An orchestra commonly consists of string instruments. From the violin to the double bass, there are many different and interesting sounds that come from just one category of instrument. For All State, however, a wider range and greater color of sound are needed to perform the musical pieces selected.
Although the general focus of the group continues to be the traditional orchestral strings, South Dakota’s All State Orchestra accepts many wind and percussion instruments into their ensemble, such as horns and drums. Many of our own students here at Jefferson have auditioned and made the All State roster. Outside of the many talented string players who made the cut, two non-string musicians succeeded in their auditions. Both from our own Symphonic Band, Norah Cable (10) and Mayen Mayen (11) are the two lone wind players from Jefferson who are now members of South Dakota’s All State Orchestra. Each of them has varying opinions on the audition process and being the sole player of their instrument from Jefferson.
Norah Cable said, “It was nerve-wracking at the beginning because you had to be in the warm-up room with a bunch of people working on the same thing as you and just hearing how other people play the part, so it was kind of scary going in.” The constant comparison to the other auditioning clarinets seems to be the most worrying part of the process. In comparison to the 56 violins, there are only 4 clarinets. What worries her the most is that “it’ll be easier to hear if someone messes up.”
Mayen Mayen, on the other hand, was lucky enough to have the greatest horn players at other test sites and later time slots. “For every three good horn players there is one truly exceptional one, and I was lucky I didn’t hear her.” He feels he might have experienced the same pressure, but he is glad he had the opportunity to audition without any peer distractions. Being the only horn from Jefferson might seem intimidating, but he said he expects to become good friends with the other horn players by the end of the performance season.
Between performing your best and making lifelong friends, All State Orchestra is a wonderful place for students of all instrumental backgrounds to test their skills with the best in South Dakota. These orchestra students will be performing alongside members from Jefferson who have been selected to perform in the All-State Choir. It is an honor to be a member of any All State group, so it is highly encouraged to attend their one and only performance at the Denny Sanford Premier Center on Saturday, November 1, 2025, at 7 p.m.
