In band, most people make all-state as juniors or seniors, but Rylan St. Clair accomplished this as a sophomore, making him the first sophomore from Mansfield to make all-state in ten years.

“When I saw that I made state, my jaw dropped and I kind of started dancing,” St. Clair said. “I was so excited.”

St. Clair was the last person on French horn to advance to the Area competition in Midland, and so he had not expected to advance to state.

“My original goal when I got the music was to just make region,” St. Clair said. “But then I made it to area. When I saw that I made it, I thought to myself, dang, I’m pretty decent actually. I didn’t think I would make it to state, but I thought I would at least give it a try.”

Before the audition, St. Clair made sure he kept a calm mindset.

“Before I played I just decided that I will play the best I can, and whatever happens happens,” St. Clair said. “If I didn’t make it, I wouldn’t be too upset. But I did better than I ever have on every piece. It was probably the best I have ever played, and walking out of the room I believed I could make it.”

St. Clair ended up advancing to the state, along with five other members from Mansfield.

“I’m excited for the experience of going to state and meeting new people and getting to be around other good players,” St. Clair said.

Since he made state as a sophomore, St. Clair has set high expectations for himself for his next two years of high school.

“I’m a bit nervous about how my director will hold me to a higher standard since I made it,” St. Clair said. “I’ve begun to consider doing drum corps. I just know for a fact that next year will have much more competition because our area and region are changing, so we’ll be competing against different people from different schools. It’s really competitive, so I’ll have to work even harder next year.”