The Student News Site of Mount Vernon High School

The Mustang Moon

The Student News Site of Mount Vernon High School

The Mustang Moon

The Student News Site of Mount Vernon High School

The Mustang Moon

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Mount Vernon Sends Seven to All State

By Elijah Dorn-Recalde

Two weeks ago the Iowa All-State concert of 2017 took place, and seven students were selected from Mount Vernon to participate.

Martin Benesh, made 11th Chair for Bass after 3 years of getting into All-State, and Zach Vig made 9th chair for Viola.

2017 All-State Participants: Martin Benesh, Morgan Houghtaling, Sam White, Katheryn Opperman, Zach Vig, Elijah Dorn-Recalde, and Grace Pettinger. Photo by Steve Brand.

were selected for choir.

Rehearsal at Ames began for the choir students on Friday, November 17, with four hour rehearsals followed by meals and intersected by 15 minute breaks. Students were given mixed seating so they were never singing next to one of their schoolmates.

“Sitting mixed kind of forced you to make friends with the people you ended up sitting by,” said Junior Morgan Houghtaling.

The rehearsals weren’t easy however.

“The pressure was totally up,” Said 11th Chair Bassist Martin Benesh, “especially after seeing the director blow up at the harps and then the basses afterwards, but otherwise she was super cool and knowledgable”.

All of it came to an end with a two hour long concert which aired statewide on Thanksgiving Day.

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