Eighteen band and eight choir students from Ottawa High School have been selected to participate in the 2025 Illinois Music Education Association District 2 Band, Orchestra, Chorus and Jazz Festivals.

Students began preparing for the video-recorded auditions in May, practicing their assigned pieces independently for several months before submitting them for evaluation.

“Mostly this is a testament to the students’ individual work,” OTHS choir director Ali Stachowicz said in a news release. “We do not use any curricular class time. This is the students and their hard work that gets them there.”

The district festivals include a day of intense rehearsals and performances under professional direction.

“They are in a room of 200 vocal leaders,” Stachowicz said. “It’s a very different rehearsal experience, and you can gain a lot from that.”

The ILMEA District 2 Choir and Band Festival will be held Saturday, Nov. 8, at Augustana College in Rock Island, with the Orchestra Festival taking place the same day at Moline High School.

The Jazz Festival will follow on Saturday, Nov. 15, at Galesburg Junior/Senior High School.

OTHS ILMEA Participants:

Senior Band: Atlas Brown, Aries Brown, Amy Budnick, Landon Fritz, Raidynn Fuller, Brennen Heaver, Margaret Jones, Zulee Moreland, Logan Olson, Evelin Olvera, Zadie Ortiz, Olivia Power, Dylan Sovero, Charlie Thiry

Senior Chorus: Shelby Domoleczny, Cameron Dumke, Tyler Frazer, Noah Logan, Marylou McCain, Robert Murphy, Maggie Wiegman

Senior Orchestra: Chloe Carmona, Hallee Loza, Bethany Polega

Senior Jazz Band: Noah Logan (Jazz Band I), Zulee Moreland (Jazz Band I), Brennen Heaver (Jazz Band II)

Vocal Jazz: Marylou McCain (Vocal Jazz I), Daphne Northrip (Vocal Jazz II), Maggie Wiegman (Vocal Jazz II)