All-State Band and District Honor Band is a program that recognizes and provides opportunities for talented young musicians to perform challenging music and work with guest conductors. It can also be a chance to meet other talented musicians from across the state. Beginning each fall tens of thousands of middle school and high school students drive to a nearby high school and audition. Individual musicians perform selected music for a panel of judges who rank each instrument. Autrey Mill Middle School is humbled to send many students to both GMEA All-State Band and GMEA District V Honor Band each year.
AYWS Young Artists (AYWSYA) is a middle school component of the Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony. The format of AYWSYA an honor band-style weekend with two brief rehearsals on a Saturday and a short concert on a Sunday. Approximately 100 students are selected at random based on band director nominations. Throughout the honor band experience, students get to meet, collaborate, and perform with a guest conductor. Previous guest conductors include Aaron Perrine and Yukiko Nishimura.
Fall Date: September 27-28th at Lakeside HS with guest conductor Katahj Copley Spring Date: TBA
Please stay tuned for more information about the 2025 Fall AYWSYA Event!
University of Georgia's MidFest is designed to provide a rewarding musical experience for advanced middle school band students, grades 6, 7, and 8. There is no audition to attend; directors are encouraged to nominate their most advanced students (up to 10% of band population) by way of the festival email registration. Two students will be selected at random from the pool of nominations to attend UGA MidFest.
December 11th - 13th, 2025 in Athens, GA
Nominations are OPEN! Please Click Below for More!
Solo & Ensemble Festival is an opportunity for individual students from member schools to perform a selection of their choice for adjudication. Students may choose to perform a solo (with piano accompaniment), or prepare piece for small ensemble (group of 2 or more). Speak with Ms. Tomei or Mr. Cundy about finding a piece to play.
Please stay tuned for more information regarding the 2026 Solo & Ensemble event!
The 6th Grade Honor Band event is exclusively for 1st year beginners in GMEA District V. It is nominations-only, meaning there is no audition. Directors nominate students based on behavior, musical skill, and interest in the event. The event planning committee then selects students from the nomination pool. Students accepted to the event will be given fun, achievable music they’ve never seen before, rehearse the music over the course of one day, then perform a concert at the end of the day. It is a very fun and rewarding experience, but it is also a challenge! That is why it is an honor to be chosen!
Please stay tuned for more information regarding the 2026 Sixth Grade Honor Band Event!