Junior Allison Beteta and senior Charlotte Kunde were selected to be a part of the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) All State Honor Choir.            “It was an absolute honor,” Beteta said. “Knowing that I would be working with such talented and dedicated vocalists and a collegiate director was an honor. I am so blessed.”

“It was of course really affirming, and it’s something I have been working for, for four years, so it was very helpful in building my confidence,” Kunde said.

Throughout the entire state of California, about 1,000 people auditioned and only 400 made it into the honor choir.

In order to make it into the choir, the girls had to go through a live audition.

“The audition consisted of several different parts,” Beteta said. “Music theory, which involved our scales, tonal memory, and sight reading music. After that we got to pick a song of our choice. I sung a solo in Italian called ‘Alma Del Core’.”

These skills were taught to both of the girls by their music teacher Jennifer Grover.

“Many of these skills are taught in the classroom during their daily rehearsals,” Grover said.

The girls had to rigorously prepare before their auditions.

“The All State Honor Choir provided us with recording tracks,” Beteta said. “The recording tracks only had the pitches, so we were responsible for figuring out our words and how they fit in with different pitches and rhythms.”

The girls decided to sing an Italian aria for the judges.

“They prepared the aria on their own,” Grover said. “They came in during their lunches or after school to get help with the songs.”

Singing for Beteta is something that she’s grown up with.

“I have been singing since I was four,” Beteta said. “My parents put me in a community choir to keep me busy. Ever since music has been a huge part of my life, and, frankly, it is my life.”

Being a singer, there is always more to learn.

“State choir has helped me develop as a vocalist tremendously,” Beteta said. “Just like every honor choir I am in, I learn new techniques and ways to improve my voice and musical theory skills.”

Having the opportunity to be in the honor choir showed the girls a new way of singing.

“It was an entirely new perspective on things because all directors are going to teach different ways,” Kunde said. “It definitely helped me grow as a singer.”

Beteta plans on staying in music for a long time.

“I am going to major in music in college,” Beteta said. “My goal is to be a professional vocalist either in a traveling opera company or a musical theater company. Broadway is the goal. If that does not work out, then I want to minor in education and become a choral director at the high school level just like Mrs. Grover.”

For Beteta, singing is not just something she does for fun.

“Singing is the way I express myself,” Beteta said. “When I sing, I am at peace, nothing else matters. I am a strong believer in imperfection, my voice will never be perfect, I will never be the best, but that’s the best part of singing, there is always more to learn and more to improve on.”

Kunde has been in the singing business ever since she was little.

“My grandmother is the head of the largest music studio company in Southern California,” Kunde said. “She’s been my vocal coach ever since I was 7.”