All State Music Festivals!

[Caesium Iodide]

Salutations everyone. As you may have noticed, Armonia has been stored away for a little bit due to my mood not yet reaching her capacity of happiness. But she is my patron of music.


So, has anyone ever auditioned for All State? Do you know what it is?

If you don't know what All State is, it's a music festival that every state in the U.S. holds to honor the best high school music students! It's an honor to get accepted because it's a very long and hard process to acceptance and just to audition.

I am auditioning this year on baritone saxophone, but I need some motivational help too.

I'm curious to know if anyone has made All State and if you have, I really badly want to follow the footsteps it took to get there.

I'm writing this about 20 minutes before my band lesson for my All State stuff and I'm nervous because it finally hit me that this is a very big deal and I can't take it lightly.

The All State Music Festival of Iowa is one of the hardest in the nation to get accepted to and on top of that, only six baritone saxophones get accepted. I'm a little more than stressed and tired of my procrastination.
So please, talk about honorary music festivals and if you could… pm me some motivational quotes or something.

Happy Trails!~

[Toxicdog]

Ahhh, high school...

I was in the texas state symphonic as well as strings. In both I was a viola. Dedicate two hours of practice a day, if not more. I know we required sight reading a piece to qualify, I don't know if you have to. If you do, try sight reading at least one new piece a day. Work with a metronome to get your notes down. Most importantly, work with the director! Make sure you're meeting his standards, he mostly likely knows what it takes for someone to rank high enough.

Enjoy this time! There's very few students motivated enough to follow through. Love learning about music and it'll make practice fun.

Here's a quote from our neurosurgeon professor, "The only thing you need to do, to be where I am, is the ability to sit down and study [practice]." This is pretty much true! Good luck! ^.^

[Caesium Iodide]

Thank you Toxic!!


I found my etudes on YouTube, so I thought I would share them with you.

Etude 1

Etude 2

I can play the second one beautifully, but my favorite would have to be the first etude. I like how it sounds, but then again, it sounds different on a bari. 

[Toxicdog]

It seems your state does the same as ours. One piece is to test technical skills, while the other is emotional. With the technical piece, I imagine the judges will judge you blinded (behind a screen) to discern mistakes or rushing/slowing. The emotional piece will be in front of them. Sway with the music, feel it, put some passion into it! That's what they're looking for. A powerful stage presence is major points.


A favorite quote from my orchestra professor, "I've never seen a statue play in a symphony, now move with the music!"


I highly recommend watching this video, as it taught me how to start feeling music....
https://youtu.be/r9LCwI5iErE

[Caesium Iodide]

Thank you so much Toxic!!

[Toxicdog]

You're very welcome, if you need anything else, let me know!

Good luck!

[Caesium Iodide]

Well friends. The time has come.

Iowa All State Music Feativals are this weekend; three days. I'm so nervous it's unbelievable. The more I think about it the sicker I become.

Throughout the past two months of practicing, my band director had pretty much told me I was shitty (and that was simply because she never motivated me. Soooooo.). I had found out about three weeks ago that seven, SEVEN, other people were auditioning on baritone sax, just like me. I cringed and closed my eyes, remembering that my district, and every district in Iowa can only take one baritone sax, resulting in six at my state's capital.

I had really high hopes and expected myself to get accepted out of the eight auditioning. But as time went on, my director started to make me feel worse about myself, even when I'd practice my required music and scales.

Now, I have this notion. For two specific people in my life, my former band director and my mother.
My mother made Iowa's All State Choir, as an Alto I, her senior year. She said it was a great experience and she was so thrilled about going.
My former director, he never made All State, but I told him, that when I'd make it, it would be in his honor. He touched my life and made me a great musician and gave me an unbelievable amount of love for music. In fact, I was talking to him today, and life seemed so good to finally keep in touch with him.

But that's not the point.

The point is, I want to thank you for reading this because that means you may support me (or you were just bored). I'm really nervous and scared so if someone could say "I'm all good." I'd be ever thankful.

Thank you all again.
Happy Trails…~

[Caesium Iodide]

My clock is ticking down.
I'm so scared.
Nervous.
Tired.

All I want to do is cry.
Someone tell me I'm going to do a good job.

All State is the most intense using thing ever and I'm putting my musicianship on the line.
Help me…

[Traum]

You will do just fine or maybe even superbly! Think about what good can come of it, because let's be honest how many times did you greatest fears come true?

[Keinai]

I made All State for French Horn freshman year, I think they accepted four or five others.


But that's because my stepmom pressured me to practice EVERY DAY on top of marching band, schoolwork, and sports.

[Caesium Iodide]

I haven't made a post about it yet, but I did make it

I was the most prepared out of the six baritone saxes who auditioned.
I'm proud of myself.

But I practiced a lot because I wanted to be an "Elite" but I ended up being an "Automatic." Meaning immediate acceptance after I auditioned.

[Caesium Iodide]

Lol

Hi.

I leave in TWO DAYS for the All-State Music Festival!!! I'm very excited!!!

[Toxicdog]

I knew you'd make it! So awesome. I hope you had a great time.