Rio Vista Middle School student chosen to play with 2026 California All-State Honor Band

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- It tin beryllium scary to enactment yourself retired determination and spot however you stack up against the competition, particularly erstwhile you're successful mediate school.

But Rio Vista Middle School eighth grader Ian Mason did conscionable that.

Inspired by a erstwhile classmate, helium decided to audition for the 2026 California All-State Honor Band.

"I didn't truly deliberation that I could marque thing that prestigious, but past a period aboriginal I made the all-county band, truthful I thought, 'Hey, possibly I tin bash this adjacent year," Ian said.

For astir 5 months, helium worked connected his audition euphony with his Band Director, Christopher Golden.

"Ian took attraction of 99% of it. It was amusive due to the fact that it was conscionable adjusting tiny details and tweaks," Golden said.

They worked to marque the recorded audition arsenic beardown arsenic imaginable and submitted it.

Golden says helium felt assured Ian would beryllium chosen arsenic portion of the ensemble.

"After you've done this for galore years, you commencement knowing the level, and it was wide Ian was going to beryllium competitory this year," Golden said.

All that hard enactment paid disconnected erstwhile Ian received connection helium was 1 of 12 trumpet players successful the authorities who made the all-star band.

Ian was chosen arsenic 2nd chair.

"I knew that I was good. I conscionable didn't deliberation I was that benignant of good, that I was 1 of the champion successful California," Ian said.

Students were selected from Orange County, San Francisco, Sonoma and beyond to marque up the astir 100-person symphonic band.

Ian and each the different selected students met successful Sacramento successful January, wherever they were capable to showcase their talents performing astatine the State Music Educators Conference, with Golden successful attendance.

"I cognize Ian from his clip arsenic a seventh grader, present an eighth grader, and truthful to spot him up determination with immoderate of the astir talented students successful the state, pridefulness is the connection that comes to mind," Golden said.

For Ian, helium says he's grateful helium got the accidental to play with specified a talented ensemble.

"I felt similar it was a precise enriching acquisition being adjacent to kids conscionable similar maine who person the aforesaid interests, aforesaid accomplishment level and everybody from the archetypal seat to the 13th chair. They were each amazing," Ian said. "I truly enjoyed it. I privation to bash it again, and I astir apt will."

Ian says helium plans connected auditioning adjacent twelvemonth for the precocious schoolhouse all-state grant band.

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