By Henriikka Niemi
Staff Writer

After hundreds of hours of practice, multiple auditions and competition against 50,000 students from across the state of Texas all vying for the same few hundred spots, 17 Coppell High School students have advanced to the Class 5A Texas All-State Band.

The extensive audition process begins with region auditions, in which all students from each of the 28 regions in Texas play the same music. Qualified students advance through pre-area and area to make state, and will eventually perform at the Texas Music Educators Association Convention in San Antonio in February after a final audition that places members in one of the four bands or orchestras.

Brady Knippa

Junior Brady Knippa joined the ranks of very few Coppell percussionists this year by becoming a member of the 5A Texas All-State Band, competing in arguably the most selective section, earning himself first chair and the accomplishment of the first junior percussionist to ever advance to All-State from Coppell.

“Coppell percussion is known for being really tough,” Knippa said. “Only two people [senior Austin Ferguson in 2008 and senior Aaron Fisher in 2010] have made it before. I know one of them and he’s really, really good, so I just hoped for the best but I didn’t expect anything to happen. I poured a lot into it and I’m really happy with the outcome.”

At the area competition each year, only four students in percussion make the All-State Band, which is a smaller percentage than for most other sections. In addition, Coppell is zoned in an area of Texas with many high schools that have well-established percussion programs and teachers, paving the way for aggressive competition.

Knippa has played the drums since he was three and joined the Coppell percussion program in the sixth grade. After making All-State auditions last year as a sophomore and placing eighth, Knippa refocused his efforts and began to practice two hours a day after marching season ended in November.

“Practice is the biggest part of it,” Knippa said. “Consistent practice on your own is what’s really important because it gives you that time by yourself to work out everything that needs to be fixed.”

Head percussion director Zack Scheer began working with Knippa two years ago after coming to Coppell and has watched him steadily progress. In addition to private lesson instructors, Scheer hears band members play their piece each week through the fall and as region nears, every day.

“It was pretty clear to me that he knew that he could make it and that he really wanted to,” Scheer said. “From that point on, he’s really worked hard to improve. He practiced more this year, practiced better, and he was more serious and determined about the process overall.”

Knippa hopes to make All-State Band his final year of high school and has set his sights on a potential degree or career in music. He plans to join a band in college and see where it takes him.

“There are a lot of students that are talented, that play well, but in order to make All-State Band, you have to start practicing the music early, you have to practice it more than everyone else and hold yourself to a higher standard,” Scheer said. “These students are very mature and self-disciplined.”

Christopher Stubblefield

As a sophomore, Christopher Stubblefield has achieved more than other musicians do throughout their entire four years of high school.

For the past four years, Stubblefield has participated in the National Trumpet Competition. He competed for the first time as a seventh grader, only a year and a half after first picking up the trumpet.

At the last National Trumpet Competition he attended in eighth grade, Stubblefield competed against 16 students from all over the United States and placed second overall. This year he is one of 30 musicians in the high school division travelling to Mechanicsburg, Pa. in March to perform at Messiah College.

Musicians wishing to enter the competition must record a performance of the solo they plan to play at the competition, and submit it in December. From there, a few students are chosen for the competition in the spring where they perform at the semi-finals. Only six students advance to the final round.

Stubblefield also made All-State this year for the first time after devoting countless hours to music. He has two periods of band, arrives at school early to play, and spends around an hour of his own time each day practicing.

“Students that do well [at All-State] practice hard, have practiced hard for years and years, and then go and do their best at the auditions,” CHS band director Scott Mason said. “Some students have quite a bit of work to do and others not so much. It really depends upon their talent level, how difficult their music is, and whether the music shows off their strengths and weaknesses.”

Like Knippa, Stubblefield aspires to have a future in music, although he is undecided on which route to take.

“As of right now, music is what I want to do,” Stubblefield said. “There are two main music professions; music education, which you could also play on the side and audition for symphonies and orchestras, and music performance, which would give you the degree to preform. Some people say to go for music education to have something to fall back on, but I’m thinking about music performance.”

For the moment, Stubblefield is concentrating on the National Trumpet Competition, which takes place the first week after spring break, and keeping up his skills to make All-State Band again next year.

The 17 Coppell High School students that are members of the 5A Texas All-State Band are:

Sophomore Annabelle Kim, Flute

Sophomore Ludia Hong, Flute

Junior Hannah Thorp, Clarinet

Senior Madi Zill, Alto Clarinet

Junior Lauren LaChapelle, Bassoon

Senior Paige Solano, French Horn

Sophomore Christopher Stubblefield, Trumpet

Senior Brandy Sun, Flute

Senior Daniel Gray, Euphonium

Senior Joey Pye, Trumpet

Senior Jason Fang, Bassoon

Junior Brady Knippa, Percussion

Senior Benson Huang, Clarinet

Senior Terrence Yi, Percussion

Junior Gregory Blazek, Euphonium

Junior Nicholas Jang, Alto Saxophone

Junior Rohan Panaparambil, E-flat Clarinet