Two teenage boys waited on edge for months to hear whether or not they made the All-National Honor Ensembles, only to find out they made their respective ensembles on June 20th. Seniors Destin Hoskins and Josh Chapple auditioned earlier in the year, each submitting a video to the NAfME performing different compositions.

     These ensembles are made up of top performing high school band students, which is one of the biggest accomplishments a member can make.

     Hoskins performed an etude (a short song) back in March known as “Kopprasch” for one recording, then submitted another recording of a solo called “Andante & Rondo” by Antonio Capuzzi.

     “It took a lot of years, but I felt that I reached a level to make it to nationals,” Hoskins said. “I practice hard.”

     Chapple performed three songs for his audition in May, which included an excerpt  from Duke Ellington’s composition “Sugar Hill Penthouse”, and common jazz songs “Straight No Chaser” and “There Will Never Be Another You”, for which he played a melody then improvised over the form.

     “I was really motivated before it [All-National] because I didn’t make something [Next Generation Jazz Orchestra] before this,” Chapple said. “So not making that kind of motivated me to practice really hard for making the nationals.”

     An estimated 500 plus students auditioned for the Jazz Ensemble, which Chapple was the only baritone saxophone player accepted this year.

     “I got an email from the director a couple weeks before to come to a camp he does,” Chapple said.  “So I thought because of that I had already made it in, so when I got the email it was sort of like ‘Oh! Here it is’.”

     It is estimated 60 tuba players auditioned for the Concert Ensemble, which Hoskins was one of seven players to be accepted into.

     “I was pretty excited,” Hoskins said. “It was pretty cool because I was pretty sure I didn’t make it, and I know I really wanted to make it. It’s pretty prestigious going into college.”