Millie Diaz, News Reporter
Cobra Trevor Ledbetter has been selected again as a member of the 2026 All-State Band through the Association of Texas Small School Bands. More than 10,000 high school band students from across Texas auditioned in twenty-two different regions for a place in their respective all-region bands.
Ledbetter earned his spot by placing first chair tenor trombone at the area audition and second chair at the state level. He was also a member of the 2025 ATSSB 3A All-State Concert Band.
“Earning a spot in the All-State Band twice in a row makes me feel like I’m properly utilizing the talent God gave me and the hard work I put in,” he said.
This year, Ledbetter chose to audition in the 4A division, competing with schools more than twice the size of Industrial high School. The top chairs in each region advanced to one of the five area auditions held this month across the state. Only 286 of these students were selected for all-state honors, including 25 tenor trombone players.
Ledbetter explained the process from regionals, area and state auditions.
“At region band auditions we were required to play select parts of two etudes (which were assigned to our instrument group, we did not choose which etudes to play), two major scales, and a chromatic scale,” he said.
At the area audition, they were required to play the whole of both etudes, seven major scales, and their chromatic scale.
“Once All-State auditions came around, it was to determine chair placement, as everyone had already qualified to make the band,” Ledbetter said. “For this audition we had to perform excerpts from two of our concert pieces, El Camino Real by Alfred Reed and Unidad en Ritmo by Michelle Fernandez.”
The ATSSB All-State Bands met to rehearse and present concerts in San Antonio in February. Dr. Richard M. Heidel, from the University of Iowa, was the clinician- conductor of the All-State Symphonic Band.
Ledbetter is a member of the Corpus Christi Area Youth Orchestra and studies trombone with Edward Avila. He is the son of Ron and Christine Ledbetter of Inez and grandson of Brenda Kennedy of Victoria and Peggy Ledbetter of Cuero.
“The next step for me in band is to continue to improve my playing and hopefully do it again next year,” Ledbetter said. “I also want to continue contributing musically and physically to the Golden Cobra Band.”
