Chaos dominated the halls of Chugiak High School Nov. 19 as choir students clustered in small groups, practicing notes and singing in harmony. Out in the Steve Primis Auditorium, band and orchestra students rehearsed, and the cacophony of their instruments never slowed.

The 2009 Chugiak High School All-State band, orchestra and choir members are (Standing, right to left) Katie Jan, Kody Trombley, Victoria Bledsoe, Karen Lavy, Erin Larsen, Molissa Udevitz, Rebecca Little, Mack Holmberg, Cameron Fritz, Lily Hunter, Chris Dennis, Daniel Bozone, Chris Wood. (Sitting, right to left) Bonnie Scott, Kaylee Milterson, Meaghan Lessard, Krista Lundberg, Garret Dickerson. (Not pictured: DJ Keller, Robert Meyer, Rachel Shercliff and Susan Fleurant) PHOTO COURTESY RON LANGE

The scene was a sort of controlled chaos, though, because these kids are the state's best musical talent, and even something as large as the 2009 All-State Music Festival can't rattle their nerves. All that fine tuning is a culmination of years of practice, and it came together over a three-day period Nov. 19 through Saturday.

"It's like the state championships in football, but think of it as the state championship of music," said Jennifer Dennis, a parent and one of the organizers of this year's event. "We have four groups here - a band, orchestra, mixed choir and treble choir."

Chugiak High hosted this year's event, which moves from city to city each year, and it's band boasted boasted a record 17 members selected for the all-state group.

"Not only is it the highest for Chugiak, but it's the highest (number of students) for any school," said Mike Martinson, the school's first-year band teacher, who used to teach at Eagle River High. "The kids are just exceptionally talented, and they've got a strong feeder program in Mirror Lake Middle School, and Gruening, too."

For comparison, Martinson said, the typical number of students from one school per all-state program is three or four.

"So we were just really pleased."

The statewide auditioning period for budding musicians and singers took place in September, when each student recorded a CD of his or her music or voice, to be adjudicated by select judges from across the region, said Cam Bohman, festival chairwoman for the Alaska State Activities Association event.

"We're so glad that (Martinson) sent in so many applicants this year, and that they are so well prepared," she said. "We have students from across the state - three from Unalaska, seven or eight from Ketchikan, two from Nome, one from Bethel, one from Unalakleet, and more - and they all work hard to get here."

Bohman said 99 students were selected from the 179 demo CDs sent in by band members from schools all over the state. Chugiak High band members make up close to 15 percent of its members.

In choir, she said, 177 students were selected from a pool of 589 audition CDs. Orchestra had 101 applicants and 73 selected.

"So what those numbers tell me," she said, "is that if you want the best odds of getting into all-state, you should try orchestra."

Making the all-state team is only the beginning of the process, though, Martinson added.

Once the teams were selected, each student received their music or songs and began rehearsing on their own.

A lot.

"I'm very passionate about this," said junior Kaylee Miltersen, 16, one of two Chugiak High students to make the choir, which at a 70-percent cut rate was a great accomplishment. "I was first chair alto last year, and really wanted to do well this year. I practice a lot."

Senior Meaghan Lessard, 17, the other lone Chugiak voice in the choir, said she, too, has taken her role seriously.

"I wasn't going to (audition) originally, but the band teacher said I should try, so I did," she said. "I made it, and it has definitely raised my confidence in my singing."

The Music Festival is the culmination of the students' days and weeks of practice. Over a two-day period, they had to essentially start over with live performances in front of judges. How they fared on this day would determine their position in their respective specialty.

"It doesn't matter how well they did on the CDs," Martinson explained Nov. 19, amid the bustle of students preparing. "That's what today and tomorrow are all about. There's a lot of pressure for the kids because they have to re-audition to find out where they will be placed."

Next followed two days of intense rehearsals as a group, with students from Kenai sitting side by side with those from Eagle River High; those from Chugiak next to Juneau; Fairbanks next to Unalaska. On Saturday, the groups performed a blowout concert at West High.

"I've been doing this nine years," Bohman said, "and the talent keeps getting better."

Ron Lange, the school's choir director, said he is proud of Lessard and Miltersen. Likewise for Jean Lenoir, Chugiak's orchestra teacher, who has four students in the all-state orchestra.

To get even one member in all-state is an accomplishment, they said. But for Chugiak High, with 23 of their own among the best and brightest of musicians and singers, it is a very special year. Even Eagle River High, with its newer music program, had an above-average number of eight students in all-state this year.

"We encouraged everyone to make a recording and send it in," Martinson said. "And we're glad they did. We just have some huge, huge talent."