The West Prairie Press

West Prairie sophomore Timothy Todd has earned a prestigious musical honor, being selected as a Bass 1 in the Illinois All-State Choir, an accomplishment he describes as “completely unreal.”

To qualify for All-State, students must first be selected for their district choir. From there, recordings of their auditions are reviewed by the Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA), and only those with the highest scores are invited to join the All-State Chorus. Todd found out about his selection in a casual moment when choir director Mrs. Angella Fentem mentioned he’d need to be available on February 1. “I did not think or know that I had gotten in,” Todd said.

Fentem admitted she couldn’t keep the news to herself for long. “The original plan was to wait until the concert and announce it in front of Timothy and everyone,” she said. “But I was so excited, I think I only lasted one day before telling him in class.” She added that his selection as a sophomore was especially impressive: “Most students who are selected to All-State are juniors and seniors. The fact that he was selected as a sophomore shows that there was huge growth as a musician from his freshman year.”

Preparing for All-State was no small feat. Todd spent months perfecting selected music pieces, practicing scales and triads, and staying after school most days to rehearse. He even attended a workshop with other West Prairie students to sharpen his skills ahead of a rigorous self-taped audition that had “very strict rules on what could or could not be with or around you while recording.”

“The students receive the music as soon as the school year starts,” explained Fentem. “That gives them about two and a half months to prepare. Timothy practiced at home with the accompaniment tracks and often would come in during Advisory or after school to practice. He set a goal for himself and was determined to work towards it.”

The All-State experience took place over three days at the Peoria Civic Center, beginning January 30. Todd described it as a whirlwind of rehearsals, peer performances, solo auditions, and unforgettable moments. “Just really basking in the moment,” he said.

This milestone is especially meaningful to Todd, whose mother, Melissa Reimolds, was also an All-State Choir member during her senior year at Macomb High School. “I have dreamed of going for years,” Todd said, noting that his original goal was to make it by senior year. “I never thought I had enough talent to be selected.”

Now, with one All-State experience under his belt, Todd has his sights set on an even loftier goal: the ILMEA All-State Honors Chorus. But more than just personal achievement, the journey has clarified his future. “Attending All-State and just simply being around Mrs. Fentem has really locked it in for me that I want to go to school to be a music educator,” he said.

Fentem called that revelation both moving and motivating. “It is humbling,” she said. “And it is exciting to see a young person with so much passion and talent choose to go into the teaching profession. I am looking forward to helping him prepare for his future.”

Todd summed up his gratitude simply: “Mrs. Fentem has changed my life in more ways than she could ever know, and I aspire to do even a fragment of what she has done for me, for someone else in the future.”