On Saturday, October 26th, 61 band, choir, and orchestra students from City High departed on a bus to Washington High School in Cedar Rapids hoping to be selected for All-State. 28 were selected to go to Ames, where the festival is held, and four were chosen as alternates. City High’s band had the most students chosen in the district, at 19.

“I think first of all, we have really, really talented students, so it starts with the kids and the hard work that y’all put in,” Band director Michael Kowbel said. “We started to establish a culture of All- State being something we’re really good at. And I think it makes kids want to do it.”

As Kowbel said, City High’s students work hard, and for most, the preparation starts months ahead.

“I started way back in the summer. I started with my etudes and my scales. I tried to do my scales every day so that I could get it drilled into my head,” Noelle Schnoebelen ‘26 said. “The biggest one [challenge] was that I got really sick of my music and it was hard to enjoy playing it when I got so so sick of it.”

Schnoebelen plays flute, and this will be her second time going to All-State. This year, she was chosen for the Orchestra. While most of the All-State Orchestra is strings, the best of the best wind players are also chosen. City High had eight string players selected for All-State.

“I was worried about that mistake, then I jeopardized my ability to get into All-State. Was hoping that I get recalled so I could try again,” August Sander ‘28 said while reflecting on his audition. “Luckily, that did happen, and my recall went very well and I managed to get in.” 

Below is a list of the accepted City musicians. 

Band

Naomi Downing-Sherer ‘27- Trumpet 2

Jillian Leman ‘26- Trumpet 1 (Orchestra)

Noelle Schnoeblen ‘26- Flute 1 (Orchestra)

Kenji Radley ‘25- Flute 1

Janie Owens ‘25- Flute 1

Coraline Etler ‘26- Euphonium

Emmett Palmberg ‘27- Clarinet 3

Liv Leman ‘25- Clarinet 1

Lily Moninger ‘25- Clarinet 2

Jack Harmsen ‘26- French Horn 1

Meghan Mettemeyer ‘26- French Horn 4

Lily Herrera ‘25- Contra Clarinet

Olivia Vande Berg ‘25- Oboe 1 (Orchestra)

Henry Vande Berg ‘27- Bassoon

James Tilley ‘26- Tenor Saxophone 1

Silas Gollnick ‘26- Alto Saxophone 1

Gideon Levine ‘26- Baritone Saxophone 1

Seth Yoder ‘25- Cornet 3

Linus McRoberts ‘26- Trombone 1

Thomas Hand ‘28- Alto Saxophone Alternate

Vee Harrington- Oboe Alternate

Brody Clarke- Percussion Alternate

Martha Willard- French Horn alternate

Orchestra

Gemma Escandell ‘27- Cello

Abigail Sigafoose ‘26- Violin

Lucas Iverson ‘27- Violin

Seth Zeithamel ‘27- Viola

Miriam Doval ‘27- Violin

Molly Savage ‘25- String Bass

August Sander ‘28- Cello

Leif Eastlund ‘28- Cello

Choir

Nolan Balmer ‘25- Bass I