Senior Joseph Kim was recently selected to join Arizona’s All-State Band in the Clarinet Section, and the Knight Times had the honor of interviewing him about his his past, present, and future clarinet endeavors, along with his experience in the All-State Band.

When did you start playing the clarinet, and what is the audition process for the All-State Band? “Well, I started playing in the sixth grade, and for the All-State Band everyone has a scheduled time, so you should go to the location about an hour before and practice. When your turn comes, you go in a room with a curtain blocking your view from your scorer and play through the audition, which includes scales, sight reading, and three etudes that you prepared. About two days later, your band director will give you the result.”

I also asked if he had any advice for people hoping to audition for the band, “If you are in a band, you should really audition to regional and all State. If you get in, you get to play with the best musicians of the region or state, and even if you don’t get in, the experience helps you improve so much.  Personally, I really like the sound of the clarinet, and it’s also easier to learn compared to other instruments, so I would definitely recommend it”.

All in all, Joseph Kim is an excellent example of striving for the impossible and being extraordinary, which is what ACP strives for, and we can only hope for more talented individuals to do the same in the future! Go Knights!