This page will
be updated for 2021-2022
when that
information is known.
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NOTE:
In order to keep life simpler,
with fewer interruptions for the director and her
family, there are rules for picking up audition
music as well as a firm deadline for submitting
auditions.
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RESOURCE FROM THE
DIRECTOR
Link to
Suggested Strategy for Auditioning
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wednesday, July
1, 2020, 9AM
– 9PM, is the
date Concert Senior and Symphonic audition sheet music
is released. It must be picked up this day.
(Juniors
do not need to come on 7/1 since Junior
auditions DO NOT require any sheet music. Rather, their
audition comes
completely from the gold Essential Elements 1 book.)
Senior and Symphonic sheet music will be available at
the director’s home in Winfield, not far from the
intersection of Roosevelt and Winfield Roads. Contact
the director if you need the address and/or directions.
Under no
circumstances will audition sheet music be mailed or
released early to accommodate vacation schedules.
IMPORTANT:
If you are not able to come on July 1 it is your
responsibility to make arrangements with another band
member, (not the Borows) to pick-up your music on July
1. All audition music pick-ups are to be completed on
July 1.
Also, you may not simply “show-up” at the director’s
home on this day and expect to receive audition music.
Current members must have previously filled-in the Band Commitment/Declaration
form. New people should have had prior contact with the
director to let her know for which band(s) they intend
to audition. Without the
Band Commitment/Declaration from current members or prior contact
from new people, no music packet will be prepared for
you and you will have to arrange with the director for
pick-up at a later time.
Tuesday,
August 4, 2020, 9AM
–
5PM
all
Concert Junior, Concert Senior and Symphonic
Audition videos are due by
5pm at the latest.
LATE AUDITION
CONSEQUENCE - In order to be
considered for a ranked chair position your audition
must be turned in on time, by the deadline. If you fail
to do so, there will be penalties at the director’s
discretion.
August 4
is also the 2020-2021 Winter
REGISTRATION DEADLINE –
No auditions
will be accepted without fully completing and returning
1. A 2020-2021
WINTER Registration
WITHOUT signing–up for
Booster Hours.
Booster Jobs will be
released at a later date, when we have confirmation for
fall. We also
ask adult members with no students to submit a completed
registration form so we have the most current contact
information, etc.
2. A completed
and signed Commitment Page and Handbook Agreement
3. Any applicable
RENTAL forms and RENTAL payment(s) students AND adults
alike
REGARDING FEES ONLY FOR the 2020-2021 Winter Trimester
- Registration fees will most likely be due at the
Overview and Orientation meeting in mid-September, but
the due date is not yet set.
DO NOT
SEND REGISTRATION PAYMENT WITH YOUR REGISTRATION!
JUNIOR,
SENIOR AND SYMPHONIC
MEMBERSHIP IN WSHSB BY
AUDITION ONLY
Note: No
audition is necessary for beginners (Cadets). See link
to Cadet Requirements at the bottom of this page.
Our Concert Season runs throughout the school
year; fall through spring.
Those who wish to be part of the WSHSB Annual Summer
Chair Competition must submit an audition video by the
deadline, August 4.
AUDITIONING FOR A PARTICULAR
BAND DOES NOT GUARANTEE ACCEPTANCE IN THAT BAND. There
may also be limits in instrument sections within each
band level. The Concert Season roster is set by the end
of August.
However, once the summer audition video
deadline has passed you are still able to join by
submitting an audition video with the following
understanding. You will be placed in the band where we
feel you fit best and you will be at the end of the
roster for your instrument. Those who do not
submit an audition video will not receive music and WILL
NOT BE CONSIDERED A MEMBER OF THE BAND.
AUDITION CLARIFICATIONS
While you may audition for more than one band, you
must audition for each band on the instrument you intend
to play in that band. Every audition must be COMPLETELY NEW
for 2020-2021 including
ALL REQUIRED ELEMENTS as
defined within each audition. This audition video
requirement applies to all new applicants, as well as
all returning members.
Desire to
move up a band level? In
order to be considered for a band level promotion,
members need to prepare and perform BOTH
the audition for the band they are in as well as the one
to which they are aspiring.
Registration includes Commitment Page
-
Due to increasing conflicts with
other activities, all members are required to
complete the Commitment page which is the third page of
the Registration Form. You will need to list known
conflicts/absences and a parent's signature is required.
Again, the deadline for auditions, Registration Forms
and applicable rental forms is
August 4, 2020 and
auditions will not be accepted without the necessary
forms completed and included..
Commitment for Concert Season
-
We would also like to impress upon you that the band(s)
for which you choose to audition has a direct effect on
planning for our next concert season. The balance and
number of instruments affects the composition of each
band as well as the selection of music. We will not be
able to accommodate changes once you choose an
instrument and band level. Any requests of this nature
will be considered for the following concert year.
First Chair Expectations
- Earning first chair/principal confers upon a player an
important title. But there are responsibilities that
come with the position. The director and band rely on
each principal to take on leadership for his section.
These expectations increase commensurately with each
band level. As lead he is expected to -
-
Attend band
regularly with minimal to no absences
-
Be
the most skilled performer and an
example of "how to do it" to the rest of
the section
-
Play most if not
all the solos
-
Be called upon to
"model" a difficult passage for the rest
of the section
-
Be responsible for
leading sectionals as needed
If a student is not prepared or willing to accept such a
degree of responsibility, he should state on his video
that he would rather not have 1st chair.
No member has the authority to bypass the audition
process by acquiring another band’s/instrument’s music
or inserting themselves into a band they never
auditioned for. This is different from being a
(director-approved) helper on your primary instrument in
another band, which does not require an extra audition
to fulfill that role. There are also times when the
director may request a member's help, crossing the band
lines, but these kinds of situations always require the
director’s knowledge and approval.
AUDITION
VIDEO FORMATS
DVD-R formats are acceptable.
(Use DVD-R format only, do
not use DVD+R or DVD+/-RW for recording.)
Because of the large number of auditions, it has become
too cumbersome to have more than one audition on a tape
or DVD. Each COMPLETE audition must be on ONE separate,
brand-new DVD-R.
YouTube Option
Increasingly, more and more
auditions are
submitted on YouTube.
WARNING:
Know that uploading can take 48 hours or more so
you need to plan ahead. If you choose to use this method
there are three conditions that must be met:
-
Set your YouTube
to
unlisted. DO
NOT set it to
private or public.
-
The director
prefers that you email the
YouTube link(s) to
her regular email
address. Do not send
it to her through the website contact
form.
Recording their audition in the comfort of their own
home allows students to record their best playing or go
back and re-record something with which they are not happy.
Even if you feel that your video is not very good,
submit it anyway - you have nothing to lose. Having a
video allows the
director to go back and re-listen to a
student. If you do not own a DVD recorder,
you will need to borrow one from a friend or relative,
or perhaps record on your Smartphone.
The director is not able to assist in making your
recording.
DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE
TO RECORD OR TRANSFER!
See the IMPORTANT note above about the consequence for
late auditions.
TEST DVD BEFORE SUBMITTING
For various reasons, we have had considerable problems
with DVD’s that will not play on a commercial (for home
use) DVD player. In order to be sure your DVD will play
properly it must be “finalized” when created. Before
submitting your video you need to give it a test run on
a commercial
(for home use) DVD player,
not on a computer DVD drive.
LABEL THE VIDEO
Clearly label the DVD and its case with the student’s name, instrument,
and the band for which the student is auditioning.
RECORDING
Stand on the floor or
sit on a solid chair, and use a music stand. Do not set
the music on a table or in your case, or have another
person hold it while you perform. Do not sit on a sofa,
soft chair or bed.
Record your audition from
the side and NOT from the front. Playing directly into
the microphone can distort the sound. We also want to be
able to see your embouchure and finger or hand
technique. Tubas, be sure to film on the side that we
can see your face.
Use a new DVD-R for each individual audition.
For recording (Note -
These steps are also included within each band's
audition requirements.)
-
Every audition
must be
COMPLETELY NEW
for 2020-2021 including
ALL
REQUIRED ELEMENTS
as defined within each audition.
Do not
skip any elements.
-
At the beginning of the
recording clearly state your first and last name and
announce for which band and instrument you are
auditioning.
-
If you are not interested in being 1st
chair, assuming a leadership position and playing solos,
please say so at the beginning of your recording. There
is much expected of a principle player
-
Announce each selection before playing e.g.; Bb
chromatic scale, passage name, etc.
-
Everything must be
recorded with a
metronome at the designated tempo where specified.
*NEW
for 2020*
Points
will be deducted for not using and
setting a metronome
-
VERY IMPORTANT – You may choose to
record parts of your audition on different days or at
different times. However, there is to be no break or
editing within
any passage/exercise/scale. If you make a mistake or
stop within a passage, etc., leave the video running and
pick-up where you left off. Points will be deducted for
breaks in the recording, other than at measured rests.
One or two measures of rest should be counted out on the
video. Where there are three or more measures of rest,
leave the video running, pause playing and announce, “I
am continuing at measure ___.” Resume playing at that
measure.
While making your audition video
if you record any passage/exercise/scale more than once
you must edit that video to a final video with only one
take of each audition requirement.
-
AUDITION VIDEOS MUST BE AT THE DIRECTOR’S HOME BY
5PM,
TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2020 or they will be considered late.
In order
to be considered for a ranked chair
position your audition must be turned in
on time, by the deadline. If you fail to
do so, there will be penalties at the
director’s discretion.
-
We are aware YouTube uploading can take
as much as 48 hours or more. There may
be power outages, computer failures,
equipment issues or other unforeseen
problems. To avoid missing the deadline,
do not wait until the last days before
auditions are due to finalize your
recordings.
ROSTER PLACEMENT
One’s ability to commit to/attend band
will be taken into greater consideration in roster
placement. AUDITIONING FOR A PARTICULAR BAND DOES NOT
GUARANTEE ACCEPTANCE IN THAT BAND.
You will be placed in a band level
based on your proficiency and the needs within each
section and band. There may also be limits in instrument
sections within each band level. After the director
has reviewed and evaluated all audition tapes, band
assignments will be made and the roster set by the end
of August. The SYMPHONIC band will be set first,
followed by CONCERT SENIOR and then CONCERT JUNIOR.
Assignments will remain for the duration of the concert
season and will not change, unless initiated by the
director alone. Students will not be allowed to
“promote” or change bands during the year, unless
invited by the director. For example, this may be done
for musical/instrumentation needs.
It is important to remember that each student is
placed on their own ability as compared to all of the
other students on that instrument. It is sometimes
difficult to realize that you are joining a band program
with upperclassmen who have continued to practice and
study their instruments throughout high school. Some
very good players will be placed in Concert Junior Band.
This means that the quality of all of our bands is
continuously improving.
CONFLICTS
WITH BAND
We are asking parents to help guide their students to
make prudent, responsible and reasonable decisions about
their commitment choices and instilling the importance
of following through and fulfilling them to the best of
their ability. Students can only do what their parents
will allow.
Just as students in traditional school have band during
their school day, and receive a grade and credit on
their transcript, the same can be done for a
homeschooler. If you are not already doing so, you too
can give your student a a music grade and a credit and
enter it on their transcript. They can be graded for
progressing in their musical skills, putting in regular
practice hours between rehearsals, and following through
with their band commitment by faithfully attending
weekly rehearsals, dress rehearsals and concerts.
Since the band was founded in 2001, there has
been a tremendous increase in the number of
extracurricular activities available to homeschoolers.
Some of the activities where we see the most conflicts
are with organized sports, youth theater, speech &
debate, and outside membership in a local high school
band. Wanting to take advantage of and experience a wide
variety of things, students are over-committing
themselves and are often shortchanging the groups they
decided to join. It seems that a minimalist attitude
surfaces where the question becomes “What is the least I
can do and still belong?” One activity is weighed
against the other and somewhere, a group that is
counting on you loses out. In the case of band, when a
principal misses, a crucial or exposed part may go
vacant. If that part is covered by another student then
their part goes vacant. That is just one example.
Life involves making choices, being faithful to one’s
commitments, taking pride in what we do and doing the
best we can. It's not always easy but it's always worth
it and builds character.
WHAT YOU DO
AFTER THE AUDITION MATTERS
The director reserves the right to change roster
positions and/or part assignments as needed to benefit
the band. We have had to make these changes in the past
and regret when we are left with that difficult decision
due to infractions in the following areas. Regular,
weekly attendance, attitude, overall behavior and
cooperative spirit are all taken very seriously.
One’s attendance
record weighs very heavily. It is a major factor and
catalyst influencing a roster position or part
assignment change. This is especially true for those
with higher chairs. A student may turn in an outstanding
audition, earning them a top chair. However, they need
to realize it is more than just a title. Much time,
thought and prayer go into making the assignments. By
conferring the title, it is expected the student will
accept it as a serious personal responsibility and
deeper personal commitment to the band, the director and
its members. Indeed, we need all students to take their
commitment to band seriously and are gratified by all
those who do so. The director adds, “We expect good
attendance throughout the year. It is crucial to the
entire band and to the success of the concert that all
3
rehearsals before a concert are not missed by any
percussionist or wind musician. Failure to do so may
result in a change in part assignment, roster position,
or possible exclusion from a concert.”
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AUDITION REQUIREMENTS
NOTE: Audition requirements are
subject to change to a greater or lesser degree every
year. In the past, Junior and Senior audition
requirements have changed only slightly from year to
year. Know that we are always considering new options.
Senior and Symphonic audition music, which is
required in addition to the exercises, is released about
a month before the audition recording deadline.
Musical skills are not best
built separately over the summer, or even worse, in just
a few days before an audition recording is due. They are
built with diligent, consistent daily practice.
Students are encouraged to incorporate these audition
requirements into their regular practice to be better prepared when audition time
comes. It will be time well spent.
Click here for the 2020-2021 CONCERT JUNIOR AUDITION
REQUIREMENTS
Click here for the 2020-2021 CONCERT SENIOR AUDITION
REQUIREMENTS
Click here for the 2020-2021 SYMPHONIC AUDITION
REQUIREMENTS
Click here for the 2020-2021 CADET (beginner)
REQUIREMENTS
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Rev. June 30, 2020
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