By Brent Hopper, LMPS band director
Nearly thirty percent of the LMPS (Lakeland Middle Preparatory School) Concert Band members have been selected for the All West Middle School Bands this year.
The students auditioned Saturday (1.18.20) at Northside High School in Jackson, TN, with 817 other students from the West Tennessee region middle schools.
Those selected for the Blue Band (top band for All West)
Dudley Nichols 1st Chair Blue Band Tuba
Omar Medina 2nd Chair Blue Band Trumpet
Samuel Carr 3rd Chair Blue Band Euphonium
Sean Chung 6th Chair Blue Band Clarinet
Those selected for Red Band (second band)
Olivia Green 1st Chair Red Band Oboe
Pierce Albrecht 1st Chair Red Band Trombone
Emelyn Robertson 3rd Chair Red Band Horn
Marie Bice 3rd Chair Red Band Euphonium
Miller McCormack 4th Chair Red Band Trumpet
Micah Roy 4th Chair Red Band Bassoon
Anandi Durgam 6th Chair Red Band Percussion
Isabella Da Silva 16th Chair Red Band Clarinet
James Ma 17th Chair Red Band Clarinet
Bennett Hale 1st Alternate Alto Saxophone
In their audition, students first perform a prepared piece. They also perform a chromatic scale displaying the full range of their instrument, two major scales selected at random and conclude by performing a short sight reading excerpt. For sight reading, the students are given thirty seconds to look over a couple of lines of music they have never seen before, and then are rated on their ability to accurately perform what they see.
Regardless of whether or not a student makes the All-West Bands or not, I’m incredibly proud of the work my students put into their auditions. This experience will give them valuable feedback as they continue to grow not only as musicians, but as people.
All students selected will gather for the All-West Clinic Feb. 13th-15th at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Memphis.
…Photo courtesy of LMPS
