All-County, Area All-State, and Conference All-State
All-County, Area All-State, & Conference All-State for Instrumentalists
This section is an explanation of what All-County, Area All-State, and Conference All-State is all about and what it involves to be considered for these honor ensembles from the perspective of instrumentalists.
ALL- COUNTY BAND/ORCHESTRA
Involves Erie County Only
Involves Erie County Only
Students audition for All-County Band/Orchestra in January. A solo is prepared along with scales for the audition where there is also a sight-reading exercise performed. Sight reading is where students are presented with an unknown short musical example to play "on the spot" after a short mental preparation.
Students receive a grade for their performance and are placed into a pool of performers on like instruments from other districts in Erie County. The top rated soloists from the auditions are selected to be a part of an Erie County All-County Band or Orchestra which performs in March of the same school year.
Grades 4-6 are considered to be at the Elementary leve, Grades 7-9 are considered to be at the Junior High level, while students in grades 10-12 are considered at the High School level.
AREA ALL-STATE BAND/ORCHESTRA-"Zone 1"
(involves Erie, Niagara, Cattaraugus & Chautauqua Counties)
(involves Erie, Niagara, Cattaraugus & Chautauqua Counties)
Students audition for this event with the hopes of being selected for an Area All-State ensemble for the next school year.
Auditions for this event follow the same procedure as stated above for All-County above: scales, solo and sight reading. This audition process takes place in the spring at various locations in the months of May or June. The grade received for this solo audition is submitted in the fall of the next school year for consideration into an ensemble. (for example, a student performing a solo in grade 7 will have his/her score submitted for consideration in the next year as a student in grade 8)
This audition is more competitive in the sense that students are competing with students from the four counties above. These four counties comprise what is called "Zone 1" in New York State.
Grades 7-9 are considered to be at the Junior High level, while students in grades 10-12 are considered at the High School level.
Auditions for this event follow the same procedure as stated above for All-County above: scales, solo and sight reading. This audition process takes place in the spring at various locations in the months of May or June. The grade received for this solo audition is submitted in the fall of the next school year for consideration into an ensemble. (for example, a student performing a solo in grade 7 will have his/her score submitted for consideration in the next year as a student in grade 8)
This audition is more competitive in the sense that students are competing with students from the four counties above. These four counties comprise what is called "Zone 1" in New York State.
Grades 7-9 are considered to be at the Junior High level, while students in grades 10-12 are considered at the High School level.
CONFERENCE ALL-STATE
(encompasses all of NY State)
(encompasses all of NY State)
Students who audition for Conference All-State must be in grades 10 or 11 since this audition qualifies a student for the prestigious Conference All-State performing groups in the following school year. Similarly to Area All-State procedures, students audition in the spring and ratings are submitted in the fall of the next school year for consideration.
This audition process is the most competitive since students are competing with students across the entire state. Students who audition for this conference are of the highest caliber. If selected, they attend the NYSSMA (New York State School Music Association) "Winter Conference" which in recent years has been in Rochester. Students attend the conference for 3-4 days with a chaperone teacher from Eden and rehearse daily with the top students from across the state under a renown conductor from a prestigious music school or under a professional conductor. The conference culminates with a performance at the Eastman School of Music.
This audition process is the most competitive since students are competing with students across the entire state. Students who audition for this conference are of the highest caliber. If selected, they attend the NYSSMA (New York State School Music Association) "Winter Conference" which in recent years has been in Rochester. Students attend the conference for 3-4 days with a chaperone teacher from Eden and rehearse daily with the top students from across the state under a renown conductor from a prestigious music school or under a professional conductor. The conference culminates with a performance at the Eastman School of Music.