After practicing for several months and trying out and advancing in two auditions, a small group of band members are preparing for their final audition period which ends Wednesday at midnight.

“If a student advances passed area, then they will be a member of one of the All-State Ensembles, meaning the student is one of the top performing students in the entire state,” associate band director Cecily Yoakam said. “This is a highest individual achievement a student can work towards during high school and requires a tremendous amount of work, preparation, and discipline. This year, there are no in person performances or activities before March 1, so while they will not receive a full experience with All-State, they will still receive the distinction of All-State member.”

For freshman Nicole Johnson, the most important thing when trying to advance is time management.

“I am practicing every day for about an hour. I spent a lot of winter break focusing on the music and the details of each etude,” freshmen Nicole Johnson said. “My goal for practice is not to just run through each etude, but to really slow things down and work on the small details. For the audition, my goal is to go into it with a clear mind and not stress myself out. My advice is to take it seriously and make sure to spend time working through the etudes from the very start. Don’t put it off to the end.”

With thousands of students throughout the state going through the audition process, dedication and discipline are the keys for senior Adarsh Javvaji.

“I’ve prepared by making sure I could consistently play with the right control of the music and technique at slower tempos before speeding up. Last year, I placed 11th in the state on the 5A Bb Clarinet track,” Javvaji said. “I hope to place higher this year, though the discipline and patience I built from my practice is an achievement in itself. For people aspiring to make the region band or advance higher, work with the discipline to be patient with yourself and consistently fix your problems every single day.”