Auditions for All-Region choir were held on October 1, 2016. All-Region choir is a group of the top 160 choral singers in the Plano and Frisco area.

“All-Region is the first step to the All-State process,” junior Ananya Desai said. “Those who make it into the top 15 for each voice part get put into the Mixed Choir.”

The ultimate goal is to make it to the Men’s and Women’s Choir at All-State. Desai achieved second chair at All-Region and will be attending the next audition. Junior Raul Patel and his friends in the Syncopation choir group (Synco) will also be attending.

“After auditions, Mrs.Council told us that every person in Synco made the mixed choir at All-Region,” Patel said. “That is the first time that has ever happened in the history of Plano West.”

Having all 20 members make the cut is a very rare accomplishment for the school. Senior Synco member Adam Christa also expressed his excitement for the group’s big win.

“I was really surprised when all of us made it,” Christa said. “This is my fourth time making All-Region. It’s always so much fun singing with really talented people.”

This is senior Skylar Corby’s first time making the All-Region choir, so the experience is brand new. Corby explained her long hours of work in preparation for the audition.

“I practiced every day and went to a camp over the summer,” Corby said. “I was singing for 8 to 10 hours a day and continued to practice up to the audition.”

All-Region members sing mainly choral and classical songs, but they sometimes branch out with contemporary pieces. Before the audition, the song selections are given to the singers months in advance to give them time to practice.

“I like the music that we’re singing a lot,” Patel said. “We’ve been working with these songs since July so they get stuck in your head often.”

Desai expressed her excitement for All-Region, claiming that it is more than just the school choir.

“Being with the Region choir is a whole different level because it has people from all around the area,” Desai said. “To sing with them is such a cool and surreal sound.”

Overall, five students from West achieved the first chair position in their voice part, which is the highest rank one can get, out of the eight possible voice parts. Synco also put their name down in history as the first to get all members through to the second round.  Many believe that choir takes a lot of hard work and dedication, but according to Christa it is more than that.

“I’ve been a part of choir for so long and I’ve seen so many people grow into such talented singers,” Christa said. “For me, choir is one big family.”