Each year, high school students from across the state audition to represent their district at the annual Alabama All-State Band Festival. While this process sounds a lot like the premise of the Hunger Games, All-State Band is a major competition in its own right. This is especially true in our district, District 4, which is considered to be the most competitive in the state. The increased difficulty makes the following students’ accomplishments all the more impressive.
Wardah Naim
Red Band Flute
1st in District 4
Ashlyn Berry
Red Band Clarinet
2nd in District 4
Wyatt Smith-Moody
All-State Band Clarinet Alternate
15th in District 4
Autumn Berry
21st Chair Clarinet in District 4
Andy Sheng
Red Band Alto Saxophone
1st in District 4
Samuel Chen
White Band Alto Saxophone
2nd in District 4
Claus Na
Blue Band French Horn
6th in District 4
Connor Lovette
Red Band Baritone
1st in District 4
Drake Miller
Red Band Tuba
1st in District 4
Auditions took place January 28 at Hoover High School. The audition consists of two rounds. In the first, students are expected to play all twelve major scales, two minor scales, and a chromatic scale all from memory. At least seven scales must be played without any mistakes in order to progress to the next round. In the second round, students are judged on two pre-prepared etudes and a sight reading excerpt. Students that placed into one of the three All-State bands will go through yet another audition. But this time, they are competing against a pool of students from all of Alabama’s eight districts for chair placements within each of their respective bands.
District 4 Honor Band will be held at Chelsea High School from February 24 to the 25, and the All-State Band Festival will be in Huntsville from April 26 to the 29. Congratulations to these students, and thank you for representing Vestavia at these prestigious events!
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