For the second consecutive year, Thomas County Central High School seniors Eric Webb and Caleb Moore have earned seats in the esteemed Georgia Music Educators Association All-State Band.

Auditions took place the first weekend in January.

“To say both Caleb and Eric are talented is an understatement,” Thomas County Central High School Bands Director Michael Thomas said. “It should be noted that Caleb and Eric are not strangers to this level of competition. Their past experiences have helped them improve each year, and I know firsthand their commitment every day to their skills has led them to the payoff of being in the top 10 percent of Georgia musicians. What an honor they have achieved!”

Webb plays the bassoon. He thought his audition went well, but not perfect, and was unsure of his standing after it.

“This audition requires a ton of practice and mental focus,” he said. “The audition consisted of two prepared etudes, one lyrical and one technical, then two sight-reading pieces. I usually practiced around six days every week for at least an hour. All-state is one of the highest honors a band person can achieve. I’m very excited to have made all-state this year. It feels great to know that I can compete with the top players in the state.”

There are two rounds of auditions one must pass to make all-state band. The first takes place during district honor band tryouts each December; the second is for qualifying musicians the following January.

Caleb Moore auditioned on the tuba.

“At first round, I had to play two etudes, sight-read two pieces of music, and play my 12 major scales and my chromatic scale,” he said. “For the second round, I prepared by practicing 30 minutes a day every day. My practices consisted of sight-reading and massive amounts of analytic work on my two etudes. My audition went well. I had two blips in the etude portion of my audition, but I still made it. This year is the first year I felt 100 percent sure that my sight-reading went very well. I feel very excited, honored and accomplished by making all-state. Even though I have made it two times before, I still get this feeling.”

Though Moore admits, it wasn’t until recently he gained a love and passion for his instrument.

“The sound that is produced when I play gives me chills and a reason to continue to play my instrument,” Moore said.

Paul Johns, assistant bands director, is extremely proud of both young men.

“To audition at such a high level and be successful is a testament to their hard work and persistence,” Johns said. “It is even more impressive that both of these students started on their perspective instruments somewhat late in their musical career. I know they can't wait to participate in the clinic in March with other top musicians."

The 2019 Georgia Music Educators Association All-State Band event is scheduled for Feb. 28-March 2 in Athens.

Webb hopes to gain more musical knowledge and friends.

“I wanted to be a part of it because the experience is one of the greatest things about all-state,” he said. “The music is of a higher level than one would usually find in a high school and the players are, too. At all-state, you rehearse for three days with everyone else who made the band and a guest conductor, [and] then perform a concert at the end of the third day.”

Moore aspires to gain a sense of musicianship that will continue to fuel his desire to play after high school and even college.

“All-state is a heaven on Earth for musicians who desire to expand their knowledge and showcase their true talent as a group to create music…,” he said. “I want to be a part of all-state because of the experience I receive when I go. I love networking, reading comprehensive music literature and learning about demographic diversity, and all-state allows me to do that.”

Thomas commends all student musicians who auditioned.

“All 22 TCCHS students who participated in the second round all-state auditions are talented, and we are very proud of each and every one,” he said.