This past school year, Andrew Sorey, a senior in the West Lauderdale High School band, was accepted into the Lions Band, the premier state honor band hosted annually. After months of dedicated training, Andrew was among the few selected to participate in this prestigious group. His hard work not only earned him a spot in the honor band but also an exciting trip to Australia this past summer.

The Mississippi Lions Band is a marching Concert band made up of over a hundred of the best high school musicians in Mississippi. Participants go through a two-step audition process to make the band. After a week of preparation, the band performs a concert in PRCC, Mississippi and parades wherever the Lions Club International Convention is. Recently, the convention has was in Australia, Boston, and Canada.

“I wanted to pursue trombone playing, and the audition process was a great way to practice,” said Andrew Sorey.

Andrew started practicing six months before the audition. He had to memorize the twelve major scales, play two prepared pieces, and sight-read a short piece. He practiced consistently, working hard to fine-tune his technical and musical skills for the upcoming audition. 

When asked about his reaction to being accepted, Andrew Sorey stated, “I was shocked but extremely thrilled to make the band.” He talked about how he enjoyed his trip to Australia since he could tour the Sydney Opera House and explore Melbourne and Sydney with his newfound friends from Lions Band.  He plans to try out again this year on November 16th, and if he is accepted again, the exciting trip will be to the beautiful islands of Hawaii. 

After the thrilling journey from the tiresome audition practice to the fun times in Australia, Andrew Sorey thoroughly enjoyed playing with the Lions Band. He left a statement for anyone who is interested in trying out: “Start practicing early and often. It takes a lot of dedication to have a good audition. The more prepared you are, the less nerves you’ll feel on audition day.”