Four Powell High School students performed with the best high school musicians in the northwestern region of the United States Feb. 16-19 in Bellevue, Washington.

Freshman Curtis Muecke, juniors Breckin Streeter and Kik Hayano, and senior Gabby Paterson were chosen out of 4,000 students to learn and perform among other students chosen from Alaska, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon. All four of them were newcomers to the prestigious event. 

Muecke and Paterson were selected for their prowess with the clarinet, Hayano for percussion and Streeter for choir. Paterson said that 100 students were chosen for the wind symphony and 210 students were chosen for the big band. Streeter added that roughly 200 students were chosen for choir.

“It was a wonderful experience to get there and be extremely humbled and realize that [for me] personally, I was one of the worst players there,” Hayano said.

For Paterson, attending All Northwest for the first time as a senior was “the big grand finale for my senior year.”

“It was one of probably the top 10 moments of my life because the music was just amazing,” Paterson said. “Just playing in the Wind Symphony with Curtis and then hearing Kik, and I didn’t get to hear Breckin but the choirs were also amazing.” 

Streeter enjoyed being able to experience music with vocalists who were also passionate about the music and their performances, a sentiment his classmates agreed with.

While band students only have the opportunity to attend All Northwest every four years, choir students like Streeter can attend every year and he’s already planning on it.