Each year, two students attend District Band as representatives for the school district. Usually, the two students chosen to attend this formal event are selected based on their performance in the Honors Band; however, this year, only one student, Audrey Mooney (11), performed in the Honors Band. To fill in for the second spot this year, Calla Reynolds (12) was selected to step up and represent the school.
This year, District Band is taking place on Feb. 4-6 and will be hosted at Sharon High School. On Feb. 4, Mooney and Reynolds will audition for the concert using excerpts from concert music they have obtained prior to the event. On the day of the event, the students will be expected to perform a few more excerpts of concert music that they will be given upon arrival, enabling them to complete their audition. After the performance is concluded, the ranking of each student will determine their chair placement, which furthers their chances of qualifying for the Region Band. Region Band is another honorable event tied to District Band, which will be hosted during the springtime.
“I am most looking forward to rehearsing the actual music,” Mooney said, “This is the first year where I really like all the pieces, and sitting inside the music is so much different than listening to it.”
Over the course of the last two years, Mooney had qualified for the District band each year, making this her third year attending the event. This has given her ample opportunities to delve into the musical field outside of the district.
“My favorite things about festivals from the last three years would be meeting all of the people who care about music,” Mooney said, “It is a very different atmosphere from what you have in band class, partly because we have two days to rehearse and then a concert that same night.”
The preparation for these students begins on Feb. 4, which only gives the students a few days to gather all of the resources they need. They will spend all day rehearsing on Feb. 5 with different music that will help them with their performance. To help prepare themselves outside of rehearsal time, Mooney and Reynolds listened to different pieces of music and played their instruments to gain a better understanding of what they were about to complete.
“Since I do not have a lot of time to sit down and practice my instrument, I have been listening to recordings of our setlist on repeat for weeks,” Reynolds said, “I think the repetition helps me understand how I should approach playing the more complicated rhythms.”
As the event approaches, both students will begin to prepare more often and practice their instruments routinely in order to be well prepared for the competition. This will give them a better chance of qualifying for the later festival, the Regional Band.