Five Williamsburg seniors make All-State chorus

WILLIAMSBURG — It’s not common for multiple students from a school Williamsburg’s size to make All-State Chorus, said Kathryn Berte, Williamsburg All-State adviser, last week.

“It’s not even common for them to get in,” Berte said.

All-State Chorus doesn’t divide students by school size, and larger schools usually fill the ranks of the All-State Chorus, said Berte.

But five Williamsburg seniors will be among the vocalists at this year’s All-State concert Nov. 22.

“This is a strong senior class,” said Berte. “It’s a lot of hard work, and they’re willing to do it.”

The students start learning music for All-State in early August, said Berte. They attended Wartburg College’s All-State camp and picked up six musical selections to learn.

The students didn’t know which portions from which songs they would have to sing for the audition.

The students auditioned in groups, a cappella and without Berte. Ten Williamsburg students auditioned in two quartets and a duet, Berte said.

The singers

Senior Cooper Bott made All-State for a fourth year as a bass. “I think my sister instilled a good work ethic in me,” said Bott. Jaisel made All-State her last three years of high school. She wanted her brother to make all four years, he said.

Bott has been performing in musicals for years, at Williamsburg High School and at Old Creamery Theatre. He remembers performing for his family with his cousins as a child. “I remember we put on plays during Christmas. That was pretty fun.”

Bott said he’s more interested in vocal performance than acting because he doesn’t have to concentrate on dancing or acting at the same time. He’s better as a singer, he said.

Hudson Nunnelley, also a bass, made All-State for the second time this year.

Nunnelley credits God and the support of Berte and his family with getting him to this level.

Former vocal music teacher Stephen Brandt was an early influence. “He instilled my love for music when he was here,” Nunnelley said.

“The time commitment is difficult,” said Nunnelley. Students have to make time to rehearse with their ensembles to prepare for All-State auditions.

Nunnelley also performs in school plays, staring in fourth grade with “Beauty and the Beast” and culminating with “Mary Poppins” this year.

Alto Kendall Jepson tried out for the first time this year, and made the cut.

“Music has always been a big thing in my family,” said Jepson. She dances at Melinda’s Dance Studio in Williamsburg, performs with the Williamsburg High School Blackout Dance Team, takes part in school plays and sings in the choir.

Her brother Landon made All-State his senior year and now sings with Wartburg’s choir. Jepson’s father made All-State his junior and senior years as well.

“Last year I went to the [All-State] camp” said Jepson, but she was overwhelmed with other commitments and didn’t follow through.

It was rewarding to make All-State this year, said Jepson, “to see all the work you put in and see how far you went with your quartet.”

“It definitely builds relationships,” Jepson said. “It’s kind of like a team dynamic.

“Mrs. Berte is fantastic,” said Jepson. “She has an amazing rubric for how we practice,” said Jepson and holds the students accountable for learning the music.

Berte is a big part of their success, said Bott. Under Berte’s influence, Williamsburg placed five singers in the All-State Chorus last year and another five this year.

Jaxson Douglas tried out for All-State to challenge himself, he said. The tenor will sing in the All-State Choir for the second year. He started the process as a sophomore but didn’t go through with it, he said.

“I was in a lot of music stuff,” Douglas said. He scored well in ensemble contests, but All-State was a higher level of competition. “I kind of wanted to do something that would challenge me.”

“It’s not even about making All-State,” Douglas said. “It helps you catch on to things in actual choir.”

Douglas didn’t initially want to sing in the choir, he said, but Brandt made sure everyone had the opportunity. “He made me feel like I had talent, so I just pursued it.”

Douglas has also performed in school musicals. “I’m not a fan of dancing and acting,” he said.

Douglas enjoys playing music, though. He and Nunnelley, Finn Brummel and Nile Busch have an Indy rock band called No Bad Days that is currently working on an album of original music. Douglas plays bass, and Nunnelley is vocalist.

“We play some gigs at grad parties,” said Nunnelley, and they played at the school talent show, which they’ve won two years, Douglas said.

Their single “Crown of Thorns” has had more than 4,000 listens on Spotify, Nunnelley said.

Nolan Kent, a tenor, made All-State for the third time in three tries. “I’ve kind of always been in choir,” said Kent.

Kent sang a solo as a snowman for a play in second grade, and while he hates when his mom brings out the video to show people, “that’s kind of where it started,” he said.

“Mr. Brandt, he pushed me to try out for the Opus Honor Choir.” When Kent made the Opus Honor Choir in eighth and ninth grades, he realized he was good at singing, he said.

During the summer Brandt was part of Iowa Ambassadors of Music, a group of students that travel and perform in Europe. Kent sang with a choir of more than 200 voices in the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, Germany and Austria.

“We sang in some beautiful cathedrals,” said Kent. He saw the history of music in the countries where much of it was born.

Kent sees music in his future. “I think I’m going to go try to sing at Wartburg.” Lee Nelson, the conductor for Wartburg, was the conductor for the Ambassadors during the summer tour.

“My parents tell me they’re amazed at my musical ability,” said Kent. “They are very encouraging and supportive.”

A few days before tryouts, Kent could barely talk, he said, and he prayed that he’d be able to sing for the audition. “I think my cough drop count was at 20,” he said.

Douglas also fought illness. “I had bronchitis and a sinus infection,” he said, “so I couldn’t hear the notes [very well].” He didn’t practice for two weeks, he said. “I missed a lot of school.”

All-State also creates leadership opportunities, said Nunnelley. He and Bott were leaders for Williamsburg’s two quartets, in charge of the pitch and keeping up the confidence of the teams.

But the students give Berte most of the credit. “She makes us a priority, and she makes sure she’s with us every step of the process,” said Jepson.

She’s available at all hours, said Bott. He can text her with a question any time.

“Not just about music,” said Douglas.

Jepson said the students are also thankful for their families’ unconditional support.

It gives the students confidence, said Kent. “You can’t go through this without a level of confidence.”

The performance

The 2025 Iowa All-State Music Festival will mark the 79th anniversary of the prestigious statewide event. District auditions for 601-member All-State Chorus were held last month.

About 17% of the students who audition are selected for membership in the All-State ensembles. They’ll rehearse in Ames Friday and Saturday, Nov. 21–22 and will perform in the All-State Festival Concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22 at Hilton Coliseum, Iowa State University, Ames.

Tickets for the performance are $30.00 each, plus applicable fees, and all seats are reserved. Order through Ticketmaster (ticketmaster.com).

Iowa PBS will record the concert for later broadcast.