EVANSTON — Outstanding music students from Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming received top honors by being selected to participate in one of the 2025 NAME (National Association for Music Education) All-Northwest performing groups.

The nine Evanston High School students: Julia Barton, Zander Hernandaz, Lukis Hill, Kade Peart, Evie Stahl, Hunter Wilt, Tawnya Beck, Bellatrix McGuire and Liesl Botts joined over one thousand other outstanding high school student musicians for the event held in Spokane, Washington on Feb. 14 -15.

EHS students went through a rigorous audition process with students auditioning in six states. The nine students were selected from more than 3,500 students who auditioned to participate in this event. The EHS students fundraised to pay for their expenses to attend the event.

Peart, a senior at EHS, told the Herald that the auditions were recorded and sent to the judges, who were members of the Washington Music Educators Association. The student auditioning was required to sing excerpts from songs picked by the judges; sing scales and do a timed sight singing when given a note and they had to complete it with song.

“It was tough and we only had one chance to repeat our recording,” Peart said. “I was excited to be auditioning, though.”

Barton, Hernandez, Hill, Peart, Stahl and Wilt sang with the mixed concert choir; Beck and McGuire sang in the treble choir; and Botts performed in the orchestra.

Upon arriving in Spokane, the students rehearsed and performed in concert under the direction of world-renowned conductors. Well-known Northwesterners who have participated in past years’ All-Northwest groups include trumpeters Doc Severinson and Allen Vizzutti, Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist and columnist David Horsey, and jazz saxophonist Kenny G.

The Herald met with six of the nine honored students during Heather Blackwell’s music class. The students were asked about their favorite part of participating in the event and whether they plan on continuing with music in college or making music a career after graduation.

Peart said, “I loved the director, John Byun, that we worked with; he was very skilled. I loved the convention center at the university where we sang, and the campus was beautiful. I plan to go to UNV in Las Vegas and study pre-med, but I might stay in a choir if they have one.”

Stahl, a junior, agreed with Peart, and added that she loved how the director explained why he chose certain songs and why they were important to him.

“I also loved hanging out at the hotel and sharing our experiences with the other students,” Stahl said. “I’m not sure yet, but am considering joining the Navy or becoming a vet, but I would like to stay in choir.”

“I liked meeting kids from all over the U.S., Alaska and others from far away,” Hernandez, a junior, said. “As far as after high school, I am thinking about sports physical therapy or being a sports trainer. I may join a choir if there is one.”

Hill, a junior, said the way the choir of 250 voices sounded was amazing — the best he had ever heard.

“The power the girls in the choir had was amazing,” he said. “They portrayed feelings with their voices. I plan on going to a trade school and becoming a diesel mechanic.”

“Bella and I were in the treble choir,” Beck, a senior, said. “Listening to the other choirs perform was my favorite part; they were so balanced and cool! I loved meeting all the different people. I plan to go to Weber State and major in musical theater after I graduate.”

McGuire, a freshman who is the youngest in the group, said, “Getting to know others in this group from EHS was my favorite part and also meeting all the others from other states. When I graduate and go on to college, I want to major or minor in music.”

All of the students interviewed said the experience was very memorable and they highly recommend other students take the opportunity to audition in the future.