Ten of Southeast Bulloch High School's Advanced Chorus members will perform with the Georgia Music Educators Association’s (GMEA) prestigious All State Chorus in Athens February 17-19. One vocalist was also selected for the elite 100-member All State Reading Chorus.

   To have a rural high school in Brooklet continue to produce such top vocal talent is due in large part to Brent Whitaker, the school's chorus teacher and director of its Fine Arts Department, and the excellent music program he began building at the school in 2001.

   Whitaker trains and exposes his students to a wide range of musical theory disciplines and competitions from region and state literary events, Large Group Performance Evaluation competitions, Governor’s Honors, All State Chorus, All State Reading Chorus, music festival competitions and local performances. The school has five performance ensembles: Concert Choir, Women's Choir, Advanced Chorus, Girls Trio and Boys Quartet.

   Whitaker requires vocalists who are interested in competing at the All-State Chorus level to train intently on the auditioning process during after school hours in addition to what is done in the classroom. The class helps students prepare for the rigorous musical theory, sight reading, performance, and judge’s critiques that they will face during the regional auditions and the three-day All State Chorus practices and performances. 

   The All State Reading Chorus is an elite chorus reserved for only 100 of the state’s most advanced vocalists and music theorists. Students who audition are required to sight read five, eight-measure examples with only 45 seconds to prepare each. 

   All State Chorus participants will have the opportunity to learn and be led by a prestigious group of guest conductors from some of the nation's renowned music programs including Dr. Susan Brumfield, a professor of Music Education at Texas Tech University; Dr. Derrick Fox, director of Choral Activities and distinguished associate professor of Music at the University of Nebraska-Omaha; J.D. Burnett, an associate professor of Music and associate director of Choral Activities at the University of Georgia Hugh Hodgson School of Music; acclaimed composer Sydney Guillaume; and Georgia Southern University's own Dr. Shannon Jeffreys, an associate professor and director of Choral Activities, who will conduct this year's All State Reading Chorus.

   All State will culminate with a series of public performances in the Athens Classic Center's Theater: at 5 p.m., 9th-10th grade mixed concert; 5:45 p.m., women’s concert; 6:30 p.m., men’s concert; and 7:20 p.m.,  11th-12th grade mixed concert.

   "I am so very proud of these kids," Whitaker said.