By Maxine Hepfer, Staff Editor

Freshman Eleanor Kinney was one of many students who auditioned for all-region band on Dec. 1.

“Auditioning for and attending All-Region Band Auditions adds so much to the band experience. All-region band is really big and intense, and people audition from all around Texas. It encourages you to push yourself as far as you can go,” said Eleanor. 

The auditions are for the orchestra that highly ranked students can play in, called the Texas Private School Music Educators Association (TPSMEA) high school all-state band. Brian Donnell, Middle and Upper School band director and Middle School fine arts coordinator, enters them into the competition. 

“[Greenhill] has always done very well. We provide music, support, names of private lesson teachers, and listen to everyone play their music beforehand. We usually have about four or five students qualify for all-area band, who then go on to audition again for the all-state band,” said Mr. Donnell.

Band members then have to either send in a recorded performance of the assigned music or go before a panel of judges. 

“You walk in[to] the room all by yourself with a panel of five judges behind a screen. If you mess up, you keep going. [We’ve been through] many hours of practice, days with private teachers, laboring through runs, and tricky technical stuff. It’s hard, [but] it’s our art. We love what we do” said Eleanor. 

Eleanor, who plays the flute, is an alternative for the all-region band and said that the hard work of the band members pays off through the enjoyment of the experience.