One process that every band student undergoes is the audition from All-Region to All-State. No matter what instrument a student plays or what grade they’re in, the students will be subjected to the audition, which will dominate their life for anywhere from a week to over a month.

Early in the summer, the music arrangements are released to the students, each piece respective to their instrument. The students then practice the music and make themselves as comfortable with it as possible.

“It all starts with the region band audition, when all the school districts within a certain radius audition for a spot in the region band in order to make the next level, and out of the five they take to region, the first two bass trombonists go to area,” sophomore bass trombonist Matt Tuggle said. “Area is an audition for a spot in the all-state band, and once you make all-state, you go to the all-state convention and audition for a band placement there. It’s really just a series of auditions.” said sophomore, Matt Tuggle.

However, the process was slightly different for senior flutist Shilpa Kudva. She considered the first audition to be the most difficult because of the immense number of talented flutists that compete in the region.

“It’s really difficult; in the region audition, you’re already competing inside of the best regions in the state of Texas, so I was competing against some of the most amazing flutists from all of the high schools in the region. If you advance, and are one of the top six people, then you compete again against the six best flute-players in the four regions for a spot in state. But the end result is really worth it,” Kudva said.

The number of musicians who advance through the different phases is specific to the instrument played, and the region that the students at FMHS participate in is one of the most competitive in the state of Texas. Advancing all the way to state is a great honor and accomplishment.

“It’s a huge achievement. I’ve received many congratulations—lots of notes on my Facebook wall. It’s also going to be a wonderful opportunity to meet a lot of great musicians and play some really cool music,” Tuggle said.

Of the few who had the opportunity to audition for a spot in the All-State band, only five were successful. Matt Tuggle, Shilpa Kudva, Jinate Park, Paul Park, and Sean Vong were the students who represented FMHS against the rest of the state of Texas.

The final audition in the process, which took place in Abilene, Texas, was the most nerve-wracking for Tuggle.

“I don’t usually get nervous, but I did this time because I knew how much was riding on it. I tried to remind myself to keep calm, ‘you’ll do fine, and if you’re not prepared there’s nothing you can do about it now, so just do the best you can’,” Tuggle said.

When the students auditioned, they were thrust into an unfamiliar environment along with many musicians that they didn’t know. The atmosphere was uncommunicative, with every musician in the room trying to remain calm.

“The room was very tense. Nobody talked; nobody said anything—no facial expressions, no gestures to each other—nothing. It was complete silence,” Tuggle said.

The students later learned their placements, and those who had been successful celebrated their accomplishment.

“It was a terrific feeling,” Kudva said. “It’s so incredible to know that you’re one of the best players in the state of Texas.”

Needless to say, the hard work of the five FMHS musicians definitely payed off. The immense number of hours the students put into these auditions was at times very overwhelming, but the potential result was definitely worth it.

“The most challenging aspect was finding the drive inside of me to practice every day and improve, because sometimes you lose sight of the end goal. I had to keep reminding myself that my goal was to make music and have fun,” Kudva said.

Although these five students have made All-State, their journey is not over yet. Next is an All-State convention which consists of another audition that places them into a band proportionate to their skill level. The process is similar to the one in practice at FMHS for placing musicians into bands.

Even though Kudva is graduating this year, she has no intent of ending her musical career.

“I plan to major in music and business in college, so I’m hoping to open my own business and relate it to music. Any career I have, I want it to involve music,” Kudva said.

The journey to All-State can be very challenging, but it is an honor that every dedicated band student hopes to achieve.