Interlochen Center for the Arts is like Hogwarts for artsy kids. As Molly Korroch writes in this week's Northern Express, sister publication of The Ticker, it’s a place where they can go to be themselves and explore creative pursuits with the guidance of teachers and mentors at the top of their fields. The main performance venue, Kresge Auditorium, is an outdoor amphitheater overlooking the tranquil waters of Green Lake. Arched windows line the back of the stage, and over those is painted the phrase "Dedicated to the promotion of world friendship through the universal language of the arts." It’s a stage where giants like Bernadette Peters, Van Cliburn, Rosemary Clooney, and Steve Martin have performed.

At its most beneficial, Interlochen fosters creative opportunities for young artists. However, because it’s one of the top arts institutions in the country, attending isn’t an easily achievable opportunity. Each year, kids from around the world send in videos or portfolios, attend regional auditions, or audition to get in. Approximately 2,500 — from third through 12th grade — are admitted as summertime campers; about 500 — ninth through twelfth grades only — are accepted into Interlochen Arts Academy, which runs through the school year.

In "Getting In: What It's Like To Audition For Korroch," Korroch provides readers with a behind-the-scenes look at the audition process for the prestigious school. In late January, the academy hosted on-site auditions for students of classical music, dance, and musical theater, with Korroch watching the one-of-a-kind experience (as much as allowed; the actual auditions are closed to everyone but the talent and the judges). "You should be somewhat nervous," confides Adrien Lee-Rossing, 13, auditioning for Interlochen's musical theater program and talking with Korroch as she waited to complete a group dance audition. "If you’re not nervous, then you don’t care.”

Read more interviews and stories from the student audition process at Interlochen in this week's Northern Express, available to read online or at one of nearly 700 newsstands in 14 counties across northern Michigan.