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Two to perform at All-State Band concert
AVA STARK AND ALLI WANG
Staff Writers
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The Wind Ensemble’s bass clarinetist Brian Garrison and oboist Andrew Kim will be among 116 students performing in California’s All-State Symphonic band, the annual showcase for top high school musicians in the state.
They will be joined by three other students in the district, sophomore Valerie Liou and junior Noah Roh from from Leigh, and Evelyn Wang from Prospect.
At the high school level, the California All-State ensembles are divided among categories, from Concert band, Symphonic band, Wind Symphony and Golden State Band.
Students accepted into the program will head to Fresno next week and will be the culminating performance at the California All-State Music Education Conference Feb. 19.
Both Garrison and Kim have performed in the County Honor Band before, but this will be Garrison’s first time in the All-State Symphonic Band, and the third for Kim, who has performed with the All-State band, having performed with the junior high school group.
Garrison is looking forward to the social aspect of being a part of the AllState band.
“Just meeting people who also play at a pretty high level from different places,” said Garrison, “is pretty exciting.” Students who are accepted will attend a day of rehearsals.
“The course itself is very intensive so you learn a lot of things,” he said.
Both musicians had to submit audition videos, in addition to performing scales, a solo piece specific to the instrument must be performed. For Kim it was “Sonata No. 2” from Handel.
Garrison thought his audition piece, “Largo and Allegro” by Pietro Boni, was challenging due due to its languid pace.
“I learned how to play slower music that I haven’t really played before,” he said.
Kim hopes that he will be able to grow as a musician from this experience.
“I believe that if I learn from others too, that I myself might become a better oboist,” Kim said. “I know that music is a language to learn, so understanding and learning more about that language may help me to become a better musician.”
