St. Joseph-Ogden’s Anastasia Conerty was not expecting to be chosen for the Illinois Music Association’s All-State Choir. She’s only a sophomore, after all.

“It is so unlikely to get into State as a sophomore that many students accept the fact that they won’t get in,” Conerty said. “Whenever I told a fellow musician that I was a sophomore, they were always shocked and supportive of me.”

Conerty’s road to the ILMEA All-State Choir began in October when she auditioned for a spot on the ILMEA District 6 choir.

In 2019, 25,000 choral and band students throughout the state participated in the auditions. By the time the All-State performance on Feb. 1 came around, only 288 choral students stood.

“I learned that I got into All-State when my friend Sam, who got into the All-State band, texted me ‘Congratulations!’” Conerty remembered. “I was really confused why she had sent that, until she said I got into State. It was insane to hear and I was so excited.”

In the weeks leading up to rehearsal, which began at the Peoria Civic Center on Jan. 30, Conerty rehearsed “Hallelujah from the Mount of Olives,” “The Isle is Full of Noises,” Voice on the Wind,” “When We Love,” and “Ezekiel!”

But the only thing she could think about was how different this All-State experience would be.

“The thought of being surrounded by people that were so passionate in singing and making music was wonderful, but I was also worried that I might feel overwhelmed from the pressure,” she said.

“After I started working with them, I realized there was nothing for me to be worried about. Everyone was so welcoming and excited to work with other talented musicians.”

Conerty began performing as a seventh-grade student at St. Joseph Middle School. She was chosen for the ILMEA District chorus for three years. In the spring of 2019, she took on the role of Ms. Sandra in St. Joseph-Ogden’s “All Shook Up.”

“I want to continue to keep music close to my heart and want to encourage others to find their love for music, too,” she said. “I love to sing and perform because it makes me feel good.

“It’s not a very in-depth answer, but that’s the most accurate answer. It’s almost like I can think of music as a family member, since it’s always been there for me and has helped me accomplish so many amazing things in my life.”

The opportunity to work under the direction of Johnathan Palant, Associate Professor and Director of Choral Activities at the University of Texas, at Dallas, left Conerty with things to work on as she grows.

“I learned about good warmups to use, how important pronouncing the text can be to convey a tone of a song, and so many other things,” Conerty said.

“The director was absolutely amazing and, by far, was the best director I have ever worked with. He constantly pushed us for excellence, but also realized that we weren’t going to sing it perfectly and that we were all there to have fun and enjoy the music.

“Working with the director has made me want to memorize my music as much as possible so that I can focus on putting emotion into the music more.”

Being in the arena at the Peoria Civic Center with the All-State Orchestra to the right and the All-State Band to the left, the moment was not lost on Conerty.

“I was awestruck every time I would glance around the arena we were in, realizing how far I had made it in such a short time,” she said.

But the moment that may have meant the most was seeing her family after the performance.

“They have always been so supportive of me pursuing music and I couldn’t ask for a better situation,” she said. “My grandmother was a music teacher for a long time, so it always gives me joy to hear her say that she enjoyed my performance.”

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What do music and horses have in common?

They are two passions of Oakwood High School’s Eli Ronk.

In both endeavors, Ronk has experienced the fruits of his hard work for many years. Another set of accolades came in October of 2019.

Ronk was recently selected to represent Oakwood High School in the Illinois Music Education Association’s concert band in November.

This isn’t the first time the junior baritone player has been selected for one of the state’s most prestigious bands. As a sophomore, Ronk was able to experience the day-long rehearsal, which leads to a concert in the late afternoon.

“It is amazing to hear so many students playing music in such a large setting,” Ronk said. “It surprises me that it can all come together in just one day, with students coming from all over the district.”

Ronk, who picked up the guitar at the age of 8, has been inspired to continue to hone his passion under the direction of Oakwood Junior High’s Tim Knilands and Oakwood High School’s Carson Grove.

While he gets to learn more about his low-brass instrument in the school setting, Ronk has taken the initiative to learn outside of school: attending the Illinois Summer Youth Music program where he played guitar in the rock band at the University of Illinois for the last three summers.

Taking private lessons from Todd Reynolds at B&J Music has also given him the confidence to attend First Gig in Danville during the last two summers.

Listening to instruction is something Ronk is used to.

For as long as he can remember, he has been working with horses under the direction of his dad, Doug Ronk.

“My Dad also shows horses, so he helps teach me about the horse business and showing,” he said.

While his mom and sister are always there to cheer him on and to make sure that he has what he needs, Ronk also relies on his trainer, John Boxell, to help him understand how to get the best out of his horses.

In October, Ronk competed in the American Quarterhorse Congress in Columbus, taking first place out of 50 competitors.

“The horse show is one of the largest horse shows in the nation,” he said.

“I show Halter Class, which is where you lead the horse into the pen and set up for inspection by the judges. The judges are looking at the horse for confirmation – which is how closely it meets the breed standard.  As the exhibitor, I have to set up the horse the best way to show it in its best form.”

Competiting year-round since he was 8-years-old, Ronk is no stranger to the show ring.

Various 4-H competitions filled his time until he reached junior high age, then Ronk began showing halter horses at American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) competitions in 2014.

He took second place in his first competition, but then captured first place and Grand Champion in both 2017 and 2018.

His success at AQHA has afforded Ronk a space at The World Show every August for the last four years in Oklahoma City. Ronk took Reserve World Champion twice.

Training is challenging, though.

Ronk’s show horses are housed at his trainer’s barn in Springfield. While the teenager helps to take care of the horses on his family’s property, he only gets to work with LU Johnny, a 6-year-old gelding, every once in a while.

“He is very quiet and mindful,” Ronk said.

Growing fond of the horses’ personalities is what keeps Ronk coming back to them.

Previously, Ronk worked with Simply Sirprizin (Parker) and Ima Cool Catch (Yadi).

“I enjoy the experience of showcasing my horse’s talents and being able to work with such amazing animals,” he said.

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Oakwood

Junior High Band
Ben Schell, 8th-grade, Trumpet
Eli Ronk, Junior, Baritone

Heritage

Junior High Chorus
Lillian Montgomery, Soprano
Cohen Sands, Tenor

High School Chorus
Adena Paul, Soprano

SJO

High School Chorus
Kendall Ayers, Bass 1
Anastasia Conerty, Soprano 1 

High School Band
Sam Gonzales, Flute (Band)
Erica Guelfi, Trumpet (Band)

St. Joseph Middle School

Junior High Band
Logan Allen – Band: Percussion

Junior High Chorus
Madison Clampitt: Chorus
Sabrina Davis:  Chorus

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