Nine hardworking Cy Woods musicians managed to persevere through the long and extensive process and reach TMEA All-State. Making All-State is one of the highest achievements that a high school musician can attain, and thousands of students around the nation spend countless hours working for that dream. In Texas however, it is arguably the hardest state to make All-State in, as the quality of their music education systems are top notch. Cy Woods is no stranger to having multiple students make All-State every year, and in 2026, the tradition continues to prevail.
The road to All-State is a lengthy process that requires students to learn three etudes and perform them across various auditions. First: the All-Region audition; however, you will only be allowed to audition for All-State if you receive an Area spot, which is allocated to the top ranks of each instrument or voice group. The Area audition is what finally determines if you make All-State or not, and if you do, you receive the privilege of attending the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) in San Antonio to perform with other All-Staters throughout Texas.
These auditions happen in the span of multiple months, requiring students to have to vigorously prepare. With all of the practice time that musicians will have to commit to, it inevitably comes with a great deal of stress. Junior Nina Chen, a three time All-Stater on the violin, offers a positive perspective on how to deal with the stress.
“The audition process can induce a lot of anxiety and stress. However, my approach is to fake it until you make it,” Chen said. “This might seem a bit unorthodox, but you would be surprised at how much you can achieve when you place a certain level of confidence in yourself.”
Stress is a drawback that every musician has to deal with, no matter their age or skill level. It is not something that can be overcome, but rather it is something that needs to be adapted to. Students who audition have many differing practice methods depending on what makes them the most successful. Some students practice for hours a day and hit every spot of their etudes, while others prefer to hyperfocus on the most challenging parts. While Chen does not have a specific practice routine, she optimizes her free time to practice and even finds use in listening to the etudes.
“I use my time in the summer to refine my etudes to the best of my ability, taking advantage of times where schoolwork hasn’t consumed my everyday routines yet,” Chen said. “A big part of the process in my practicing is listening to our music rather than focusing on technical details since getting the context behind melodies is the most important part in developing my personal phrasing and expression.”
Senior Toren Gouldin, a two time All-Stater in choir, explained that making All-State is not just a privilege, but rather it is a symbol of hard work and consistency. While the competition aspect of auditioning is what people remember the most, the process offers so much more for everyone on a personal level, no matter the results.
“I’ve been working towards this goal since freshman year, and every year I’ve managed to climb higher and higher to get to that goal,” Gouldin said. “The All-State process isn’t just about competition, it’s about coming out on the other side a better musician regardless of if you make it or not.”
Waiting for the results after the audition can be even more anxiety-inducing than the preparation period. Every student who auditions has been working hard just as much as the next person, and everyone wants to reach the same goal: make All-State. So much pressure and tension boils within the air, as even the most confident musicians feel uneasy.
“Each time I made All-State, I honestly felt guilt. Even though I’ve worked hard like everyone else who made it to Area, your chances are all so equal; it feels surreal,” Gouldin said.
Whether it be All-State or a major symphony orchestra, the results of any audition are unpredictable. As the years fly by, you get less chances to make it which stirs up pressure and often self-doubt. Senior Ryan Mason, who made All State for the first time on the euphonium, felt this exact pressure as this was his last year to make All-State.
“I felt a lot more pressure to make State this year, especially because it would be my last and only year. That’s also why I worked harder than I did every other year,” Mason said.
With all of the hard work and commitment that Mason put in, he ended up making All-State and even placed first at the Area audition. Along with Chen, Gouldin and the other six musicians who made All-State, Ryan attended TMEA in February and got to experience the life changing event that is All-State.
“It was really fun because I got to play a bunch of new and cool music with other great musicians along with exploring San Antonio with my friends,” Mason said. “All-State has shown me an entirely different world of people that I can enjoy playing music with, as everyone in the group cares and loves the activity as much as I do.”
All of the Cy Woods All-Staters include: seniors Alan Zhang, Van Chmielewski, Ryan Mason, Leonardo Fazzini, Toren Gouldin, and Thomas Richie; juniors Nina Chen and Eric Liu; and sophomore Ethan McCollister.
