On Saturday, December 3rd, multiple Lebanon Trail Blazer band students participated in All Region auditions. This competition asks high school musicians to learn three etudes, or pieces of music. They perform them in a room with 20-30 students from freshmen to seniors. Two or three judges listen to the etudes behind a tarp and rank the students, only letting so many go onto the second phase of the auditions. Lebanon Trail students were represented well with multiple students making phase 2. On December 5th they went back to play another section of their etudes to make one of three region bands open for 5A school students to make a chair in.

Students were asked how they prepared for the the first phase of the event, and one student, Ivy Park, replied,  saying, “I practiced at least thirty minutes every day.” The band students worked hard to fit preparations into their schedules, Ivy continuing to say, “If I couldn’t and if I didn’t have time, I would practice at least fifteen minutes.”

When asked about how they had hoped to do in phase 2, many were wary of the challenge, but embraced it, hoping to do well and make it into one of the bands.

Upon asking how they did at Freshman Region, students said that they could’ve done better, but were still proud of their accomplishments. The competition was a huge challenge, but many were successful. “I just pushed through my nerves,” Mary Debes stated.

Many students did well in the second phase on Monday and at Freshman Region. It was a challenge. “I had to learn how rhythms went and how I should sound,” said Joey Lopez. “The rest should come easier,” he continued. Joey went on to make 7th chair of concert band and 1st alternate at Freshman Region.

With practice and hard work, all of the band students entering All Region are preparing for the challenge. They are in high hopes that their work will pay off.

These talented students made an All Region or Freshman Region band.

High School All Region

Catherine Zhou – Flute

Ernie Wang – Alto Saxophone

Joshua Crossman – Euphonium

Chloe Lee – Bass Clarinet

Jack Crawford –  Baritone Saxophone

Shreeka Kumar – Trumpet

Cory Shen – Trumpet

Joey Lopez – Trombone

Riley McMahon – Tuba

Arvind Subramanian – Percussion

Kyne Sun – Percussion

Austin Probst – Percussion

9th Grade All Region

Ivy Park – Flute

Lexi Aguirre – Oboe

Sophy Li – Clarinet

Luke Mello – Clarinet

Surya Shankar – Clarinet

Brendan Quiggle – Tenor Saxophone

Katy Baker – Trumpet

Aarti Aravapalli – French Horn

Ethan Beltran- French Horn

Mary Debes- French Horn

Joshua Weng- French Horn

Arianna Parks- French Horn

Arianna Bohara- French Horn