Cedar students secure spots in all-state band
Sophomore Evan Greene and senior Thomas Wilson have earned spots in the Georgia Music Educators Association (GMEA) All-State Band after two rounds of auditions.
“I was pretty surprised (to get in), because everyone I heard did better than me. So I didn’t really expect I was gonna make it, but I was happy,” Wilson said.
According to band teacher Tyler Jones, students need to be dedicated to practice and improvement in order to place in the GMEA All-State Band.
“The biggest thing that gets a student in all-state is that preparation process. Thomas is working hard every single day. Evan is always here first in the morning, and works every single day. It’s not surprising that they made it because they are working super hard, and really, that’s what gets you in all-state, is just getting those habits and building up and working, and they’re doing that,” Jones said.
Students aren’t the only ones who put in the work. Greene says that Jones and band director Devin Driskell helped him throughout the audition process.
“Dr. Jones helps me a lot with trying to figure out how stuff should sound like for my etudes, he’s the one to help me figure out how to phrase them properly. Since Mr. Driskell plays the trombone, he’s just helpful when it comes to trying to figure out how to do something properly,” Greene said.
Wilson and Greene will rehearse with the entire All-State Band students March 5-6 and will play in concert on March 7 at the Classic Center theatre.
“It’s a really prestigious opportunity. A lot of people think it’s the pinnacle of achievement for high school band students,” Jones said.
