Just like sports have the special teams and groups for the best players on a team, musicians have special honor groups.

Through Kansas Music Educators Association, district honor groups are selected from the many audition tapes that get sent in. The first level is the District Honor band, which each of the six districts hold.

The northwest district honor groups will be coming together for the first time on Dec. 7 at 8 a.m. and perform their concerts later that day.

“It’s good to play with other students their own age from different places and make new friends,” band director Craig Manteuffel said.

The honor groups include orchestra, band and choir. All 9^th through 12^th graders are invited to audition. Hays High will be sending eight orchestra members, eight band members and 33 choir members.

Sophomores, juniors and seniors who make the cut for district are eligible for selection into the All-State groups, which will meet in late February.

Choral students audition for district and state at the same time in a live audition, though the state roster is not released until later. Band and orchestra audition for district by sending in a recording of their audition. If they make the district band, they are given the opportunity to play in a live audition in January.

However, the springboard for all that follows is the district honor groups.

“Everyone who comes there is an honors student so they get to make great music with a well-known guest clinician,” Manteuffel said.

14awalters@usd489.com