The Niles West fine arts department has had a successful year thus far, sending four students down to Peoria for the Illinois Music Educators Association All State festival from Wedesday Jan. 28 through Saturday Jan. 30.

The choir sends two students to state this year: junior master singers Kristin Recinto and Alan Kotlyar. In addition, junior bassoon player Kevin Thurman and senior trumpet player Jesse Sacks— both members of Niles West’s top band and orchestra– have earned All State honors and will participate in the festival this weekend.

Beating out other high school musicians across the country, participants in the All State festival must audition in order to qualify for the festival. Once making the festival, the musicians have already participated in the district IMEA festival but now enter a significantly more selective group. At the festival, the musicians will have the opportunity to play alongside the state’s top high school musicians and receive coaching and clinics from renowned music educators.

Fine arts director Patti-Anne Ford is very pleased with the high number of all-state participants representing Niles West this year. ” It has been an incredibly successful year for our Fine Arts Department. I am so proud and privileged to work with a staff who clearly found their callings at a very young age. They are leaders in their field. They are the best of the best, and they are truly here for their students. When you have staff like that, and students who are intrinsically motivated to achieve that level of mastery, ” she said, “All State is to be expected.”