VIDALIA, La. – The slide trombone has been Chris Huff’s ticket to Louisiana’s All-State Band.

Huff, 19, a senior at Vidalia High School, was one of the lucky 15 out of 55 chosen to play trombone in the All-State Band last month. &uot;Individuals from all over the state were trying out on different instruments,&uot; Huff said.

More than 300 high school students from Louisiana converged on Lafayette for the competition.

Intensive practice sessions were held last weekend for the Nov. 22 performance at the Radisson Hotel in Baton Rouge.

&uot;We had a full audience,&uot; Huff said.

The All-State Band performance gave Huff experience not only in playing the trombone but also in meeting and working with other musicians.

The practice session on the Sunday before the performance lasted for a 12 hours.

&uot;It was nerve-wracking, but it also helped my site reading,&uot; Huff said.

There was no special pull to the trombone for Huff – he said it was simply the first instrument he picked up in the fifth grade.

&uot;It was the luck of the draw I guess,&uot; he said. &uot;But I like the trombone’s ability to change pitch so easily – you slide from note to note.&uot;

Now that Huff is in his senior year, he plans to go on to Copiah-Lincoln Community College to study computers.

&uot;I want to be a computer technician,&uot; he said.

Huff also has a strong interest in electronics.

&uot;Electronics is a hobby for me – I fix people’s car stereos and TVs,&uot; he said.

On his own stereo, Huff prefers to listen to classic Beatles tunes. But once he gets to Co-Lin, Huff said he will hang up the trombone, except for playing in local bands.