Wahlert trio accepted into Iowa All State Choir with Banwarth to accompany
Three Wahlert students, Nathan Kelleher, ‘15, (Bass 2); Jackson Mulgrew, ‘15, (Tenor 1); and Taylor Reichel, ‘16, (Soprano 2), auditioned for the Iowa All State Choir as a trio. Together, the three singers were selected to perform in the All State Choral Festival, which will take place Nov. 20 to 22.
In preparation for the audition, the trio spent many hours in the Wahlert music hallway running songs over and over until they were ready to be sung in front of the judges.
“Going into the audition, I was nervous but I knew we had prepared well. I knew we would do a good job,” said Kelleher.
Each student competing in All State is required to prepare eight songs, front to back, as provided by the judges. With students from all over the state competing for a select few spots, the pressure is definitely on.
Fortunately for Wahlert Catholic, Reichel, Mulgrew, and Kelleher, were not the only students to shine at this year’s All State music competition. Michael Banwarth, ‘17, piano prodigy extraordinaire, once again competed for one of three spots to accompany the large choir at the final All State Choral Festival. Banwarth was selected from his first audition to move on to the second round of piano playing.
In the end, the judges selected only two accompanists for this year’s All State Festival, Banwarth and another pianist who also played last year. Banwarth stated, “It was fun to get to hang out with him again!”
Performing at this level requires a great amount of dedication and musicianship. The All-State Festival recognizes these students’ outstanding efforts.
