Anaya Riggs’ Updated Outlook on the All-State Honor Choirs in New York

There are lots of talented, artistic students who go to our one and only Pleasant Valley High including junior Anaya Riggs, who had been chosen to participate at an All-State Honor Choir in Minneapolis, New York! However, not only was Riggs the only student chosen to participate Chico this year but she was the only individual chosen to participate from California.

All-State Honor Choirs are usually filled with a bundle of students participating but due to unlucky circumstances, many students had to decline their offers to participate.

“There were people from literally all around the world… or there were supposed to be,” said Riggs, “It was originally supposed to be five hundred people but then a lot of people kind of got COVID. So we only had around two hundred eight-four people, which is a lot of people gone. But we had people from all forty nine states, like Korea.”

The students mostly hung around the New York Sheraton Hotel, where they rehearsed, and the rest of their time was spent at Carnegie Hall, where they had their final performance.

Riggs mentioned, “It was more-so for family and friends but there was only one performance and there was concert choir which I was a part of, treble choir, and then the young adults choir which only had like sixteen people.”

Besides their final performance, Riggs and her classmates also participated in lots of other activities. But with such a small choir, there sadly weren’t any competitions.

“There was [only] one solo, it was a male solo so they had auditions for that… There were no competitions but before we rehearsed, we always had like a dance battle. Then, afterwards we would rehearse.”

The Honor Choir in New York had a lot of busy days and limited time for themselves and other activities.

“The only time you had time for yourself was dinner and breakfast. So you would all have to hang out but in little groups they made for you,” shared Riggs, “You would basically go to lunch or dinner with them but they would choose where you ate and usually it would be expensive.”

New York is also known for its theatrical performances and events which Riggs recalls going to.

“My favorite part was going to the Aladdin, Broadway show. That was pretty cool!”

Despite the fact that COVID prevented many students from attending, Riggs didn’t let that get in her way of having fun. We hope to see many of our fellow PVHS students making it to the big cities like Riggs!