Every year, a select group of students is brought together from schools all over the state to put on an amazing band concert. Top students from each school are put through a rigorous audition process to find the best performers on each instrument, and out of 881,464 high schoolers in the state of Colorado, only 220 are accepted to perform in this prestigious concert event.
Salida is one of the few schools to be recognised as having such a great musician. Senior Clara Streeter – a trumpet player – has been invited to perform in the Colorado All-State Symphonic small school band for two years in a row now. Despite being a “small school” band, it accepts students from any school with up to 1100 students.Streeter has been playing for seven years, and she has performed at multiple honor bands all over Colorado. Streeter says that, for her, the audition process and finding out which part she will be playing is the hardest part of the audition process. She goes on to say that the audition determines how much work she has to put in, showing just how difficult it is to get a good part. All-State band is not only a cool experience for students, it also helps all the bands in the state improve, swap ideas and connect.
Streeter said, “I not only learned to….be comfortable with myself and my accomplishments, but also, that I need to work harder for what I want.”
Streeter also expressed the idea that being with such talented musicians inspired her to practice and play more. For most high school students, anything All-State is a highly competitive thing, but in the music scene it connects and elevates students and schools alike. All-State band happens only once per year and each student selected is highly skilled. It serves as a goal to strive for and an experience to remember. Only sophomores and up can even audition, and in the higher band it is only juniors and seniors.
Streeter tells oncoming band members to “keep on the grind because the more you practice, the more you have it in your head, … the sooner you can work on your phrasing, your dynamics, this that and the other and everything you need to make your audition, to not only be good, but for it to be spectacular.”
Streeter is extremely excited to go to All-State, and she departs on April fourth. She cannot wait to see what she will learn while on this exciting musical journey!
