All-County band members have been chosen and are set to perform Jan. 27. They have put in the work and will be performing with other talented musicians from across the county.
The North Harford members chosen are senior Kaitlyn Calland, junior Waverly Iriarte, junior Liliana McGraw, sophomore Jacob Neary, senior Jasmine Owens, and junior Joshua Seltzer. These students had to go through auditions to be chosen. “We had two different excerpts and scales that we had to play at an audition,” Calland, a flute and piccolo player, said when describing the audition process. “I auditioned in November; they gave, like, two pieces: a fast and a slow piece,” said McGraw, a clarinet player. “They give you scales that you have to memorize and perform one for the judges,” she continued.
For the auditions, the students didn’t just show up; instead, they had to prepare by practicing over and over again. “The hardest part of the audition was just having to rehearse and practice a lot, and getting over the fact that it’s really nerve-wracking to audition,” said Calland. Along with Calland, McGraw also was nervous for the audition. The hardest part for her was also “the nerves of the audition,” she stated.
The practice for the auditions and putting themselves out there was all worth it, because they got in and have so much to look forward to. “I’m excited to get to play with a bunch of really dedicated musicians throughout the county and get to meet a lot of people that are really talented,” says Calland. The students will play with many musicians who went through the same process of auditions and earned their spot in the band. “I’m excited to play with this group of accomplished musicians,” said McGraw.
Most of these students have been playing their instruments since fourth grade. “I’ve been playing the flute since fourth grade, and I’ve been playing the piccolo for two years,” explained Calland. For the senior, this isn’t the first time she has been in the All-County Band. “I have been in All-County since sophomore year, and then I was also in it in eighth grade,” she explained.
In the All-County Band, the students practice multiple times and then perform at Havre de Grace High School. “We have an all-day rehearsal where we practice with our conductor and then we perform on Saturday,” explained the flutist. After a lot of work, the young musicians will be performing a much-anticipated show.