For those who are selected, All-County is an opportunity for some of the musically inclined students at North Harford to participate in a rewarding challenge.

    Individual students in middle schools and high schools across the county have the same opportunity to audition for choir, band, and orchestra.  According to those who have participated in the past, the difficulty of the music is amplified for these groups.  Rehearsals generally take place in the on a Saturday and they will take place at Bel Air HS this year.  

   Senior Emma Nystrom has participated in All-County choir prior this year. “… It was so much fun and you get to meet plenty of other people who all share a passion for singing. Not to mention you get to work with an incredible conductor,” said Nystrom.  “I wanted to do All-County because I will take all the experience I can get, and it’s so much fun. I definitely recommend it.”

   Junior Elizabeth Eakes participated last year in All-County orchestra.  “I enjoyed it, I mean that’s why I tried out again. I think it was really cool because everyone in All-County is passionate about music and there’s a lot of talent, so it felt really cool to be a part of it and to play more challenging music,” said Eakes. The junior also said she thinks the experience is “really rewarding because you get to work with a different director and different people which can help you grow as a musician when you get different opinions, and also there’s a lot of hours involved of playing viola so it made me a better musician because I was practicing more.”   Eakes plans to do it again next year if she gets in and she would recommend it to anyone “who enjoys playing their instrument and wants to be part of a talented ensemble.”  

     “The all day rehearsals are pretty hard, but it’s mostly fun,” says senior orchestra student Elise Jacobson. Jacobson has participated in the All County experience since 8th grade.  The senior describes the experience as challenging. “I like it a lot, it challenges people who aren’t used to playing in something like that.”

  This will be junior Cassidy McGinty’s first year in All-County chorus. “I’m really looking forward to being in the whole group. I’m really looking forward to learning the music with a whole bunch of people that really want to be there and want to sing,” said McGinty.  The music student said she thinks the experience is going to be really helpful. “I’m in a chorus where I haven’t sung with men really, so this will be a really big experience.  Just being able to sing with guys too and with all these parts and a huge chorus and everyone wants to be there will be really cool,” said McGinty.

 Sophomore Bret Sellers is also making his debut in All-County band this year.  As of mid-January, Sellers said that his group had received the music, but they had not had  any rehearsals yet.   “It looks like it’s going to be a challenge, so I’m excited for it. I definitely think it will help my music career I’m looking to going into music as my career, so it’s definitely more challenging than anything I’ve seen so far,” said Sellers.  

 Senior Hillary Young, who was in All-County band and orchestra last year, said that the All-County band this year was really great. “Our wind section, we’ve only had orchestra so far, so our wind section sounds really good, really cohesive as a group,” said Young, who thinks  “it’s really rewarding. It definitely looks really good on transcripts and stuff because it’s an advanced music group, but it will definitely say that you have some sort of talent in the music field to let colleges know that’s something you’re cool with.”