After auditioning for the Metro 8 District concert and jazz bands at SLUH, Nov. 1, six Howell students found out Nov. 2 that they would perform with these honor ensembles. Three students will perform with the concert band: freshman Taylor Rawlings on clarinet, freshman Jessica Hale on baritone, and senior Matthew Bogan on tuba. Sophomore Jaina Woods will be an alternate for the concert band on trumpet. Two students made the jazz band: junior Daniel Kent and senior Preston Reuter, both on trombone. Kent auditioned for and made both the concert and jazz bands but opted to perform with the jazz band.

“I’m actually really surprised that I made the band, but I’m very happy about it,” Hale said. “I was pretty nervous for my audition, especially because I didn’t really know my scales.”

Auditionees practiced for the audition from a shortened selection of scales and etudes from the all-state audition materials. The concert band audition consisted of two parts, both which took place in separate rooms. Auditionees played their memorized scales in the first audition. While the auditions were blind, the scales room had a room monitor to prevent auditionees from looking at their music since all 12 major and minor scales were expected to be memorized. The second part of the audition took place in another room where auditionees were allowed to look at their music as they played etudes which determined how their technique was.

“I felt pretty confident on my etudes though which was good,” Hale said. “When Mr. Miller first said that I made it, I was a little confused, but so happy that all my practicing paid off.” 

The jazz band audition was different from the concert band audition. Instead of playing scales along with an etude, auditionees practiced a latin and a swing etude, a blues chart, and a jazz standard. 

“I literally did jazz because I was bored, but you could say I was inspired by jazz drummer Jared Spears,” Kent said. “I also started playing jazz because I was invited to play in the jazz concert my freshman year so I took the class last year, which I really enjoyed.”

Spears graduated in 2022, where he was the first person from Howell to make the all-state jazz band in 2021. Spears made the band again in 2022.

All students who make district ensembles as well as alternates are eligible to audition for an all-state ensemble, whether that be orchestra, concert band, or jazz band. All-state auditions are Dec. 3 at Hickman.