All District Band students excel
Matthew Hundley / (matthew.hundley@averyjournal.com)
Avery County produces some of North Carolina’s best musicians.
After extensive auditions, four Avery County students have been selected to play in All District Band. These students were chosen from more than 1,200 competitors from middle schools and high schools in Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Burke, Caldwell, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Iredell, Stokes, Surry, Wilkes, Watauga and Yadkin counties.
One Avery County High School student, Keegan Henry, will play tuba in the band. Henry is a senior and ACHS and has made the cut for the district band twice before.
“This will be my third year making it into All District, I made fourth chair symphonic band in eighth grade, fourth chair symphonic band in 11th grade and now first chair concert band this year. The good thing is that I got 1st chair in the lower band which means if there are any solos, I get them and they all will have to tune to me and such,” said Henry, explaining that his repeated participation in All-District Band represent a notable personal accomplishment and distinction for his future musical endeavors. “It is a great accomplishment for someone to get in at least once so I am glad that I have had the opportunity to make it three times. It is a great way to end my senior year.
From Avery’s two middle schools, three students will perform alongside other talented musicians in the All District Band concert.
Jacob Daniels, a seventh grader from Cranberry Middle School, will play trumpet; Spencer Dearmin, an eighth grader from Cranberry Middle school was selected to play alto saxophone; and McKinley Calloway, an eighth grader from Avery Middle School, won a spot in the drum section.
“The All District Band is composed of the best students in the district. There were about 1,200 students that went down to audition, and they only take about 90 for each band,” explained Dee Raby, who teaches band at AMS and ACHS. “They competed against the top band students.”
Patrick Templeton, who teaches band at CMS and works with Raby to teach band at ACHS, explained the process students went through in order to make the cut.
“The students had to practice on their own and after school,” said Templeton, describing the extra time and commitment required of those students who competed. According to Templeton, the audition itself required three separate components: Playing scales, sight-reading music and a solo performance for the panel of judges.
“The top students on each instrument were then selected to perform with All District Honors Band at ASU later in February,” said Templeton.
According to Raby and Templeton, what makes the students’ success so remarkable is the extremely high level of competition for the seat in the district band.
“Many of those students who try out from those counties down the mountain have top-of-the-line instruments and private lessons. Our students go down there with these instruments,” said Raby, indicating the typical in-class instruments in the band room. “Our kids do not get private lessons. For them to make this is astounding.”
Daniels and Dearmin both described their experience in the audition for All District Band, as well as the excitement of being selected.
“I was sort of nervous. There were a lot of kids there, over 1,000 easily. It feels great to be the first ones at Cranberry in eight years to make it,” said Daniels.
“We got there real early, but I was one of the last ones to try out, so I was there all day, until about 4 p.m.,” said Dearmin. “The first thing we did was play scales, then we had to sight read and the play a solo. It feels pretty cool.”
This is the second year in a row that ACS has sent four students to the All District Band.
Raby and Templeton emphasized that the best way to show support for the students is to come to the district band concerts. Two separate concerts will take place, one for the middle school all-district band, then one for the high school all-district band.
The middle school concert will take place at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Feb. 25, at Farthing Auditorium on the campus of ASU in Boone.
The high school concert will take place at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 26, also at Farthing Auditorium. The concerts are both free to the public.
After extensive auditions, four Avery County students have been selected to play in All District Band. These students were chosen from more than 1,200 competitors from middle schools and high schools in Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Burke, Caldwell, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Iredell, Stokes, Surry, Wilkes, Watauga and Yadkin counties.
One Avery County High School student, Keegan Henry, will play tuba in the band. Henry is a senior and ACHS and has made the cut for the district band twice before.
“This will be my third year making it into All District, I made fourth chair symphonic band in eighth grade, fourth chair symphonic band in 11th grade and now first chair concert band this year. The good thing is that I got 1st chair in the lower band which means if there are any solos, I get them and they all will have to tune to me and such,” said Henry, explaining that his repeated participation in All-District Band represent a notable personal accomplishment and distinction for his future musical endeavors. “It is a great accomplishment for someone to get in at least once so I am glad that I have had the opportunity to make it three times. It is a great way to end my senior year.
From Avery’s two middle schools, three students will perform alongside other talented musicians in the All District Band concert.
Jacob Daniels, a seventh grader from Cranberry Middle School, will play trumpet; Spencer Dearmin, an eighth grader from Cranberry Middle school was selected to play alto saxophone; and McKinley Calloway, an eighth grader from Avery Middle School, won a spot in the drum section.
“The All District Band is composed of the best students in the district. There were about 1,200 students that went down to audition, and they only take about 90 for each band,” explained Dee Raby, who teaches band at AMS and ACHS. “They competed against the top band students.”
Patrick Templeton, who teaches band at CMS and works with Raby to teach band at ACHS, explained the process students went through in order to make the cut.
“The students had to practice on their own and after school,” said Templeton, describing the extra time and commitment required of those students who competed. According to Templeton, the audition itself required three separate components: Playing scales, sight-reading music and a solo performance for the panel of judges.
“The top students on each instrument were then selected to perform with All District Honors Band at ASU later in February,” said Templeton.
According to Raby and Templeton, what makes the students’ success so remarkable is the extremely high level of competition for the seat in the district band.
“Many of those students who try out from those counties down the mountain have top-of-the-line instruments and private lessons. Our students go down there with these instruments,” said Raby, indicating the typical in-class instruments in the band room. “Our kids do not get private lessons. For them to make this is astounding.”
Daniels and Dearmin both described their experience in the audition for All District Band, as well as the excitement of being selected.
“I was sort of nervous. There were a lot of kids there, over 1,000 easily. It feels great to be the first ones at Cranberry in eight years to make it,” said Daniels.
“We got there real early, but I was one of the last ones to try out, so I was there all day, until about 4 p.m.,” said Dearmin. “The first thing we did was play scales, then we had to sight read and the play a solo. It feels pretty cool.”
This is the second year in a row that ACS has sent four students to the All District Band.
Raby and Templeton emphasized that the best way to show support for the students is to come to the district band concerts. Two separate concerts will take place, one for the middle school all-district band, then one for the high school all-district band.
The middle school concert will take place at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Feb. 25, at Farthing Auditorium on the campus of ASU in Boone.
The high school concert will take place at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 26, also at Farthing Auditorium. The concerts are both free to the public.