After completing the extremely competitive audition process, sophomore clarinet player William Kaplan qualified for the All-state Band in January. Kaplan is the first St. Pius X student to make All-State Band in nearly a decade. 

All-State Band is composed of the best high school band students across the state, and they will perform on March 5 at the Classic Center in Athens. 

Making All-State Band is an extremely difficult task, especially if you are in the Atlanta area due to the high number of applicants from this particular district.  Applicants are judged on major scales, chromatic scale, lyrical etude, and sight-reading ability. The diversity of the score sheet helps to make sure that only the best in the state make the cut, and a score of 85 or higher is required in the district to advance. 

“The most nerve-wracking part about the audition is the 30 or so minutes before the audition,” Kaplan said. “The school hosting the auditions sets up a practice area, and I spend the 30 minutes panicking and going through all my music.”

Kaplan has been playing the clarinet for six years. He practices every day with his instructor, and he plans on pursuing band in college. 

“I love playing the clarinet, and I might even get a scholarship for it,” Kaplan said.

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