Vian High School freshman Isaiah Drew has achieved a major musical milestone, earning a coveted spot in the Oklahoma Choral Directors Association (OCDA) All State Choir and being selected as a featured soloist during the All-State concert held Jan. 10 at the Okl a h oma Convention Center in downtown Okl a h oma City. More than 3,000 people attended the concert, which included singers from 70 schools across Oklahoma.
While participating in All-State, Drew auditioned for a solo performance and was chosen from 70 All-State singers to perform a solo accompanied by the 250-member choir during the piece The World of Our Dreams.
Drew’s journey to All-State began in June 2025, when he attended Southern Nazarene University’s All-State Choral Camp. There, he began the demanding process of learning several collegiate-level musical selections, many in foreign languages.
This year’s repertoire included music from the Baroque period by G.F. Handel, a Latin piece, and another sung in Karo, a language spo- ken by a tribe in the Amazon region of Brazil. The program also featured two contemporary selections known for frequent key and time-signature changes.
After five months of intensive preparation, Drew auditioned in November during round one in Ada before advancing to round two at Rose State College in Oklahoma City. Around 3,800 students from across Oklahoma auditioned for All-State honors. From that pool, only the top 50 singers in each vocal section were selected, forming the elite 250-member choir. Drew earned a place in the Tenor 1 section.
“It is amazing to see how successful Isaiah has been this year,” Christina Herriman, choir director at Vian Public Schools said. “He is a first-year choral student at Vian and has given it 110 percent. He rehearses as much as possible before and after school, and he’s always the first to ask for help and guidance.”
Herriman noted that Drew’s achievement is even more impressive given that he is a freshman.
“I’m very excited to have him in choir for the next three years,” she said. “I can’t imagine what all he will accomplish in the future. He is very dedicated, goes above and beyond, and it has paid off for him this year.”
For Drew, the experience was both challenging and rewarding. He said one of the highlights of All-State was being surrounded by students who share his passion for music.
“I loved All-State because I was around students just like me,” Drew said. “Through months of hard work and dedication, I was able to make it.”
He also credited Herriman’s leadership in helping him succeed.
“She’s nice and encouraging as a director, but very strict when she needs to be,” he said.
In addition to choir, Drew is also a member of the Vian High School band, where he plays trombone.
“He is a wonderful student and young man with great discipline and a true love for music,” Herriman said. “I couldn’t be more proud of him. Not only is he a great student, but he is respectful, kind, encouraging and compassionate to others. That is more important than winning any music contest.”
The Vian High School Choir is now preparing for its next competition in March at Tahlequah High School, where students will compete in district regional solo and ensemble contests. Rehearsals began in January, with hopes of qualifying for state for the fifth consecutive year. The Vian choir has earned state medals each of the past four years.
“It has been a great year so far,” Herriman said. “The students work hard and both the middle and high school choir programs are growing. We have about 50 choir members between the two programs and may need a new room soon to accommodate the growth, which is a good problem to have.”
Herriman also expressed gratitude for the support the choir program receives. “
The community has been wonderful,” she said. “We are very thankful for the generous donations that helped with All-State camp fees at SNU and provided formal dresses and tuxedos. I feel truly blessed to be teaching in my hometown.”
