By Kaylee Reynolds, News & Features Editor

PMEA 2024 is a music festival that was hosted this year at Allegheny College. Students Kaylee Reynolds, Jazmin Sample, Lillian Oaks, and Travis Peters participated in this competition. Music Director Dr. Kiver from Penn State was the mastermind behind it all. With his directing the choir flourished. The festival had a soundtrack of eight selections along with four solos starring students from the choir who had advanced to regionals. 

To advance to regionals, you have to take part in the audition process. Directors from each school attending the festival act as judges and pick two selections from the conductor’s chosen pieces of music to audition each vocal section on. Judges score you based on rhythm, tone, dynamics, and more. They take you in one by one based on the number you were given out of the total of students auditioning. While you sing, the judges have their backs facing towards you.

“When it came to my audition, I thought I did fairly well, but then again, my section was full of other talented singers from other schools,” Peters said. “Last year, I placed 9th and expected to place around the same this year, so when they started from 10th and kept going up and my name wasn’t announced, I thought I didn’t make it. But finally, they announced it to me when they hit the 2nd chair. I couldn’t believe it. I threw back my chair with my hands over my mouth in disbelief.”

“I thought it went well,” Beltz said. “I do think that everyone did well for auditions and I thought everyone got a lot out of the overall festival. Dr. Kiver had a lot to share with the students.”

PMEA Regional Choir will be held March 7 to 9 at Oil City, where many more talented students will perform and audition to make it to the state competition.

“I’m really happy and excited to represent Saegertown,” Peters said.

“I am very excited for Josh and Travis advancing to Regionals,” Beltz said.