Kristen Park, grade 7, has been selected to the 2011 California All-State Concert Band. Park, who plays the B-flat soprano clarinet, competed against more than a thousand applicants vying for a prestigious spot in the band.

“Kristen is very musical and self-driven, and she has improved greatly throughout the year,” said David Hart, director of the middle school’s orchestra and jazz bands. “It does not surprise me at all that she is one of the top middle school clarinetists in California.”

To audition, applicants must prepare complicated musical pieces and scales, depending on the instrument. They are judged on intonation, tone, rhythm, technique, interpretation, balance and overall performance.

Park is the first grade 7 student from Harker to ever make the all-state band. Congratulations!