Senior Mary Wardrop performed with the North Carolina Honor Band May 7 at the Stevens Center in Winston-Salem, NC.
She was selected as one of the top eight horn players in the state and went on to participate in an All-State Clinic, where she and fellow members of the Honor Band spent May 5-6 preparing for their concert at the Stevens Center, led by Dr. Jack Stamp.
Wardrop was selected to perform with the Honor Band as 8th chair of the french horn section after she auditioned for the All-District Band January and made second chair before auditioning for the Honor Band March 11.
Wardrop started playing french horn in 5th grade. According to Wardrop, it was not always easy.
“I definitely, definitely had to practice to be good,” Wardrop said. “At first, when I started, I was horrible; I was like, ‘I have no talent, I’m so bad,’ but if you just put in the time, it gets so much easier.”
Though it may have taken her some practice to become the musician she is, band director Brett Cox said that it takes a lot of skill for the Honor Band audition, and that Wardrop possesses that skill.
“It’s a blind audition, so it’s based purely off of skill,” Cox said. “It’s that and just being an overall good musician, being able to not only to play the instrument well, but communicate emotion effectively.”
Wardrop said that a big aspect of her success with music is the support she receives from her parents and Cox.
“My dad plays french horn, so that’s why I started when I was in fifth grade, because he played it,” Wardrop said. “Mr. Cox has always really encouraged me; he’s always like, ‘Mary, you’re going to do great at your audition,’ so my parents and definitely Mr. Cox have been a really big influence.”
Her father’s influence may have been what motivated her to start french horn, but what keeps her going is her love for the instrument.
“I think french horn is really fun, because everyone always said, ‘You should play something more basic and then switch later,’ but I just started right on french horn, and I love it,” Wardrop said.
Wardrop plans to continue doing music at UNC-Chapel Hill, where she will be attending college in the fall. She has signed up for marching band and symphony orchestra to keep pursuing music as a hobby, but will not pursue it as a career.
“I want to march at Carolina; I think that’d be so fun,” Wardrop said. “I definitely want to do music. I love marching band.”
– By Meera Butalia
