Heikens, Goodlaxson garner All-State honors

Two Lakes area music students have been selected to participate in the 2009 All-State Music Festival this weekend. Jordan Heikens, Lake Park, and Jack Goodlaxson, Spirit Lake, have each attained the highest individual honor available to Iowa high school musicians.

"I am in the All-State Chorus," said Heikens. "I sing second soprano."

Goodlaxson was selected as an alternate.

"I was very honored to be selected as a first alternate for the All-State Chorus, and I sing Bass 1," said Goodlaxson. "Bass 1s are the people who sing the higher set of Bass notes... So as an alternate I would get to go if someone was ineligible or unable to go. As a first alternate, I don't know yet if I am able to go. "

The 2009 Festival will celebrate the 63rd anniversary of this prestigious event. District auditions for the 279-piece All-State Band, 198-piece All-State Orchestra, and 601-member All-State Chorus were held Saturday, Oct. 24, at Storm Lake, Hampton, Manchester, Harlan, Indianola, and Fairfield.

"They already gave us the music," said Heikens. "We had to audition with it, and we actually had to have it memorized."

Goodlaxson said auditions involved singing excerpts from each song.

"Music selections are 'Gloria,' 'How lovely is thy dwelling place,' 'Ove Lass,' 'Afternoon on a Hill,' 'Prelude,' and 'Let Everything that Hath Breath,"

"They (the songs) are all kind of hard," said Heikens, "but I suppose that 'Everything that Hath Breath' is my favorite."

Goodlaxson showed enthusiasm for the same piece.

"My favorite song was 'How Lovely is Thy Dwelling Place,' which is initially written in German," he said.

In addition to All-State, Heikens participates in H-LP's vocal jazz and choir, church choir and was Cinderella in H-LP's musical last weekend. She is also a member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes, her church's youth group and National Honor Society. In the future, she plans to major in social work at the University of Iowa or Iowa State.

Goodlaxson is a member of Spirit Lake's show choir, Meistersingers, vocal jazz, State Large Group and State solo contest, marching band, concert band, and jazz band.

"This year I auditioned and was selected to attend the North Central Division of the American Choral Director's Association Honor Choir in Minneapolis in March 2010," said Goodlaxson. "I have been selected for the North Central Choir since seventh grade, singing in Omaha as a seventh grader, and Fargo North Dakota as a freshman. This is held every other year."

Goodlaxson is also an Eagle Scout and 4-Her and also participates in band, student council drama, Academic Decathlon, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and tennis.

In the future, he is planning to attend Iowa State University to major in science, continuing on to the University of California to specialize in radiology.

(subhead) About the festival

Approximately 17 percent of the students who audition are selected for membership in the All-State ensembles. Participants will rehearse in Ames on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 20 and 21, and the Festival Concert will be presented to the public at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 21 in Hilton Coliseum, Iowa State University, Ames. Iowa Public Television will record the concert for re-broadcast scheduled on Thursday, Nov. 26 at 7 p.m. and additional re-broadcast times.

This program is under the auspices of the Iowa High School Music Association and the Iowa Music Educators Association.

Tickets for the concert are $15 each and all seats are reserved. Tickets may be obtained through the Iowa State Athletic Ticket Office or through Ticketmaster.