Concert Band Auditions
Every class goes through an audition process so Mr. Edwards can place you on the appropriate part and to hear a little of your playing ability. These auditions take approximately 5 minutes and will be done one-on-one with Mr. Edwards in his office during class time at the beginning of the year.
The beginning date of the auditions will be announced: in class, on twitter and on this site.
This will be the first two major assignments of the year and each part of the audition is worth 50 marks.
If you would like to see the marking Rubric click here - Audition Rubric
The audition has two parts:
1) The first part of the audition is an Étude or little study.
A number from our method book (distributed to all students for free at the beginning of the year),
I Recommend, is played. The selected number is played at the tempo or speed indicated by the the tempo marking. This tempo or speed can be found using a metronome set to the indicated number.
If you do not have a metronome, you might find this on line metronome handy - On line metronome or download a free metronome app to your device like this one- Metronomo
Here are the audition selections for each ensemble:
Symphonic Band
- Page 11 #39 Tempo marking: Quarter note = 112
Concert Band 10/11
- Page 9 # 19 Tempo marking: Quarter note = 66
Gr. 9 Concert Band
- Page 8 # 11 Tempo Marking: Quarter note = 80
2) The second part of the audition is the chromatic scale.
For your audition you will be asked to play and say a 2 octave chromatic scale.
Although it is explained below, you might also find this guide helpful - Chromatics Explained
Although it is explained below, you might also find this guide helpful - Chromatics Explained
To help clarify the scale - the one octave chromatic scale is easily understood as playing all the notes on a fingering chart beginning and ending on the same letter name. A two octave scale would then be repeating this process twice except that the 2nd octave would be higher in pitch than the first.
Basically, you are going from just about as low as you can play to pretty well as high as you can play on your instrument.
You may begin on any note you wish that will allow you to play two octaves.
You will be asked to say the note name "out-loud" first and then play the note on your instrument. You will continue this way until you reach the top of the 2nd octave. Then you will follow the same pattern as you descend.
You will name the notes by their "sharp" name on the way up and by their "flat" name on the way down.
Gr.9's are permitted to use a fingering chart and Gr. 10 - 12 may not.
There are no part marks for the chromatic scale.
It is a pass/fail assignment... either you can play it or you cannot.
Thus, you will either get 50/50 or 0/50.
If you have any questions about your audition, please see Mr. Edwards ASAP and do not procrastinate.
