She had an audition in October last year. The audition had three rounds. For the first two rounds she played behind a screen to a panel. The final round was without a screen.
At the end of the day she was offered a three month trial with the orchestra. She had the trial between March and June this year.
She evidently impressed. About a month ago she signed a contract to become a fulltime member from February next year.
Jones was born near Chicago in the United States, but lived in Wisconsin before moving to New Zealand, where her father is from, when she was 11.
She lived in Russell and then moved to Whangārei.
Whangārei musician Alanna Jones will become a full time member of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra early next year. Photo/Supplied
"I played the piano when I was seven, that was when I started music."
Then she picked up the harp when she was 16.
Jones was part of Whangārei Youth Music and it was there she was introduced to the double bass. The orchestra needed a bass player and she was asked to do the job.
"I ended up taking it home. I taught myself for about a year."
It was the team work environment of bass playing that drew her in, compared with the more stand-alone role of the harp.
"The job the bass provides is like a cushion for the orchestra to sit on."
Jones was accepted into the Auckland Philharmonic Summer School programme, and then went on to complete her undergraduate degree at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
Then she joined the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra fellowship programme, before heading back overseas where she completed her masters in double bass performance at Rice University in Texas and spent two years in the Tanglewood fellowship programme with the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
Jones has spent the past two years in the Sydney Symphony fellowship programme and is going on tour with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in November.
Sistema's Fiona Douglas worked with Jones at Whangārei Youth Music and said she has always been very determined.
"We're all very proud of her."
Douglas said Jones' success would encourage young Northland musicians to follow their passions, and it shows them that there are jobs in the arts.
NZSO Section Principal Percussion Emeritus Bruce McKinnon is also linked to Northland.
