All State band and orchestra is a significant yearly event open to the best high school musicians in Virginia.

The event occurs on April 4-6 in Harrisonburg High School and requires an audition to determine which musicians are able to participate.

The audition process is different for the winds and strings.  The strings are eligible to audition for All State if they are already in regional orchestra. The winds are eligible either through regional orchestra or placing at a high rank in district band.

“All the people who were eligible to audition showed up at JMU bright and early to audition,” clarinet player Ellen Lee said. “If your rank scores well in auditions, you get into All State.”

Alex Arshadik , Kristianne Rulon, and Ellen Lee all auditioned and were accepted into All State.

“I was pretty excited to find out I made it,” percussionist Arshadik said. “It will be really fun to play with musicians of that caliber. There aren’t many opportunities to be able to do that.”

Rulon was especially happy to be accepted because last year she was not.

“Last year I was ranked number 40, and this year I was ranked number 18,”violinist Rulon said. “When my mom and I saw the violin list there were a lot of people crowded around it because it is the most competitive. When she saw my name we both started screaming we were so excited.”

The musicians are all very excited to be able to participate in this prestigious event.