Music is a wonderful thing and a select group of 12 students from Powell High school recently rose above the ordinary cacophony.

All State Choir, Band and Orchestra took place in Evanston Jan. 14-16.

Select choir and band students from all over the state gathered to be conducted by three talented conductors Dr. Pearl Shangkuan for choir, Prof. Marcellus Brown for band and Dr. James Mick for orchestra.

The list of Powell students in attendance consisted of freshman Sabrina Alvarez, junior Elise North, senior Emma Andreasen, junior Austin Chandler, junior Kjelden George, freshman Joe Kousoulos, senior Michaela Kousoulos, senior Samantha Becker, senior Jordan Moore and freshman Luke Condi.

Chandler performed in the orchestra, while both  Kousouloses, Becker, Gondi, George, Alvarez, North, Andreasen and Moore performed in choir with Emily Sweet performing in band.

Many students who go, see it as an honor and cherish the experience and the event does very well to promote an encouraging atmosphere.

“We met our choir director that I and many other people, loved,” Joe Kousoulos said. “We all called her ‘Choir Mama’ and I felt very connected just from the small amount of time.”

Added Chandler: “I think it’s important to go and experience this kind of working environment and well worth the hours upon hours of work to make it in. I have made the band once and the orchestra once. It is an amazing experience that all should at least try to do.”

Michaela Kousoulos had the good fortune of opening the concert with two other girls.

“The director couldn’t decide on which one of us, so she made a trio instead,” Michaela Kousoulos said. “So the next day the three of us practiced singing, the now trio part, together only about three or four times before going on stage and opening up the entire choir performance with our three little voices.”

As well as providing long lasting impressions, musically students get a chance to interact with people from around the state and form lasting bonds.

“The conductor was great and the people were too; I got to reunite with some friends I met on the Europe trip last summer,” Sweet said.