Cheney High music students head to All-State

Four Cheney High School music students will be making their way to Yakima soon to attend the 41st annual All-State Choir and Band Conference, sponsored by the Washington Music Educators Association, Feb. 14-16.

For three of the four students, all seniors, this will be their second conference. Last year, Logan Tiedt, Cordin Shumway and Gavin Mowreader participated in not only all-state choir, but also the All-Northwest performing groups in Portland, Ore.

Shumway sings Bass 2 while Mowreader is Bass 1, baritone, with Tiedt singing Tenor 1.

"When you have tenor split into two parts, I usually take the higher one, which is usually a G," he said.

Attending for the first time is sophomore Claire Arensmeyer, who plays oboe. Arensmeyer will take part in the All-State band, but would really like to get into the symphony orchestra, as that is her preferred musical style.

"I'm in the Spokane Youth Symphony and I really enjoy that so I'd like to be in another symphony," she said.

Students trying out for All-State had to submit audition CDs in their various disciplines.

At the Yakima Convention Center they will rehearse with other music students from around the state for performances Sunday as well as take part in workshops during the rehearsals led by nationally known conductors such as Eph Ehly of the University of Missouri in choir and Cynthia Johnson Turner of Cornell University in band.

"Last year we learned a lot from our conductors," Tiedt said.

Tiedt plans to major in theater this fall after graduation, either at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, home to the annual world-renowned Shakespeare Festival or in California at Loyola Marymount University. Shumway plans on taking part in his church's two-year mission obligation, after which he sees college at Washington State University or a couple other schools as options.

As for majoring in music, "I'm not certain yet," he said.

John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].