Three PFHS students have been selected to take part in the VBODA All-Virginia Band for 2019

PFHS band students Abigail Asuncion, Molly Lum, and Alexander Rice practiced for months prior to their District and All-State band auditions, and their work has finally paid off.  On Feb 23, all the students who auditioned received the results –  the three who placed will participate in the All-State band concert on Saturday, April 6.

Junior Molly Lum, eighth chair in the All-State trombone section, is excited but surprised to learn that she placed.

“I honestly thought [the audition] went kind of badly,” said Lum. “[Now that I’ve gotten in], I’m excited for the actual event, and proud of myself.  I’m more confident in my abilities.”

While preparing for the audition, Lum used strategies such as making recordings of herself playing the assigned music and using that to evaluate her abilities.  She practiced almost every day, and her hard work and perseverance allowed her to be selected for the band.

Lum was initially intimidated and a bit overwhelmed by the audition when she walked in.

“It was so loud, and there were so many people there,” said Lum.  “I think there were almost sixty trombones auditioning total, so it was scary to see all those people warming up and sounding good.”

However, despite how she felt about it at first, Lum did well on her audition – well enough to be invited to take part in the prestigious and well-attended concert.

Senior Abigail Asuncion, sixth chair oboe in the All-State band, also felt somewhat uncertain about her audition.

“Before going into the audition room, I was well prepared and felt confident,” said Asuncion.  “However, I did not feel the same way coming out of the room.  I messed up and didn’t do well at all.”

Like Lum, Asuncion was accepted into the band despite how unsure she felt about the audition itself.  This year marks her second and last time placing into the band, as she will be graduating this summer.  Although she is sad to leave behind her high school band experience, she remains optimistic about the future.

“I’ll be okay because I’m doing [band] in college,” said Asuncion.

Lum and Asuncion both feel that band is a very important and special part of their lives.

“It’s fun to make music alongside people who also love what they’re doing,” said Asuncion. “Some of my best friends are also in the band.”

As for the concert itself, both Lum and Asuncion plan to continue practicing to keep themselves in good condition before the date of the performance, and both have plans to keep music in their lives in the future.

“[My favorite part about band is] either the people you get to meet… or the really cool music I get to play, which I love,” said Lum.  “I’m excited for the actual [concert].”