Helpful Hints for A Successful Audition
(Guidelines to aid JHS Band Members in the audition process)
Night Before The Audition
Relax! Practice a little and spend a quite evening at home getting some rest. Go to bed at a reasonable hour!
Day of Auditions
Make sure that you don’t oversleep. Set your alarm - Remind your parents that they need to get you up - Have a friend call
to wake you. Plan ahead- make sure you get up on time. Eat a good breakfast before you leave for auditions.
Thing to Remember (plan ahead: the JHS Band Hall will not be open on Saturday morning)
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your instrument
your music: audition material (books/run-off sheets) & your scale/rudiment sheets
a pencil to write audition exercises and scales/rudiments (once they’re posted)
supplies: extra reeds (already broken in), valve oil, slide grease, sticks/mallets, pitch-pipe, etc.
money for lunch/snack
the JHS Audition Itinerary (this schedule tells you everything about the specific audition you are attending)
Registration
You have already been registered for the audition. Make sure you pay your audition fee of $3 by Thursday.
Audition Time (Your Responsibility)
Specific information is always provided on the JHS Audition Itinerary. Basically, you are assigned a number or time. It is
your responsibility to find out what the number/time is, and to be at the audition room at the correct time. For Region
Auditions, the try-out numbers are posted in the warm-up room (gym). At All-State auditions, numbers are on cards kept
by the outside monitor at your audition room. You pick up your try-out card at your audition room (see time schedule). It
is important at All-State to keep up with your try-out card!
Audition Material
Audition material is to be posted at least 30 minutes before the auditions begin. Material is posted at the audition room for
your instrument. See your JHS Audition Itinerary for specific time for posting of audition material.
Mark on your music the exact excerpts the judges have selected to hear. Also, write down the exact scales (plus number of
octaves) or rudiments you will be required to play.
Personally look at the posted audition material. Be extremely careful about this. Every year a student will write down
the wrong exercise, mark the wrong excerpt, or write down the wrong scale. REMEMBER, YOU MUST
PLAY YOUR SCALES IN ORDER – therefore, write them down in order!
Warm-up
Don’t spend any more time in the warm-up room that you have to. It can be very intimidating and stressful. Use the
warm-up room for the purpose of “warming up,” not for “learning the required exercise” or “scoping out the
competition.”
Percussion – we haul our own keyboards, timpani, and expensive snare drums for JHS students to use. I do not want
anyone else using our equipment at auditions.
Play through your posted audition material. Don’t tire yourself by over-practicing the material in the warm-up room.
Positive mental rehearsal and preparation will do much more for you than playing the same “lick” over and over until
your are worn out. Use this time to review the required scales/rudiments. Again, rely mainly on mental practice of these.
You must be fresh for your audition. Make sure you know the octave requirements for the scales being asked (they will
almost always be two octave scales).
Helpful Hints – page 2
Before You Enter the Audition Room
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Remain quiet and focused outside the audition room. This is a good time to mentally go over your
scales/rudiments and audition excerpts. Fingering and airing is acceptable.
Brass players should thoroughly empty all slides before you enter the audition room. Be sure to re-set slides.
Reed players keep mouthpiece cap on mouthpiece/reed until a few minutes before you enter the room. Make
sure that your reed is soaked and ready to go. Always have an extra emergency reed, in a reed guard, with you.
Remain calm.
Audition Room
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Adjust the chair & stand so that they are comfortable for you. Stand to audition only if that is normal for you.
Use your music – not the music in the audition room. If using books, use colored paper clips so that you can
quickly turn to the required excerpt. Do Not take a scale/rudiment sheet into the audition room!
Percussion: use our own equipment in the audition room (it is what you are used to playing on). Bring your own
sticks, mallets, and pitch pipe. We are using the Farley Pocket Tuner for timpani tuning this year. Make sure
you have practiced with it several times so that it is a familiar process for you in the audition room.
Do not talk during your audition. If you suddenly become ill or your instrument “breaks,” quietly notify the
monitor. The monitor will inform the judges, who will then give you instructions.
Point your instrument slightly away from your judges (directional brass).
The audition is not a race. After you have adjusted your chair and stand, listen to the monitors instructions. Adjust
your music and prepare to play. Reed players be sure to “draw” the water off of your reed; brass players make sure
to empty water one last time before playing.
Do play the first note of every scale, exercise, or sightreading as a whole-note warm-up before you begin.
After you play your warm-up note, mentally set your tempo (aided by a quiet foot tap if desired). Play the exercise
or scale with confidence. If you make a mistake , recover quickly and keep going. Accuracy is the most
important element in the audition room – Strive to be accurate at all times.
Golden Rule on technical exercises (especially if they are marked the tempo+): play only as fast as you can play it
accurately. Good tone and an accurate performance is desirable over a rapid tempo with errors. Speed is the least
important element of the audition!
Use every possible second of study time for your sightreading. Don’t empty spit valves or adjust reeds, etc. during
the study time. You can do those things after the study time is over!
You have 30 seconds of preparatory time for Sightreading. As soon as the music is presented to you – the focus
begins. EXTREME CONCENTRATION IS THE KEY AT THIS TIME! Quickly look over the selection,
noting key signature-time signature-tempo-style-accidentals. Mentally set the tempo (use your foot) and begin to
“air” the exercise. AIRING provides a performance of the sightreading excerpt before you have to play it on your
instrument. Once you have completed “airing” quickly check any tricky rhythms, fingering problems, etc. Keep
preparing until “time is called.” Make any adjustments (reeds, empty water, etc.), focus on the music, set your
tempo, and begin to play the sightreading excerpt. Play with confidence, striving to be accurate. If you make an
error, recover, and keep going – DON’T STOP!
Some instruments use two try-out rooms. Make sure that you go to both the prepared room and the
scales/sightreading room.
Everyone in the audition room wants you to do well. Do your very best. The judges will score you according to
how you play at your audition time.
Helpful Hints – page 3
Audition Procedures
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Scales are to be performed in the order that they are posted. Students will be asked to play one flat scale, one
sharp scale, and one minor scale with one exception: the C Major Scale OR Chromatic Scale may be asked in
lieu of one of these.
Scales are to be tongued, ascending and descending, and at a tempo of 72+ starting on the lowest note. Scales
are to be played in the following rhythmic pattern: 2/4 - one 8th note followed by six 16th notes, etc. The
chromatic scale is played in 8th note triplets. Keyboard percussion use these same guidelines for scales.
Any student not playing the required tempo and/or rhythmic pattern, and/or articulation, should receive
credit, but shall not be scored above the center line (average) of the score sheet.
Percussionists will audition on Snare, Keyboard, and Timpani.
Snare drum audition will consist of 1 rudiment, 1 portion of the prepared exercise, and sightreading.
Snare Drum rudiments are to be played “open-closed-open.” Please do not take forever to complete a
rudiment.A methodically paced performance of the rudiment is important. You have 1 maximum of one
minute to complete the rudiment (but you shouldn't take that long!!!!!!!!). For snare sightreading, use
the same guidelines as the winds; use "air -sticking" (not striking the drum) instead of "airing."
Keyboard audition will consist of 2 scales (same format as winds), a portion of the prepared material,
And sightreading. Use the same guidelines as the winds, except "stick" through the exercise instead of airing.
Timpani audition will consists of A) Tune pitches of the timpani exercise, B) Portion of the prepared Material,
and C) sightreading.
You are allowed 15 seconds to tune each drum. After tuning, STRIKE THE DRUM FROM LOWEST
TO HIGHEST CONSECUTIVELY IN A HALF NOTE RHYTHM (QUARTER =80). It is
Important that you remember to do this. An entire line on the scoring sheet is devoted to timpani
Tuning. A total of 15 seconds per drum is allowed for the tuning of timpani at Region and All-State. No
tuning aids, whether manual or electronic, are allowed in the percussion try-out room with the exception of
the following: (1) tuning fork, (2) pitch-pipe, (3) Farley Pocket Tone, or (3) mallet percussion instrument.
Mounted tuning gauges/devices on a student’s own set of timpani, must be covered and disengaged prior to
entering the audition room.
Sightreading on timpani: Use the allotted study time (30 seconds) for that purpose. You are allowed 15
seconds per drum to tune after the study period.
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No warm-up will be allowed in the try-out room. Prior to playing an exercise, scales, or sightreading, the
student will be allowed to play the first note of that scale or exercise in a long sustained note (whole note). No
repeated rhythmic variation of that note is allowed.
Good Luck!