When Northwest Whitfield High School senior Andy Nguyen found out he would soon be performing in one of Georgia’s most distinguished student bands, three words came to mind after initial disbelief.
“I did it.”
Similarly astonished was Henry Griffin, a sophomore from Northwest Whitfield who also received the news that he would be a part of the 2024 Georgia Music Educators Association (GMEA) All-State Band.
“To be honest, I was in a little bit of disbelief because I didn’t think my audition went as well as it did,” Griffin said. “I kind of went out thinking ‘I probably made it, but I don’t think I made a high chair.’ But when I received the news, I was really excited. I told my family immediately.”
Griffin and Nguyen earned a spot in the GMEA All-State Band, which will perform at the Classic Center in Athens from Feb. 29 to March 2. There were more than 20,000 auditioning students from across the state in late 2023.
Comprised of four bands, the All-State Band features two ninth- and 10th-grade bands and two bands for 11th- and 12th-graders, with 70 Georgia students making up each band.
Hard work and practice
Nguyen, who plays saxophone and is the drum major for the Northwest Whitfield marching band, placed as fourth chair in one of the 11th- and 12th-grade bands, which means he will be positioned fourth from highest on saxophone within the band.
Griffin, who plays trumpet, is positioned as first chair for one of the ninth- and 10th-grade bands after previously making the All-State Band in 2023 as an alternate.
“Which means that I was runner-up, but I ended up getting to go because someone (in the band wasn’t there),” Griffin said. “This year, I wanted to make a much higher chair in the band so I worked really hard throughout the year and I prayed about it.”
That hard work, Griffin said, led him to earn second chair in the district for the GMEA High School District Honor Band before making first chair as part of the All-State Band.
“That was a lot of work and mainly practice over Christmas break,” he said. “I brought my trumpet on trips and through it all I ended up getting pretty good results.”
Nguyen said his first time reaching All-State was a “lofty goal.”
“I’ve kind of seen the GMEA All-State Band as one of the most prestigious bands for high school,” Nguyen said. “That has kind of been my goal for a while. I spent the past five years trying to get this and I finally got it.”
The process starts at the district level (Whitfield County Schools and Murray County Schools are in District VII), where students who are competing for a spot in the District Honor Band are scored.
“If you get a score higher than the required score, then you can audition for All-State Band,” said Nguyen. “So, the people who go to All-State to audition are the best within their districts. All of the best high-schoolers go to this band and participate.”
Introduction to music
Nguyen, who performed in the District Honor Band, said he credits his older brother Daniel, a Northwest Whitfield graduate, with introducing him to the world of music.
“I started music because of (Daniel),” Nguyen said. “(He) played clarinet, and I always thought saxophone was a really cool instrument and he kind of pushed me to do music.”
Nguyen said he started playing in the sixth grade at New Hope Middle School, but that he “didn’t really have that passion for it.”
“I almost actually quit in seventh grade, but then I joined the marching band in eighth and that was what finally drove me to love music,” he said.
Griffin’s first foray into music began in the second grade at New Hope Elementary, he said.
“I started playing piano,” said Griffin. “When I got to sixth grade (at New Hope Middle), that’s when I picked up band. I actually started off playing the euphonium and I didn’t really like that as much, and in seventh grade I moved to trumpet.”
Griffin said eventually he began taking trumpet lessons with George “Smitty” Barnett, the former band director at Northwest Whitfield and the current executive director of the Whitfield Education Foundation. Griffin credits Barnett and Northwest Whitfield High’s current band director Nathaniel Vanoy with his success in music.
“Mr. Vanoy really pushed me to get into music, because in middle school, I was … just doing it for fun,” Griffin said. “When I got to high school, I realized music was more important to me than I thought; it’s more of a passion now. He and Mr. Barnett do everything for music. (Barnett) got me to where I am on trumpet.”
Nguyen also credited Vanoy, along with his brother, as inspirations.
“They both really pushed me to do music and explore it and make myself the best that I can be,” he said.
Perfect representatives
Vanoy said he’s proud of the hard work that Griffin and Nguyen have put in on a daily basis.
“I think it’s a combination of a lot of hours of work and giving up things that other kids would think would be more fun to get to where they’re at,” Vanoy said. “The opportunity that they’ve got and the band that they’ll get to play in will be better than most college bands and there’s not many other opportunities like that. We’re really proud of these guys. They did it; they put in the work and the time.”
Northwest Whitfield Principal Mandie Jones said the duo are perfect representatives of the high school.
“I appreciate their hard work and I think it shows the dedication of our students,” Jones said. “Some people say that kids don’t have drive anymore and I think we can prove that wrong. We have kids that are willing to put in the work and go and try to achieve goals that are lofty, and we’re really proud of them. They are representing Bruin Nation well.”
Nguyen, who served as an alternate in music for the 2023 Governor’s Honors Program and was named Northwest Whitfield’s STAR (Student Teacher Achievement Recognition) Student for the 2023-24 year, said he can’t wait to make the most out of the experience.
“Doing this, I will probably be playing in the best band I’ve ever played in, and I really hope to just gain the experience of meeting people who also have that same drive for music and the same crazy people (who love) saxophone,” he said.
For Griffin, “just being around the most-seasoned musicians (in Georgia) and playing with them” is enough to make the experience worth it, he said. “It can help you figure out more about music because you’re around people who also have a passion for music.”
Knowing that he “did it,” Nguyen said his years of practice continue to pay off.
“I feel relieved knowing that (all of that time) practicing in the closet with socks stuffed down my (saxophone) bell worked,” he said. “It felt really good making my goal.”