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Tuesday, January 17, 2012 By Emily Chapdelaine
 Mac was also a member of a group of five students who traveled to Central Michigan University to attend a music workshop. These students included Mac Mcphearson on tuba, Brandon Arp on Tenor Saxophone, Amanda Hodgkinson on flute, Megan Clees on clarinet and Rachel Shull on Alto Saxophone. They attended classes with the CMU music faculty and heard some mini concerts that were performed in between the classes. This workshop included students from approximately 30 schools from all over the state. "It was a great experience and I am proud of all of these musicians." Charlevoix High School band director, Jayne Bennett said. -
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On Nov. 2 2011 at the Charlevoix High School 175 students from 25 different schools waited anxiously in the commons for a judge to post the results of the Honors Band Auditions. Sophomore tuba player Mac McPhearson was among these students nervously waiting.
"I had been waiting around in the band room for a long time," Mac said. " I walked out into the commons and found the results sheet. When I saw my name on the list I felt overjoyed, and I was very proud of myself." he said.
Honors Band is a select group of highly talented students who audition and make it to play in a concert in Suttons Bay.The students who auditioned had only a few months to practice the songs they would use to audition. They also had to memorize many scales, and do sight reading.
"For me the sight reading was the hardest. It made me really nervous," Mac said. " Although I guess I did pretty well considering, there were eight other tuba players, and I was one of four who made it," he said.
Out of the 175 students that auditioned, only about 100 made it. On Dec 3, these students got together for a day long practice at the Sutton's Bay High School. There were directors from every school there to work with the kids on their music, and improving their playing skills. Also, on the very next day, the students performed all their music they received in a concert with guest conductor Christopher Blackmer.
"I've already started working on the songs a bit," Mac said. "I think my favorite is Bullets and Bayonets."
The Charlevoix High School band director, Jayne Bennett, has held auditions for honors band at the Charlevoix High School for numerous years.
"I am very proud of Mac and this accomplishment." says Bennett. " In his audition, Mac had to memorize his scales, prepare a specific piece of music and sight read music that he had never seen before. He had a couple of minutes to look over the new music and then he had to play it for the judges." she said.
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