Del Norte High School will be more than well represented at the 2025-26 California Choir Directors Coastal Division Honor Choir.

An amazing six Del Norte students qualified and are a step away from performing as part of the California Honor Choir early next year. More than 1,000 students auditioned for Coastal Section Choir spots, with just 30 percent earning top honors via audition.

Warrior students who made the Coastal cut include Marcus Wier, Hannah Moore, Evan Hawk, Reese Blakenship, Obidiah Joseph and Ian Stanely. They will perform practice and perform Nov. 6-8 in Berkeley.

Those singers who posted the top scores in their auditions will advance to the all-state event, where they will perform with the best from the state’s two other districts – Central and Southern California. Del Norte Choir Director Collin Kirkwood anticipates three or four of the Del Norte contingent earning the honor.

Wier, a junior, said he is proud of himself for reaching his goal, but also proud of the Del Norte choir program as a whole. Fortuna had four students qualify, while Arcata advanced just one.

“To get to do cool stuff like this, it’s special,” Wier said.

For Kirkwood and Del Norte High’s Music Program leader Daniel Sedgwick, it’s a team effort that starts early. The music programs at local elementary and junior high schools help create a demand for more music programs in high school.

The result: Del Norte High features three unique choirs, and the band program is filled with approximately 100 members, more than 10 percent of the student body.

Studies have demonstrated that music students do better academically than their non-musical peers.