Each year, choir, band, and orchestra musicians audition into one of the most awaited High School performances of the year; the ILMEA festival. The process of auditioning and for a select few, the road to State, is long, but for many DGN musicians, it’s worth it. 

The Illinois Music Education Association, or ILMEA , is a non-profit organization that has been showcasing musicians since 1939. The program has since expanded to include upwards of 5000 participants as of today. Musicians enter their audition videos to be reviewed by a board and be considered to participate in the group performance. If chosen, the students travel to nearby schools to create music with a larger group of musicians from all over the state. 

The DGN Fine Arts program has many students each year that are chosen to participate in this festival. For many of these students, music is one of their greatest passions in life and ILMEA is a great way to showcase this devotion to their craft. Let’s take a look at some of DGN’s ILMEA participants from this year. 

Melissa Parkinson

Senior Melissa Parkinson has been involved with her instrument, the double bass, for eight years and has loved it ever since. 

“I joke with some of my fellow music friends that double bass has basically become half of my personality at this point,” Parkinson said.  

Auditioning for ILMEA since her freshman year, Parkinson has come a long way through her experiences with the event. After an unsuccessful audition her freshman year, she worked throughout the next months to improve her skills and ended up having much more success the following year. 

“I got into the district orchestra and the district jazz band my sophomore year and I also went to all-state under ILMEA as well. Then last year [junior year] I got principle double bass of the district orchestra. I didn’t make jazz but I went to all-state for orchestra,” Parkinson said. 

For Parkinson, the preparation leading up to ILMEA can be pretty demanding. The process begins in April of the year prior when musicians receive the list of excerpts available for the audition process. Once a piece is chosen, practice usually begins in early summer in order to have a successful audition for the event. 

Similar to many high school musicians, Parkinson plans to continue her musical career later in life by pursuing music education at the college level. 

“I’m definitely interested in pursuing music education because it would allow me to still pursue the double bass, which I love,  but also learn other instruments to grow my understanding of it’s family,” Parkinson said. 

Francesca Korbitz 

As a senior, Francesca Korbitz has been involved with ILMEA since seventh grade. She describes the event and the weeks leading up to it as hectic, but extremely worth it. 

“The audition process can definitely be stressful at times, but the outcome is always rewarding,” Korbitz said. 

Korbitz has played the flute since she was 9 years old and she loves the diversity the flute offers to the final sound of a band performance. 

“Whether I am playing an ear piercing high D or my lowest B natural, I feel that my flute’s range and color palette allows me to express every emotion possible,” Korbitz said. 

Throughout her ILMEA journey, Korbitz has learned the challenges and rewards of the weeks leading up to the event. Whether it be in school or out of school practices, preparation requires a sizable amount of time management and patience, but it’s always worth it to Korbitz. 

“My practice schedule leading up to ILMEA quite honestly can get crazy. I try to practice basically as much as I can in between school and other activities. But I also try not to over structure my flute practice as I feel that mindset and way of practicing has the potential to disrupt the final artistic flow and process,” Korbitz said. 

Leah Costello 

Junior Leah Costello was first introduced to ILMEA when she was chosen to participate in the junior chorus her freshman year. Unlike other groups that students audition into, junior chorus members are selected and don’t see the music they are to perform until the day of. 

After a great experience her freshman year, Costello began to venture into the world of vocal jazz. She had fallen in love with the style after working on a jazz piece in a middle school choir.  

“Jazz has definitely influenced my love for music and I’m going to pursue a music related major because of it. This year’s ILMEA vocal jazz experience was amazing,” Costello said. 

Ian Stagaman

Singing as a Bass in the DGN choir, senior Ian Stagaman has had a long family history with the event and choral singing as a whole. 

“My dad majored in musical theater and my older siblings each participated in choirs and ILMEA all throughout high school, so it was only natural for me to follow suit,” Stagaman said. 

As a four year member of the choir program, Stagaman takes his music seriously. His practice begins in the early summer with a private teacher working on scales and triads in preparation for a portion of the audition. 

After participating in ILMEA his freshman and sophomore years, in Stagaman’s junior year he qualified for state as Best Bass 1 in district 1. Although the festival was online, he recalls it as a memorable experience. 

“Last year, we had an online festival where students worked in a sectional with an expert in their voice part to improve their singing. When in person, it is always fun because you get to work with hundreds of other choir students to hear how the music you have been working on for months sounds with all the other parts,” Stagaman said. 

“What I’ve found most enjoyable about choral singing is the opportunity to blend with people around you to create a collective sound,” Stagaman said. 

In the ILMEA environment, this collective sound of singers is taken to the next level. Students come from all across the state and join together to work on music to finally perform in one large concert performance to parents and teachers. 

Stagaman will return to All-State Chorus this year. 

Fiona Doyle 

As a 5 year ILMEA participant, sophomore Fiona Doyle loves the community aspect that the festival offers. 

“It’s always so fun to sing with people I know have the same passions [for music] that I do. Especially this year was amazing because I got to sing with such a large choir for the first time in years,” Doyle said. 

Doyle received entrance to the district level festival this year as a Soprano 1. After her ILMEA experience being online her freshman year, Doyle was excited to finally be part of the group in person. 

Leading up to the festival, Doyle takes private lessons with a teacher through DGN to go over her audition pieces. She puts in the time to work on her vowels, diction, and tone to ensure her audition to the festival goes as smoothly as possible. In the end, all of her hard work pays off when she can perform and do what she truly loves. 

“What I really love about choir is how it unites people who love singing and music,” Doyle said.