District and State Music Festival Information:

Each year students are selected for the Illinois Music Educators All-State and All-District Festival Band, Choir, Orchestra, Jazz Band and Vocal Jazz Ensemble.

The state is divided into 9 different districts. Lyons Township High School is located in District #1 which includes the City of Chicago and most of the South West suburbs. Generally, 80+ high schools participate in auditions in district 1.

The process begins in October when 2,000+ students audition for the District level ensembles. Normally 200-300 string students audition for the District I Orchestra. Approximately 100 of those students are selected to participate at the District level.

Audition requirements:

String students will receive information about the audition including the music and scale sheet in the spring prior to the October auditions.

The orchestra students perform excerpts from a movement of a major work or overture. Students also play 2 three octave major scales (out of 6 required) and 1 minor scale (out of 2 required) and sight read.

String students also in choir, band or jazz band may audition for those additional ensembles if they wish.

 Audition results are revealed approximately 1-2 weeks after the auditions. The students accepted into the District Orchestra will participate in a day-long festival with a professional conductor on the third Saturday in November. Students must participate in the festival to be eligible for All-State.

The students with the highest scores in each district across Illinois are submitted to a meeting of all district presidents of IMEA. At this meeting district representatives choose students to represent their districts at the state level to form the all-state ensembles. The number of entries allowed per district is based on the number of schools who participated in auditions. The IMEA All-State Festival takes place on the last weekend in January in Peoria, IL. LTHS departs on Wednesday eve and returns on the following Saturday eve. Students must be a sophomore, junior, or senior string player to be eligible for All-State.