From February 1 through February 3, the annual All-District Band event took place at John Champe High School. Over 300 talented brass, woodwind, and percussion instrumentalists from all over the county auditioned to make one of two coveted ensembles, concert band or symphonic band.
One of the students selected for the District XVI Concert Band was our very own French hornist and Chronicle staff writer, freshman Scarlett Ashford (Concert Band, 3rd chair French horn). A member of our school symphonic band, Ashford began playing French horn in middle school and is passionate and committed to music.
“My love of band comes from being able to express myself through music, and having the opportunity to put myself out there,” Ashford said. Other Captains who performed at the event were band members junior Cole Strickland (Symphonic Band, 3rd chair bass clarinet) and freshman Maddy Strickland (Concert Band, 1st chair bass clarinet).
The audition to earn an opportunity to play amongst the district’s most talented band students requires advanced preparation of an etude selected for their instrument as well as almost flawless performances of major scales, a chromatic scale, and sight reading for a panel of judges who remain behind a partition to keep the process anonymous. The judges are typically music educators from around the region. They assess the audition and score students on 13 technical qualities such as tone, intonation, musicality, and dynamics.
“I practiced almost every day, and I worked through each part and I really broke down the piece to make sure I was ready for it,” Ashford said. Maddy Strickland also worked towards full preparation. “I prepared for the audition by practicing every day. The twelve major scales had to be memorized, so I prioritized repetition.” Strickland said.
After the audition, students waited for their results. The judges spent time reviewing their notes and score sheets on every student who auditioned. Their mission was to assemble a group of musicians that would sound cohesive. Once the judges agreed, they let the students know if they had been selected to represent their high schools at District XVI’s main event.
“I was really happy, but I was also scared because this is high school now. In middle school, I was confident, but this is a different level,” Ashford said. Maddy Strickland was also quite ecstatic about getting in, and furthermore, she was very happy to be given the first chair (the best player in a section of instruments). Strickland was the first chair bass clarinet. “I was excited when I found out I got in, and somewhat shocked by my chair number,” Strickland said.
The event itself included 12 hours of rehearsal over three days for each band, leading up to the concerts on Saturday afternoon where passion for the arts and both individual and group preparation come together for an impressive two hours of music. Performances included music arranged by Andrew Boysen, Jr., Brooke Pierson, Jarod Hall, Ron Nelson, and Grace Baugher, among others.
Students performed for gathered families, friends, and the community general public; their efforts were on full display. The music they made together was truly beautiful and highlighted the importance of the arts in education.
“You can feel that everyone cares about what’s happening. You can feel the emotion in the room. I would rate the final product 10/10,” Ashford said. “Although it was exhausting from long rehearsal hours, the concert and every full run of the pieces was unbelievable.“ M. Strickland added.
Being selected for these honor bands is an amazing opportunity for our student musicians. They learned, grew, and connected through their collective love of music.