All-State

Here are the qualities in the students who make it to the last round of All-State.

• They practice daily for about 45 minutes or more for a few years before they are able to make the last round.

• They are very good sight-readers. They use sightreadingfactory.com regularly.

• They practice slowly and with a metronome.

• The student is able to play the excerpts on first sight at half tempo with very few mistakes.

• Sometimes we wait a year or so before we try for All-State so we can learn techniques and reading necessary to prepare for All-State the following year.

• We are working less on technique and more on music in the excerpt.

• All of these rules have exceptions and I love to be proven wrong!