Two three-peat all-state music qualifiers are practicing for their final performance this weekend.

Greene County High School Seniors Gavin Vander Linden and Olivia Hoyt are each performing in the Iowa High School Music Association All-State Music Festival for choir. Both Vander Linden and Hoyt made it for a third consecutive year and Vander Linden talks about his reaction to making it to all-state and if he thought this time was as special as the last two years.

“I mean just excitement again, it’s still just as exciting and fun to get it that third time as it is that first time. Because it just shows that you’re still getting better and improving, because the competition this year was really rough, with only two of us making it this year.”    

Vander Linden is singing a second part for tenor, while Hoyt is performing with the first sopranos. She talks about if there were any challenges singing the first soprano part, even if those parts have more of the melody for songs.

“Obviously that’s the more easy part, but they’re also super high being a soprano one. And it’s pretty difficult some of the songs get way up there in the range. And I think overall, the songs are always difficult but a step down (they are) so much easier from last year’s, they were insanely hard.”  

The festival takes place on the Iowa State University campus from November 16th-18th, with the concert on the 18th.