Checotah Had All State Members! Students can tryout for the All State Music Groups from their Sophomore year to their Senior year of high school. They have four instrumental groups you can make (or if they make multiple groups they can choose which group they wish to be in).  Those groups are the Jazz Band, Orchestra, Symphonic Band, and Wind Symphony.  The Wind Symphony is considered the best of the best of all students in Oklahoma from any size schools. Most of the time, like this year, the All State Bands are flooded with students from 5A and 6A schools.  There were only six 4A schools that had students in the Wind Symphony and Checotah was the only 4A with more than just one student in the band.  Our students performed at the Tulsa Performing Arts Building and the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame. Jim Davis, one of the band directors at Checotah, was just recognized as Jazz Educator of the Year for Oklahoma in 2012, so it was exciting to be back and to watch one of his trumpet players play in the All State Jazz Band.  

It is considered a great accomplishment to have just one student in any of these groups and we had three out of the Class of Checotah Band Program.

Elizabeth Rogers - Clarinet, Sophomore, Wind Symphony, This is her first year making the All State Band

Jon Miles - Trumpet, Junior, Jazz Band, This is his first year making the All State Band

Justin Sempel - Trombone, Senior, Wind Symphony, This is his third year making the OkMEA All State Band.  He has made it every year he has tried out and therefor received a medallion at the concert recognizing him and other students who were a three year participant.