The choir had many students selected to be members of the All-Region Choir, a very competitive and elite group. Students who made the All-Region Choir have moved on to the Pre-Area audition round that will be held at Port Neches Groves High School on Nov. 29. This set of auditions will determine who advances to the next stage of competition.

“The students who are selected at Region have an opportunity to compete and advance in several auditions to accomplish being selected for the Texas All State Choir, and we have competed in two levels so far,” choir teacher Nikki Hanson said.

This competition will not only determine who will continue on, but it also challenges the competitors to prepare for the Area contest.

“Pre-Area decides whether or not we advance to Area,” senior Chandler Peveto said. “It prepares us for the challenges we will face at Area. Even though the group does get smaller the higher you go, it is truly a wonderful experience.”

The students who are moving to the next round include: Caitlyn Sulak, McKenzie Guillory, Abbey Brown, Rachel Belcher, Karly Rogers, Kennedy Phillips, Melanie Cupp, Elizabeth Johns, Hailee Sawyer, Tegan Shepherd, Jenna Hutto, Maggie Babineaux, Maria Medina, Kristin Teague, Shelby Smith, Kayla Lingo, Taylor Booker, Chandler Peveto, Chase Courtier, Tyren Dews, Declan Kendall, Hunter Perkins, Connor Reno and Aidan Croaker. Those students will also perform in the All-Region Choir Concert at the Julie Rogers Theatre.

“In my four years at LCM, there has not been as many students to make it to this round of the competition as there are now,” senior Chase Courtier said.

According to Courtier, he is excited to see how far he can make it in the competition and see some of the friends that he has made from previous contests.

“The competitions are really fun getting to meet choir students from other schools and making new friends,” Courtier said.

Peveto said his goals are to succeed at the competition, to sing to the best of his abilities and to pass on his goals to other choir students.

“It is an honor to be competing with such a talented group of people,” he said. “It’s so much fun being able to sing your heart out with the people you hold most dear.”

For freshman Hunter Perkins, he said he hopes that he can get as far as he can this year to better himself for the years to follow.

“Going this far in choir is absolutely surprising to me,” Perkins said. “I didn’t really expect to get this far as a freshman, but I’m going to practice hard and try to go further in the competition.”

Hanson said she always advises her students and other competitors to practice and perform to the best of their abilities.

“Do the things you know to do, do your best, and no matter the outcome, grow from the experience and enjoy the moment while you are in it,” Hanson said.

Perkins said he is honored to have success as a freshman and he hopes to spread his love of music with other choirs.

“The memories you make in choir and region are amazing,” Perkins said. “You meet new friends with the same choral interests, and of course the music you make together is amazing.”

The choir students have excelled and improved this year and plan to continue on this path of success.

“I love watching the students grow as singers,” Hanson said. “Region music is not easy, and every student is on a different level. There is such a maturity that comes when we reach the end of this competition. That in itself is a great benefit to the student as well as to our program.”