Three Qualify for Area Auditions, One Advances to All-State
By Todd Kleiboer
Communications Specialist
After months of preparation, three Sherman High School Band students performed at the Area Auditions recently, with one student earning a position in the 5A All-State Band.
“It takes a lot of maturity to set your sights on a goal for so long and see it through to the end,” said Director of Bands Ryan Jenkins. “I'm very proud of them!”
Senior David Wittler, senior Kayla Davis and sophomore Rachel Hammett managed to make the All-Region and “knew what it took to compete with other 5A and 6A high schools in the North Texas area,” Jenkins said.
Davis, who plays oboe, placed fourth chair in the area, and Hammett, a senior French horn player, placed eighth. Wittler, a tuba player, placed first and advanced, marking the first time he had moved past Area.
“I was a little nervous,” Wittler said about the auditions. “It was my last chance to make State, so I was just trying to keep calm.”
Then, he went to face the judges and “played the best” he could.
“In the entire state of Texas, David is one of only seven students on tuba to qualify,” Jenkins said. “He is in very elite company.”
To add a little more difficulty, this year’s Area Auditions were in-person after last year’s had been virtual. Hammett was a little nervous facing judges after so long but enjoyed the social part of meeting new band players.
“The nerves of playing in front of people after not having to for a year and a half was the biggest challenge,” Hammett said.
Davis said she plays better “with the adrenaline rush of performing in front of others” and liked the return to in-person auditions. Wittler echoed that feeling.
“I really appreciate being able to work through diverse styles and complicated techniques that have really improved my performance as a player,” Davis added.
One advantage the virtual auditions did offer, though, was the ability to re-record pieces, but a big drawback was that most microphones could not pick up on the subtle tones of the instrument.
“It was pretty much like evaluating half of it — your notes and your style,” Hammett said. “Tone is the other half, and you can’t evaluate that on a microphone recording.”
In-person auditions took recording equipment out of the equation, and Jenkins said “learning how to deal with the stress of in-person auditions is a big part of what our kids learn from this process.”
Davis, Hammett and Wittler thanked their private tutors and Jenkins for guiding them through the months of preparation for Region and Area.
For Wittler, earning a spot in the All-State Band is the payoff of years of work inside and outside of class. He heads next to the All-State Convention and Clinic in San Antonio Feb. 9 to 12.
“I hope to experience what it’s like to play with the best,” Wittler said. “I also want to see my path if I continue playing music, and I want to try out different instruments.”
Wittler is currently practicing new music for a public concert featuring the All-State Band, and he will play alongside the other All-State musicians Feb. 12.
Photo: Kayla Davis, a senior oboist, waits for instructions during class. Photo by Todd Kleiboer, SISD Communications