Thomas Jackson plays the drums, Riley Gomes plays the flute, Zachary Snizek plays the saxophone, and Joshua Ball sports the euphonium. Last Sunday, the Tiverton eighth graders showed off their talents at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Providence, when the All State Band played its lone concert for their grade level.

The four, all in the state Junior All State Band, were chosen in November from a pool of 1,200 applicants across the state. The band recognizes Rhode Island’s best musicians in grades seven through nine, and Gomes said he and his fellow Tiverton students learned they were going to be part of the band two days after auditioning at Ponaganset High School.

“I was pretty happy,” Gomes said.

His fellow students said they were excited to play Sunday, especially Joshua, who is ranked the best euphonium player in the state in his grade level. He acknowledged that fewer people play the instrument, a medium-sized brass instrument similar to a tuba.

“It’s such a unique instrument but it’s still something to be excited about.”

Jackson said he was shocked since he did not expect to make the band and Snizek said he was excited to get to play with top musicians.

The Veterans Memorial Auditorium crowd was much larger than the students are used to. They practiced together three times, most recently last Friday, and prepared at home and with band teacher Michael Alves.

“My four students all said that they had a great experience,” Alves said after Sunday’s concert.