The Regional Band Competition is an event in which band members from local schools prepare for and perform an audition consisting of scales, prepared solos, musical terms, sight-readings and tone to compete with some of the best band members from various schools in the region.
Mr. Deen, band director at North Augusta High School, takes part in this competition. He said his favorite part about the event is, “That it gives students the opportunity to excel individually.”
The auditions were hosted by North Augusta High School on January 8th.
Gillian Gregory, one of the auditioning band students, said “Students would have an assigned audition time and at their time would go into a room to complete all the audition aspects. Judges would score them and afterwards results came out notifying students if they made all-state auditions, region band or region band alternate. Those who made it go on to spend ~2 days at a band clinic and learn a few pieces of music that they will then perform, this event usually happens in late February.”
There was a total of 19 students from North Augusta High School who were selected to the Region Band.
Being a part of the Region Band is an honorable accomplishment. Noah Lindler, a North Augusta Student who made the band, said, “I'm very excited to be a part of the Senior Region Band and to be able to play with some of the best musicians in the region. I can't wait to spend two days learning new music and performing it.”
Before the competition, the students go through many hours of preparation and practice. Kendall Risher said “We start preparing for our auditions around October and November with our scales, sight reading, solos, chromatic scale, terms, and memorization of all of these as well. I spent weeks practicing my solo and scales with one of our teachers, Ms. Newcomb.”
The audition process can be very nerve-wracking for some students. Andrew Altringer, another NAHS student who auditioned, said, “Personally, I was nervous for my audition. In the moment it's very easy to feel like you didn't prepare enough. A lot of the time, my muscle memory takes over so much that whatever I'm doing feels automatic. I always end up thinking, ‘I should've practiced this more,’ and this time around, I felt disappointed that I didn't do everything as well as I know I could've. However, as time passed after the audition, I felt more and more confident about how I did.”
Many members of the North Augusta High School Band were able to audition and take part in Region Band, and The Buzz offers congratulations to each of these students.
Photo Credit: Contributed by Emma Carter
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