On October 2nd, students in the music program began their auditions at Addison Trail High School for ILMEA (Illinois Music Education Association) after months of practice.

ILMEA is an annual event that takes place at the beginning of October every year. It is a prestigious competition, in which talented students perform multiple pieces of music for a judge such as scales, etudes, and sight reading, competing with nine districts in Illinois.

Etudes are short compositions of music, designed to improve the technique of a musician, and sight reading is the skill of playing music for the first time without preparation. In this competition, the most talented musicians move on to compete at All-State, where they compete against other students across the state.

Senior and symphonic band member Jack Vu says that “ILMEA has been the best experience of [his] music career, and the three times [he’s] auditioned have been very impactful on [his] decision to go into music education; each time [he] learns new things… and [his] love for music has grown more.” Jack explains that “it is an experience [he] recommends for all students in music to try.”

Senior and symphonic band member Angie Richards describes that ILMEA is “an awesome experience… students gain more incentive for future live performances with judges.”

ILMEA is open to all students with a passion and dedication to music, and to those willing to put in extra effort to represent their school. It is a great competition to showcase the hard work that goes into music classes every day, whether it is band, orchestra, or choir. Angie believes that ILMEA “is something everyone should experience… it really can be life-changing.”