This year, South is home to two members of the All-State band.

Juniors Kody Preud’homme and Colin Brown were both awarded All-State honors for band, Brown on the tenor saxophone and Preud’homme on the trombone. Brown talked about how to qualify to State.

“To make State you go to districts first; then if you get All District you get to audition for All State,” Brown said.

Preud’homme talks about how he prepared for the competition.

“I take lessons, but the week before  Districts I was actually in California, so I didn’t get to practice that much. I wasn’t as prepared as I could have been,” Preud’homme said.

This was Brown’s first time going to State, and he says that it was much different that he thought it would be.

“It’s a lot of waiting around. I walked in a ton of circles around the building. It was a really stressful experience,” Brown said.

Preud’homme said that he has happy with how things turned out.

“I got second chair in All State, which is great for it being my first time. It was a really humbling experience, especially just being with so many talented musicians who all share the same love of music that I have,” Preud’homme said.

Brown says that this is something he’s been looking forward to since freshman year.

“This has been a goal of mine since freshman year, and to finally achieve it felt great. Getting first chair just made the experience even more memorable,” Brown said.

Brown says that while the experience was rewarding, he wasn’t a fan of the process it took to get there.

“I hated trying out, it was miserable. I was nervous all day, and there was nothing to do in the school. But it was worth it in the end because I got the goal I wanted,” Brown said.