Story by Natalie Saesee
For many student musicians at Discovery High School, the All-District Band is one of the biggest musical achievements of the year. After many months of preparation and a nerve-wracking audition, a few selected students have the opportunity to perform with some of the most talented musicians across our district. But what does it take to make it, and what is the experience like for these students?
The North Carolina All-District Honors Band brings together skilled students from schools across the district to perform as an ensemble. These students are selected based on how they perform their solo, scales, sight-reading, and chromatic, which determine their audition scores. Those who make it get the chance to practice with a highly skilled and experienced conductor before showcasing their talents at a final concert.
Auditioning for the All-District Band is no easy task. The students who audition must prepare a solo and their scales and must sight-read an excerpt from a piece. In the audition room, they must perform to the best of their ability all while being judged by the finest and most qualified musicians from around the state.
Many students at DHS were feeling various emotions during their audition process. Jasmine Huitron, a 9th grader at DHS, shared her thoughts on the experience: “I kind of beat myself up a little bit,” said Huitron. She was very nervous during her audition. While she did her best in the moment, her nerves caused her to make some mistakes. However, she views this as a learning experience and plans to use it to improve for future auditions.
Similarly, Cailin Frye struggled with nerves, explaining that she gets anxious and tends to forget things. “I was super nervous before my audition,” she said. However, after her performance, she felt relieved and recognized the things that she did well. Despite her worries, she is excited about All-District.
For Josh Gordon, he didn’t feel as nervous as the others since his finger was broken, so he felt as if there was not much at stake for him. Before his audition, he was mainly focused on hitting the right notes. After the audition, he felt “pretty good.”
Jonathan Ebel found the process much easier since it was his third time auditioning. “It was chill,” he said, explaining that while he was happy with his audition, it wasn’t as nerve-racking for him since he was also preparing for All-State auditions.
On the other hand, senior Hailey Collins faced the challenge of auditioning for the first time. Collins had never auditioned for All-District before, making the preparation process stressful. Not knowing what to expect caused her a great deal of anxiety. However, after the audition, she reflected positively on her performance, “I felt good about it because I felt like I had performed well, even though I had some challenges,” she explained.
For Aidan Morton, the audition process was more familiar. “It’s pretty exciting,” he said. As this year is his fourth time auditioning, Morton found it easier to get in this year. Still, he faced challenges, particularly in staying calm and remembering all the practice he had done. While being confident, he was also nervous because he knew he was competing against other skilled players.
For Daniel Higley, the audition process wasn’t too difficult, but admitted afterwards he felt “kind of relieved,” adding that he was “thrilled to have made All-District”.
For those who make it, All-District Band is more than just a performance; it’s an unforgettable experience that pushes these students to grow as musicians. Whether they return next year or take their talents to the next level, this event remains a memory of their musical journey.
