All-State Band

bandnerd · Post by **bandnerd** » Tue Sep 13, 2005 7:53 am

Does anyone have any advice for someone who wants to make all-state band? I do; but I'm only a freshman... is it possible?

MeLizzard · Post by **MeLizzard** » Tue Sep 13, 2005 3:09 pm

In Texas? Hmmm...not sure...there are some great young flutists there! The level of playing among high schoolers varies greatly from state to state, and some states even have separate all-state bands for different grade levels--Florida, among others, I think, has a 9-10 band and an 11-12 band. Why not be optimistic (not blindly so, lol!), and start preparing, if not to be selected this year, then to know how the audition works for next year? The experience of taking an audition can be helpful in our learning process, even if we don't quite make the cut.

piccoloprincess17 · Post by **piccoloprincess17** » Tue Sep 13, 2005 4:38 pm

in indiana we have all-state band...i tried out last year but didnt make it, but my friends have made it. the best advice i can give you is to prepare yourself for sight-reading!!!!!!!!!!

BrightFlute · Post by **BrightFlute** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 3:34 am

Whether or not a freshman can make the All-State band in Texas depends on several things, including drive, determination, practice, natural ability, organizational skills, and the other competition. By the time you see this post, All-State season for you freshman year will be over, but you can start doing things now to help prepare you for when you start learning next year's music. Good luck! Keep us posted!

FltnPicc_David · Post by **FltnPicc_David** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 10:05 pm

All-State in Florida is extremely competitive for flute players (there always seems to be more of us than other instruments in Florida.) I am in the process of preparing for it. Start thinking about your scales, practice some pieces you've never seen before to prepare for sight-reading - it's TOUGH. In Florida, we get thirty seconds to look at the piece before we play it. So study to ugly scales (the ones with a million sharps and flats) and maybe leanr their transposed forms as well so you have accuracy with them.

xkatiedianex · Post by **xkatiedianex** » Mon Jul 31, 2006 6:21 pm

i know in NC for flute you have to make top 4 in your district to make state. (it used to be 3, but they increased it last yr).

is it the same for ya'll too, or do ya'll go straight for state?

MeLizzard · Post by **MeLizzard** » Tue Aug 01, 2006 9:00 am

Here, it's wide-open, with no districts. My first college flute professor was known for often contributing half to two-thirds of the all-state section! These students, obviously, had to be within reasonable driving distance of the teacher.

Aren't the scales timed in Florida? Extra challenge

FltnPicc_David · Post by **FltnPicc_David** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 6:58 pm

Yes, scales are timed. And Katie, we just go straight for it here. But we have two minutes to play all twelve. Two octaves with arpeggios from memory. If you think about it, two minutes is actually A LOT of time. I dont play my scales fast. I take a moderate tempo and I've timed myself time and time again and landed somewhere around 1 minute and 40 seconds each time. Taking it really fast causes mistakes more than taking your time. I try to be relaxed....this is my first time trying out, too! Oh and if you mess up in Florida, you cant go back and redo because there is a guy taping you, you cant submit a self-taped entry. Is that how it is there?

All County/District is also competitve, too. But it's a lot easier..

Oh! I just decided I was going to go for High School Master Musician, as well!

fluteguy18 · Post by **fluteguy18** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 9:51 pm

Well here in KY, it is very political. Even though the auditions are all behind a curtain, they usually end up picking those who go to the schools with the biggest bands. I never got into All State. No one in our district got into All State. Even though I didnt get in, I got a full music scholarship for flute performance at the best music school in the state. I beat out all of the "all state" people for that scholarship and I was one of the only three she accepted into her studio.

just remember to breathe, and play the piece at the tempo you can play it best at. The judges are looking for the best combination of speed, and cleanliness. It is likely that you could beat out someone who played the piece a lot faster than you, because they didnt play cleanly.

Also see click my username and go to the post for the listing "AAAAHH HELP!".
This was a post for nervousness before a performance (and is applicable for auditions).

Read my comment, because I have given that little speech to TONS of people before a performance/ audition (of course using a different example in years prior to the most recent winter olympics) and they all turned out fine. A friend bombed an audition, but because she still fought to perform, she made the cut. Another friend dropped a line in a play we were in, but I covered, and we saved the show because we kept going.

Oh WOW I got off topic......... Oh well.

fluteguy18 · Post by **fluteguy18** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 9:55 pm

Well I guess not..... I think...... Please forgive me. I had my wisdom teeth removed this morning and I still cant think straight.

sherbert789 · Post by **sherbert789** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 10:55 pm

On your comment of still getting into a great school and never making All-States (congrats, by the way) . . .

It's basically the same deal here in PA (I've never made it either). As my teacher reminds me constantly, don't take the results of those auditions to heart . . . because you know who judges you? Band directors who frequently know very little about classical flute playing (for example, my band director is a jazz trombonist).

But still, good luck in those auditions . . .

fluteguy18 · Post by **fluteguy18** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 6:55 am

yeah good luck you guys! (sorry we got sidetracked)

MeLizzard · Post by **MeLizzard** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 8:31 am

Band directors judge you?!?

That's just wrong! Geez, even in lowly West Virginia, students are adjudicated by college professors who actually play their instrument. Not that injustice doesn't sometimes occur. We use screened auditions as well. Mostly, I think it doesn't really matter, because, especially in a smaller state, there are always two or three prominent teachers, and even behind a screen, it's pretty easy to know at least whose student one is hearing. OR, each listener is so set in his or her preferences that certain types of players (taught by particular type of teacher) are always selected. We've had an ongoing issue with technique as the primary factor in success. Nevermind said students must play in a SECTION, blending with other players and being in-tune. Often, the first- and second-chair players have mediocre or just plain wimpy tones, etc. Like fluteguy18, some of my students have failed to make all-state but then received good scholarships to respectable schools, ahead of the "stars".

Congratulations!

sherbert789 · Post by **sherbert789** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 8:40 am

Oh wow, I thought it was like PA everywhere. Yeah, it's a drag with band directors, especially in a competitive area (my district includes Philadelphia and the surrounding . . . and for the most part quite wealthy {with the exception of my town} . . . suburbs). But I've heard in other parts of the state they'll only have say, 10 flutes trying out for . . . 10 positions (where last year we had 111 flutes . . . ).

That's really cool that you had professionals, but I can see how there can definitely still be problems. As my teacher tells me, just do these auditions for the audition experience, don't take the results to heart (WAY too much room for error!)

FltnPicc_David · Post by **FltnPicc_David** » Sat Aug 12, 2006 9:54 pm

I just found out there is a Small School Honors All State Band in FL. Well generally, it's a known fatc that here, the judges are biased towards players who come from large band programs because big program = good players to them.

I go to a small school so I am eligible for Small Schools. In that case, my band director nominates me and if chosen, I get into the All State Small Schools band automatically and just audition there for my chair. But I'll try out for the 9th & 10th Band formally also. (As in going to the designated audition location and taping.)