Penn Manor High School teacher Lauren Ciemiewicz and her students are in concert over many things, most significantly their shared love of music.

They do, however, disagree on one topic: Who deserves the credit for all the students' successes?

The Comets' chorus members concluded the competition season at the state conference April 9 to 12 at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions in the Poconos.

"They did absolutely phenomenally," Ciemiewicz said of her students.

Piano accompanist Jordan Chen finished first, Matthew Palmeri placed fourth in Bass I, and Bailey Floyd was sixth in Alto I. David Ferre (Tenor I) and Ava Wolfersberger (Alto 2) also earned the opportunity to participate on the state level.

"Being the piano accompanist for all-state chorus allowed me to collaborate with talented singers across the state, and I met one of my favorite directors (Rollo Dilworth from Temple University)," Jordan said. "There was a rush of salads between rehearsals, great times in the waterpark, and bonding over late-night snacks in the lobby. In all the chaos, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience to create music with other passionate musicians."

Matthew said, "(The year) was a lot of fun. I really enjoy singing, especially with my friends and with Mrs. C directing us. She really helps us, and I couldn't have done it without her."

Bailey was thankful for the chance to compete in the state competition. "It was awesome," she said. "It was like, 'Oh my gosh. I finally made it.' It was very eye-opening to get that experience to be up there with so many great singers and get to sing alongside them."

David added, "All other festivals have a level of stress to them because you're worried about making it to the next level. This was just a celebration of your achievement. You could fully immerse yourself in the joy of making music. It was wonderful."

Ciemiewicz said she was impressed by the guest director Dilworth, who introduced the students to different cultures by having them perform a fast Puerto Rico folk song and a song in Chinese.

"He was awesome," Ava said. "He had so much insight and really dove into the technical part of music, which was a really good experience to have. He was a great teacher, and I learned a lot from him."

Seven Penn Manor students competed in the Region V Chorus Festival, which was held March 20 to 21 at Northeast Middle School in Bethlehem. Region V is made up of students from District VII, which consists of eight counties including Lancaster, and District X.

Jordan ranked among the top two for the entire state, qualifying him as all-state chorus accompanist. Matthew and David each placed second. Ava finished third, and Bailey was fifth. James Helm (Bass 2) ranked seventh on his voice part.

The seven students had advanced by virtue of their performance in the District VII Chorus Festival at Central York High School on Feb. 7 and 8.

The region festival qualifiers are part of the Audition Choir Manor Singers, a group that meets every other school day.

"We prepare more difficult pieces that really challenge us," David said. "It's nice to come in every morning and be able to work on something really beautiful. Mrs. C is incredibly detail-oriented and never lets us settle. That level of commitment enables us to succeed in these competition events."

Bailey added, "It's definitely with a lot of Mrs. C's help. She has led us all to be better as musicians."

Ciemiewicz said the students deserve all the acclaim. "I feel like a proud mom," she said. "I really, truly try to make it all about the kids. I hope they feel that sense of pride and they realize how great of an achievement that is. The bulk of the work at this level is done on their own. There's not time for us to do it in class. They just rise to the occasion. This specific group has been phenomenal. ... Their work ethic, the dedication they show to one small program - they're truly a special bunch."

Ava added to her teacher's comments. "As much as Mrs. C is very, very humble in saying that it's all us, we wouldn't be here without the music program we have (at Penn Manor)," Ava said. "That music program wouldn't be the way that it is if it wasn't for Mrs. C and the way she pushes us all to be our best and picks music that challenges us. She inspires us in a love of music and not only pushes us to do well with this because it's good to do well, but genuinely has a love for music and experience different kinds of music. She's the reason we're all here."