Creighton Prep’s All State Band has existed for over 60 years. An 150-piece band and orchestra with membership attained by audition, the All State Band brings together the most talented musicians from around the state play under a nationally renowned conductor.

Prep’s All State Band auditioners play in many concerts, the most recent being the Fall Dinner Concert, which took place last Tuesday.

Rather than having bands compete as sports teams would, individual musicians audition in an attempt to be accepted among the spots of All State Musicians. Afterwards, all winning musicians come together for three days to play and practice in a single band, and finally play

with other equally talented musicians under a top-of-the-line conductor, as well as gaining a new perspective and experience in the world of music. This year the concert is on November 18.

“I just like to see our best bandsmen get together with everybody else’s best bandsmen,” said Doug Johnson, Band Director.

Over the past 20 years, the Prep Band has averaged about 20 musicians accepted into All State.

A student in All State Band will start preparing in March or April with two Etudes, scales of the harder ranges, chromatic, and eventually selections of music that a player will perform in All State. The student must submit a recorded video of their playing to the designated website as an audition, judging on quality, tone, and expertise.

According to Nicholas Swerczek, a Senior who plays the Bb Clarinet, the hardest part of All State Band is preparing–upperclassmen have gone through the routine multiple times, but first time around is always the hardest. Here in Prep’s band, the more experienced upperclassmen are accustomed to helping the underclassmen learn the ropes.

Students looking to enter All State Band must send a major scale, chromatic scale, two etudes, and an except from selected music to be judged on technique, tone quality, and excellence.

What students are working on now is copies of the music to be played in all state. Students have about 2-3 weeks to prepare 10-15 pages of music, and to learn all of it as best as possible before traveling to Lincoln. Students re-audition with a number of people from each part of a music section, which places the auditioners to compete with others of similar talent.

“It’s just a one shot thing. We prepare a for months and invest a lot of time into making your sound bigger and better to get the most music out of what’s there. You only have one shot to make it really good,” said Swerczek.

According to Swerczek, Doug Johnson keeps everyone organized and on top of things.

“My first thoughts? ‘What the heck am I doing here?’ Personally, I started playing clarinet freshman year and Mr. J has such a good program that I was able to get good enough, that by Sophomore year I was in All State. Not to my own merit, but that’s to Mr. J. It was pretty crazy,” said Swerczek.