Lifting their voices higher

Bob Dylan is a singer. So are Neil Young and Tom Waits. Their contributions to music history are enormous. But can they sing?

There is a difference between voicing an emotion that is right for the song and crafting a complex experience of the precision of sound in a way that emotion is transformed into an ethereal one-of-a-kind experience. The latter is the goal of 160 voices brought together on one stage with a choir director they have never met before as they work to create unexpected but accomplishable sounds.

Welcome to the ​Pennsylvania Music Educators Association regional choral process.

Allegheny professor James Niblock is this year's guest conductor for the PMEA Region II Chorus Festival at Meadville Area Jr/Sr High School auditorium.

"It is going amazingly well," said Niblock during a break in rehearsals Thursday afternoon. Forty-eight schools are represented in the ​RegionaI Il chorus made up of the qualifiers from their respective districts.

While many of the participants had their music for weeks, others got little notice as district alternates. Among them is Logan Swartz of Rocky Grove High School. He got his music on Tuesday to perform in front of the judges on Wednesday. Despite the last-minute preparation, Swartz earned 13th chair. "How did you do that?" his teacher Jodi Hoover asked him.

Hoover and other instructors were in agreement - regions are a difficult place to separate yourself as the top of the group because the level of talent and competition is extremely high. So for Swartz to chair above others in his section with little to no prep time is a huge accomplishment for the senior.

Of the 160 singers, only four from each section were selected to move on to the all-state chorus. In Venango County, only Cranberry's Devin Dulaney was selected as a bass 1. His teacher Preston Yoder said it will be his first time taking a student to the state competition. His student Trevor Gladin qualified in 2020, but because of COVID they didn't get to experience the in-person state chorus. 

Dulaney will join singers from all over the state in the Poconos beginning April 19. The four-day festival will be held at the Kalahari Resort near Mt. Pocono.

​"It is very difficult," said Hoover about advancing to states. Along with Swartz, she had three other district qualifiers at regionals. Senior Logan Boyle earned the seventh chair. "The students represented Rocky Gove very well," she added. "Every kid here is very talented."

"It is very tough competition," added Franklin's director Sarah Gilbert. She boasted that three of her sopranos made it to regions. That is a high number in a very competitive field. "That is pretty cool," Hoover chimed in.

Oil City also had four regional qualifiers who will perform with the rest Friday at 7 p.m. in the MASH auditorium. 

​The music educators have a dialogue and understanding all amongst themselves. They understand the competition between a tenor 1 and a bass 2. But they are all in agreement that making it to states is extremely meaningful.

While Venango only had one state qualifier, Crawford County singers fared a little better.

Titusville teacher Andrea Fenske brought seven singers to regionals. Junior Alexis Banner was chosen as one of the top four alto 2s and will head to states along with Dulaney. ​

Meadville's Cooper Breckenridge made his instructor Molly Moyer very happy advancing as a tenor 2.

Conneaut Area will send two singers, Pasquale Mattera, a bass 1, and Katie Gillette, an alto 2, along with their instructor Elizabeth Heckman.

Cochranton did very well. Three singers to states - Spencer Freysinger, bass 1; Kyran Miller, alto 1; and Alison Merritt soprano 1 - will be headed to the Poconos for a lifetime experience.

Regional host instructor Molly Moyer said having this level of competition at Meadville High School is amazing. "It’s so rewarding hearing these kids sing," she said. "It's fun."

The performance of the regional chorus will be at 7 p.m. today at the Meadville High School auditorium. It is open to the public. Tickets are $6 for adults and $5 for senior citizens, military and students.

​Attendees are reminded that there are also district basketball games at the school tonight, so allow time to navigate parking.