MUSCATINE, Iowa — Muscatine High School band director Jeff Heid is seeing a first in his career this month.

Heid said his student, Rebecca Townsend, is the first flutist he has ever sent to the annual Iowa All-State concert since he began teaching 11 years ago.

Townsend is one of seven Muscatine High School students selected to perform at the All-State concert at the Hilton Coliseum in Ames on Saturday, Nov. 21.

The event is presented by the Iowa High School Music Association and the Iowa Music Educators Association and includes a band, orchestra and chorus.

Heid said another of his students, senior Brandon Dorris, is one of four trombonists who will be in the All-State orchestra.

All the students selected for All-State average approximately three hours of practice a day with the exception of violinist Giles Joslyn, a junior, who often puts in five hours.

“Practicing the violin just feels natural,” said Joslyn, the son of Pam and Jim Joslyn. Giles began playing the violin 11 years ago.

“That practice is all on their own time,” said Heid. “At school, they are still doing their marching band, attending class and preparing for concerts.”

Competition is intense  the 5,500 students from across Iowa who try out for the musical groups.

The choir has 600 members,the band, 275 and the orchestra, 200.

“The students who make it are generally the ones who work hard,” said MHS vocal music director Nick Oswald.

Oswald said his students began learning and practicing in July the music that would be used for All-State tryouts on Oct. 24 in Fairfield.

Taylor Woods, Zarah Batie and twin brothers, Austin Siefers and Jake Siefers, all seniors, were selected for the All-State concert.

This is the second year Jacob Siefers, a bass, has made All-State. “This will look really good on a college resume,” said Jacob, who plans to study musical theater at Milikin University in Decatur next year.

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MHS students selected for the  2009  All-State musical groups

— Austin Siefers, son of Tami Pardi and Daryl Siefers,  a tenor I, plans to study music education or music theory at a liberal arts college. 

— Jacob Siefers, son of Tami Pardi and Daryl Siefers, a bass, plans to study musical theater at Milikin University, Decatur, Ill.

— Zarah Batie, daughter of Monique and Earl Wooten, a soprano, plans to major in music at Central College in Pella.

— Rebecca Townsend, daughter of Betsy and Jim Townsend, who wants to major in music therapy, is deciding between the University of Kansas and University of Iowa.

— Taylor Woods, daughter of Tony and Karen Woods, an alto II, will also study music therapy and has decided on the University of Iowa.

— Brandon Dorris, son of Doug and Linda Dorris, said his goal is to attend Northwestern University where he can student with Michael Mulcahy, the second trombonist with the Chicago Symphony.