Jess Paeratakul (pictured), a senior at McKinley High School who plays the cello, recently won fourth place in the 2009 All-State Orchestra Division (Classical Instrumental) of the Louisiana Music Educators Association (LMEA) Student All-State Auditions.  The event is sponsored by the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA).

The five All-State organizations that are made up of audition winners perform annually during the LMEA conference.  Student membership (winners) in the five state organizations number about: 60 in symphonic band, 80 in concert band, 100 in orchestra, 160 in chorus and 25 in jazz ensemble.  Students are selected as a result of district (first round) and state (second round) auditions. String students are chosen by auditions, which are taped at specified sites in September.

Students in grades 9-12 whose directors are current members of LMEA are eligible to audition.  A student auditioning for the All-State bands, orchestra or jazz ensemble must be a member of the school's instrumental music program.  In a situation where there is no program in the school, the student must be certified by the eligible music teacher at the school or an LMEA-member private teacher.  Students are eligible for membership in only one All-State group.

The New Orleans Center for Creative Arts is a regional, pre-professional arts training center that offers secondary school-age children intensive instruction in dance, media arts, music (classical, jazz, vocal), theatre arts (drama, musical theatre, theatre design), visual arts and creative writing, while demanding simultaneous excellence.