Junior horn player Lexi Layton and sophomore bassoonist Ryan Mallett qualified for the All-Virginia Band on Feb. 22 and are now set to have their All-State show on April 26.
To be given the opportunity to audition for All-State, students must first score high enough at their District ensemble assessment. The slim number of qualifying spots make it a prestigious achievement as band players from all across the state work hard for a position. Once Layton and Mallett earned a qualifying score, they attended the state auditions that were scheduled for Feb. 22.
“Only a select few people get to audition for state, and then from my section, it’s the top 21 horns that get into state,” Layton said. “It’s quite a few people considering the amount of people that audition.”
To help his students, band director David Keller uses his own expertise and practices to implement audition skills in regular rehearsals.
“We do work on rhythm readings so that [the students’] Sight Reading scores at a level hopefully that they can do well for that portion of the audition,” Mr. Keller said. “They have to know all their scales so we do scales on a daily basis just to make sure that it’s committed to muscle memory. Trying to teach the basics of proper breath work, proper tone technique, all those good things.”
Along with practicing with their band classes, Layton and Mallett set aside hours to practice their instruments at home. They follow their own strict schedules so they progress to the state level.
“If I just get home and I’m ready to practice, I’ll probably just pick [up my bassoon] for like 30 to 45 minutes,” Mallett said. “I try to practice at least every other day, sometimes more than that, but I try my best to be consistent.”
After all this extensive practice, both students have built up their skill set to perform with other accomplished players. However, Layton and Mallett still struggle with the regular nerves and imperfections that come with playing live.
“I think with every audition, there are always moments where you fumble a note, or something along that line,” Layton said. “Everyone has the same experience.”
The musicians will be given their music on April 24, only two days before they will play it at the show. With this short time, Layton and Mallett will lean on their personal and school trainings before rehearsing with a guest conductor, who is typically nationally known.
This achievement is something both students are proud of, and they recognize the support systems that helped them get to where they are today. Whether that be their family or band directors, both students are filled with feelings of gratitude along with their brewing excitement about the show.
“It’s a super fun opportunity that I’ve never gotten to do before,” Mallett said. “I get to be with other people who have the same interest as I do, which is really cool because I’m only one of two people in our school who plays bassoon.”
