Through the course of the Area auditions in Odessa on Jan. 7, 14 students competed and four students qualified for the All-State Band. The four All-State Band members will perform Saturday, Feb. 11 in San Antonio at the Texas Music Educators Association convention.

Junior Braden Lefevre, 6A All-State saxophonist, said he spent hours analyzing his progress and attempting new techniques to improve his playing level of the pieces.

“It’s consecutive practice that really matters so you have to do two to three hours every single day,” Lefevre said. “You can’t ever skip a day or else it kind of messes up the progress of the whole thing. You have to have consecutive hours of practice and then you also have to practice the right way.”

Lefevre said he used the instruction and critique of his teachers and peers to improve his practicing time and make the most of his work.

“You have to be willing to try new things,” Lefevre said. “Again, if you do the same thing over and over then eventually you are going to hit a wall, and you are not going to make much progress. So you have to keep on advancing.”

Lefevre qualified for the 5A All-State band last year, which he said pushed and motivated him to maintain that level this year.

“Last year was a great achievement, and I was blown away,” Lefevre said. “This year I was trying to keep that.”

Junior Nathan Armstrong submitted a recording for the All-State band audition, and did not place.

“I thought I did really good,” Armstrong said. “There wasn’t any pressure of anybody else listening so I did the best I could on my etudes.”

Those whose instrument sections are smaller must qualify for the band by placing first in their area then competing via recordings for elite spots.

“Recording was completely different,” Armstrong said. “It was a lot harder because you didn’t know what you were up against and it could have been anybody.”

Lefevre said making the All-State Band is an acknowledgement that his continual hard work has paid off.

“It’s a big honor, and it’s a validation that I’m doing something right,” Lefevre said. “It makes me feel like music is definitely something worth pursuing in the future. It’s a good feeling to have an identity through something you’re good at.”

While the band placed seven students in the All-State Band in 2006, the current four All-State Band members represent the largest number of qualifiers since the school became 5A.

“It feels very affirming because we have always had really good students prepare very well, but this year it felt like they got credit for it,” head band director Mike Sheffield said.

Bassoon

Meghan Brooks, 5A representative

Julia Miller, alternate

Saxophone

Braden Lefevre, 6A representative

French Horn

Aryauna Thompson, alternate

Baritone

Nicholas O’Con, 5A representative

Tuba

Isaac Ortiz, 5A representative