Though NH is full of talented musicians, there are a few who stand out above the rest.
Once a year, interested students take can audition for All County Band. It’s the one chance, as band director David Wacyk states, to work on their own to nail the audition. Wacyk admits he is rather “hands off” during this process, but he knows that his students learn better from individual practice than from working with him.
“All County is one of those events where I try to let the students work mostly on their own. It is a chance for the student musicians to take on the responsibility on their own,” states Wacyk.
The process of preparing for All County requires that students practice the music on their own time in order to make it “performance ready” according to Wacyk. Participating members are expected to make sure that they have a clear schedule since rehearsals span over a period of several weeks.
“It’s a big role to take on,” Wacyk said. “Everyone who does audition is definitely at the top of his or her game.”
Junior and first chair flutist Chloe Leed states that preparing for auditions takes months and hours of preparation. “Once we get the music (if we make it in), it is even more practicing, since then we have a month of preparation.”
Second chair flute player sophomore Marissa Ramsland shared that she had to practice for All County for about 40 minutes for all 5 pieces.
“Once the students step on the stage to audition, they are in front of a very friendly panel [of] band directors from many different high schools in the area,” further explained Wacyk. “When the musicians start performing they are evaluated on their, tone quality, articulation, correct notes and rhythm, and understanding of scales.”
This year at NHHS, 15% of the band made it into All County, which is a total of 10 members from the school’s band, according to Wacyk. Most of the members who made it in got solos as well in their All County performances. Also, along with the 10 making it into the band, two students from North Harford made first chair and three students made second chair.
According to Ramsland, students who are auditioning from other schools take the music very seriously.
“They [the members from other schools] are extremely talented and impressive,” Leed further shared. “I enjoy seeing the difference between the regular school band members and some of the best musicians in Maryland.”
Two of the five pieces the All County band played pieces were The Seasons and The Unknown Soldier. Ramsland shared that her hardest piece out of these two was The Seasons, “The rhythms were extremely complicated and some of the tempos of some movements were very fast to play up to tempo,” said Ramsland.
For people thinking about auditioning next year Wacyk states, “Simply auditioning gives a huge boost of ability and confidence for future projects or for future auditions. After all, if you want to improve, you have to practice.”