2025 MSU Honor Band Clinic Audition Information

MSU Wind Ensemble warming up prior to Honor Band Clinic concert

MSU Honor Band Clinic

January 30 - February 1, 2025

Open to band students in grades 9-12 

AUDITION REQUIREMENTS

All Winds

  • Scales:  Concert F, Gb, G, Ab, A, Bb (at least two octaves for woodwinds)
  • Chromatic scale (practical range of instrument)

Scales should be performed in eighth notes @ quarter note = 120, tongued ascending and slurred descending.

  • Solo: (1 to 1.5 minutes) Performance of excerpts from Lion’s Band, All-State or District Band etudes is strongly encouraged. A copy of your music must be submitted with your audition.
  • Selection criteria:  Tone, Intonation, Accuracy, and Expression as demonstrated though the performance in both scales and the etude selection.

 

All Percussion

Percussionists must audition on all three of the following instruments – Snare, Mallets, and Timpani – to be considered for the Honor Band Clinic.  Click here for some practical etudes for percussion.

  • Mallets:         
    • Scales: Concert F, Gb, G, Ab, A, Bb   
    • Chromatic scale 
    • Solo: (1 to 1.5 minutes) Performance of excerpts from Lion’s Band, All-State or District Band etudes is strongly encouraged. A copy of your music must be submitted with your audition.
  • Snare:            
    • Rudiments: (performed open-closed-open on a concert snare) Nine stroke roll, Flam Paradiddle
    • Solo: (1 to 1.5 minutes) Performance of excerpts from Lion’s Band, All-State or District Band etudes is strongly encouraged. A copy of your music must be submitted with your audition.
  • Timpani:        
    • Solo: (1 to 1.5 minutes) Performance of excerpts from Lion’s Band, All-State or District Band etudes is strongly encouraged. A copy of your music must be submitted with your audition.
  • Selection criteria:  Accuracy and Expression as demonstrated through the performance in scales, rudiments, and the etude selection.

 

All students who complete the audition but are not selected for the Honor Wind Symphony will automatically be considered for – but not guaranteed – placement in the Maroon Band or White Band.

 

HOW TO SUBMIT AN AUDITION RECORDING

To be considered for acceptance to any portion of our clinic, you must follow these steps to submit an audition recording:

1. Create and record your audition on one continuous video file:

  • Say your name and school at the beginning clearly.
  • Introduce each scale (or rudiment).
  • Say, "Prepared piece" and play your prepared piece.
  • Say, "End of recording" when you are done.
  • The entire video must be done in one continuous, unedited take. In other words, do not turn the camera off between the different parts of the audition.
  • Your face and fingers/valves/slides/sticks/mallets must be visible at all times in the video.

2. Upload your video to YouTube as an "unlisted" video or to another file sharing service like Vimeo, Google Drive, or Dropbox.

3. Secure a download link for the file that you can share with us. Please check to make sure that the permissions will allow us to view it!

4. Create a PDF or high-quality picture of your audition music for submission.

5. Visit this link to submit your audition materials.

  • Fill out the general information.
  • Attach a link to your video recording (not the recording file itself, just a link to it).
  • Attach a copy of your music.
  • Hit "Submit".

 

Questions? Contact the band office at 662-325-2713 or email us at msuband@msstate.edu.

Auditions must be submitted by 11:59 pm CST Wednesday, December 4, 2024.