RMS student named to All-State band
Russellville Middle School student Anna Smith, 13, knows what it feels like to work hard and have it all pay off.
The eighth grader auditioned Saturday for the Alabama Band Masters All-State Band in the junior high division and became the only percussionist accepted in District Three, which covers 10 counties.
“I’ve only been to one other audition, and Mr. Stephenson said trying out for All-State on percussion is the hardest,” Smith said. “I was pretty nervous because everyone who was auditioning sat out in the hallway, so you knew when you went inside that everyone out in the hallway was listening to you, too. It was a very intense experience.”
Smith said when she got home from her audition, she tried to focus on resting because the demanding audition process had left her exhausted.
“I had actually taken a nap and then my parents called and said Mr. McNutt had called to tell them I had made it,” Smith said. “I was so excited. I jumped around the house for a while and then celebrated with my sisters and then called the rest of my family.”
Russellville Band Director Gary McNutt said the junior high division only accepts one student per instrument to be a member of the All-State Band, so being selected is quite an honor.
“In Anna’s case as a percussionist, she had to perform on three different instruments to be accepted,” McNutt said. “She had to perform 12 major scales, two minor scales and a chromatic scale on the mallet; she had to demonstrate interval tuning on the timpani; she had to perform four rudiments on the snare drum; and, in addition to all of that, she had to perform a prepared piece and demonstrate her sight reading ability on all three instruments.
“As you can tell, making All-State is not something that comes easily. It takes a lot of hard work, practice and dedication.”
According to McNutt, dedication is something Smith has demonstrated ever since she became part of Russellville’s band program, and her hard work and focus earned her a spot with the RHS Marching Hundred a year early.
“This year Anna marched in one of the honorary alternate positions we offered to a few eighth graders and she did a great job playing with the front percussion,” McNutt said. “Anna is a good kid who works hard. Whatever she sets her mind to, she gets focused and makes it happen.”
Smith said she really enjoyed the opportunity to march at a younger age and said she felt more prepared for next year when she’ll march as a freshman.
“I played the mallets this year as an eighth grader and the experience helped me become better on the marimba and the xylophone,” she said.
“I’m really hoping to be part of the drum line next year because my heart is in the quads, but I also know that I’ll just be a freshman, so I’ll be happy playing in the pit again, too.”
Smith has been part of the band program since the sixth grade and she said she always had her mind set on the percussion section.
“Around that time, John McAlister and Michael Cummings were playing percussion for the band, and I really looked up to them,” Smith said. “They weren’t just great at playing the drums, they were great role models, too, and it really inspired me.
“I played piano, so I thought I would enjoy the mallets because it’s similar to playing the piano except that you use sticks instead of your fingers,” Smith said.
“And I also wanted to play percussion because many people think of it something that just boys do, and I wanted to make it more for girls, too.”
Smith said playing percussion is something she has grown to love and it has been a source of comfort as well as a source of entertainment.
“Playing the drums or tapping out rudiments is just something that makes me happy,” Smith said. “When I’m having a bad day, it’s something I can go to that makes me feel better. It’s something I love.”
Smith’s acceptance into the All-State Band also earns her the spot of principle percussionist in the District Three Honor Band held Feb. 18 and 19 at Florence High School.
“I’m just looking forward to this whole experience because it’s such a big honor to be a part of it,” she said. “Being a member of All-State is the biggest thing to have on your resume if you want to study music, and that’s something I might want to do someday.”
As a member of the All-State Band, Smith will travel to Mobile April 14-16 where she will perform with students from all across the state at the All-State Band Festival.
According to McNutt, the band will perform songs with a guest conductor, who is usually a college band director or a writer of music typically performed by bands.
“The kids will rehearse those first two days and they’ll also get to hear performances by other musicians and bands,” McNutt said. “All of this will lead up to the All-State Band’s performance on the 16th.”
Smith said she’s excited but she knows she has a lot of work ahead of her between now and April.
“Once I’m there, they’ll tell me one instrument to play so I’m going to have to practice a lot on each instrument so I can be prepared,” Smith said, “but my band directors have been very helpful so far, and I’ll know they’ll continue to help me improve.”
Smith said she has especially appreciated the help Scott Stephenson, the band program’s music aide, has given her.
“Mr. Stephenson has worked with me so much, helping me practice and get better,” she said. “For marching band I had been focusing on the mallets, so I hadn’t really played the snare in over a year. Mr. Stephenson gave up a lot of his time to help me after school, and I really appreciate him helping me get to this point.”
Smith said she was also thankful to have the support of her family, which includes her mother, Stephanie Mayfield; her step-dad, Mike Mayfield; her dad, Tim Smith; and her step-mom, Debbie Smith.
“I’m pretty sure I get my dedication from my mother,” she said. “When she sets her mind to do something, she just gets it done. That’s the way her father was, too, so she probably learned it from him.”
McNutt said Smith’s dedication to practice and excellence would represent the Russellville School System well at the All-State Band Festival in April.
“Being part of All-State is an awesome experience and we’re very proud of Anna for achieving such an honor and for being a great representation of our program.”
