We’ve all heard about the swimming, cross country, and volleyball teams advancing to state, but did you know that musicians can also advance to state? Kaitlin Moran, ‘19, qualified for the All-State Music Concert as a violinist.

The process for being accepted into All-State begins in late July when the excerpts are first released. There are seven excerpts released, but students won’t know which ones they’ll be playing until ahead of time. So each musician must prepare for every excerpt.  

“You don’t really know the specifics of what you’re playing until the morning of at like 5,” Moran said. “They tell you which excerpts and scales you will be playing, so you have to be really prepared.”

Considering how much time is put into preparing and practicing for this moment, it is vital that students take advantage of the short time they have.

“You have a three-minute audition where you play a solo, two excerpts, two scales and hope you don’t screw it up,” Moran conveys.

To non-musical people, playing an instrument may seem as easy as playing a bunch of notes and calling it good, but there is much more to it.

Mr. Richard Traylor explains, “Instead of just playing notes and rhythms, there are colors and much more she has had to learn to make her instrument more expressive.”

Learning how to make an instrument do all of these things takes a lot of time and dedication to be as successful as Moran has been in her career.

“I think part of the reason Kaitlin has been so successful is because of her perseverance, her high level of musicality, the great teachers she has had, and that she takes private instruction,” Traylor said.

Overall, this accomplishment is the culmination of Moran’s dedication.

“Playing the violin is really fun for me. It was also easy to learn things when I was younger, so it comes naturally now,” Moran explains.