It seriously is the best. When I was in high school, playing cello in a medium-sized school with a smaller-sized orchestra, I lived for the opportunity to play with other musicians that loved doing the same things I did. Honor orchestras were awesome, and the friends you make at these events are vital to enjoying the process.
But All-State – that was the JAM. It was truly a competition to get the best players in one room, and then ask them to make blissful < real > music together with 3 days to really dig into it. I loved (and sometimes feared) getting to know other cellists and the spurts of freedom in downtown Lincoln that we could steal. Bagels and Juice Stop for breakfast – #adulting.
For any string students that are looking to get a leg up on the audition and see the scales, etudes, and excerpts broken down, my friends at the University of Nebraska – Omaha created some quick videos to point out how to practice and then what they should sound like in the end.
You can find all the cello videos for UNO here. Enjoy Greg and his colleagues walking through this year’s challenge course, and happy practicing!
coffeecellist 