 31, the 2025 Jazz Night Concert will feature a night of music performed by the student vocal and instrumental jazz ensembles The All-State Elementary Chorus and the inaugural Junior High All-State Chorus Concert, the All-State Concert and the Honors Concerts will be presented on Saturday, Feb. 1. Each of these ensembles will be led by distinguished conductors and educators from across the county.”

The All State Student Programs run concurrently with the Illinois Music Education Conference, which brings over 12,00 students, educators, parents and music industry vendors to the Peoria Civic Center.

Coal City choir students, Cora Armstrong, Caroline Childers and Brady Pierson were nominated by their director to participate in the freshman/sophomore choir at the District 1 festival.