Aurelia High School - Music and Speech

Music and Speech

In 2003, Aurelia was recognized nationally as one of the 100 best music schools in the country. Two representatives were picked from each state, with Aurelia being one of Iowa's top two schools.

The Aurelia Jazz Band is widely recognized as one of the best in the state. In 2007, the Jazz Band won the Class 1A State Jazz Championship and in 2008, they finished second after making their eleventh consecutive appearance, and 18th overall. After failing to qualify in 2009, the jazz band made it back in 2010. One of the songs Aurelia performed in the 2007 competition was written specifically for Aurelia's jazz band, and is titled "A-Town Blues." The Aurelia Jazz Choir, directed by Deb Peterson, has also seen its share of success, qualifying for the State Showcase in 2007, 2008, and 2009. Aurelia finished 3rd all three years.

Aurelia's Speech department has also been very successful over the years, with the majority of speech students advancing to the state level over the past few years, and even had at least one act qualify for the All-State Showcase in every year from 2004-2009. The Speech department also puts on a play every fall, alternating between musical and comedy. The 2007 production was the world-famous "Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella," which was seen as a major success by the drama department because of the lack casting available at Aurelia High School. Nearly half of the student body had some involvement in that particular production.