Audition Guide
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Audition preparation tips for High School Honors winds, percussion and jazz
Preparing students for Middle Level State Honors Auditions (Slidedeck from 2022 Wisconsin State Music Conference)
Auditions vs Festival Performance
Unlike performances at WSMA Music Festivals, applying to audition often involves additional recognition or placement in a music organization. Auditions are usually required for state and national Honors organizations, summer music camps, acceptance in a collegiate music performing ensemble or department, or chair placement. Not all students that apply to audition are accepted.
Audition Performance Goals
A successful audition demonstrates technical skill and musical artistry beyond what is notated on the printed page. The three steps to achieving these goals are:
- Practice slowly. Work on difficult passages using a metronome. Increase speed only when you have comfortably mastered all musical elements.
- Practice often. Perform for others before your audition. Record your performances, self-critique and invite others to critique you.
- Perform with emotion. Put yourself in the music. What do you wish to communicate to your audience?
Scales, Vocalizing and Ear Training
The solo is only one aspect of the audition. Scales are often required for instrumentalists and vocalizing for vocalists. These skills should be practiced regularly until they become second nature. Scales should be memorized and performed accurately. Vocalization and ear training should exhibit the best usable range possible.
Sight-Reading
Most auditions require performers to sight read. Practice at least once per week. Read through unfamiliar pieces of music, ask your teacher for sight-reading materials or seek out other sources. Before you sight read, check your music for the following musical elements using the STARS* acronym:
S – Sharps or flats in the key signature
T – Time signature and tempo markings (or text, if you’re singing lyrics)
A – Accidentals and Articulations (bowings, accents)
R – Rhythm (isolate difficult rhythm passages and subdivide them)
S – Signs (dynamics, DC al Fine, repeats, changing meters or tempos)
* The STARS acronym is from Essential Elements Comprehensive Band Method. Copyright Hal Leonard Corporation Milwaukee, WI. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
Sight-reading evaluation will include a thirty seconds for you to review the music. Identify the key and time signature, noting any accidentals, and work through the notes and rhythms silently (you may hum the pitches.)
To prepare beforehand, open to pages of music or eight bar excerpts that you’ve never practiced. Start a metronome and set it to the tempo shown on the music. In the absence of a notated tempo, choose one between 80 and 120. Set a timer for thirty seconds, then evaluate the music on your own. Mentally humming the song without making any sound can be a big help. Resist the temptation to play.
Nailed it? Go ahead and play through. Don’t forget to have fun!
Winds, Percussion, Strings & Piano Auditions
Memorize all required major, minor, chromatic and/or modal scales. Be prepared to perform as many octaves as possible in even tempos using the correct articulation pattern, if provided in the audition requirements.
Vocal Auditions
Be sure you ask for proper coaching from your teacher on language pronunciations, style, and phrasing. Schedule an accompanist for your audition or obtain a recorded accompaniment in the correct key and tempo.
Audition Timeline
High School Honors Audition Requirements Carefully read through them and ask your teacher to answer questions. Choose a solo and obtain the music. If yours is more than three minutes long, consider excluding repeats or playing only two contrasting movements. High School Honors Instrumentalists only: obtain a copy of the required etude. Submit the registration form. High School Honors Audition registration opens November 1st and is due in early December. Middle Level Honors Audition registration opens in early December and is due in early February. Create a practice schedule allowing time to meet all audition requirements (scales, etude, solo, sight-reading, etc.).At Least Three Months Before
Obtain a copy of the audition requirements.
Middle Level Honors Audition Requirements
Schedule several lessons with your music teacher now.
Record your performances often and evaluate them. Invite others to hear you perform and provide feedback. Continue practicing all audition components several times per week.One month before
Ask your teacher for assistance with audition requirements.
Practice performing all components of the audition without stopping.One week before
Obtain an original of your solo to give to the evaluator.
Arrive with plenty of time to park, register, and locate the warm-up area and audition room. Warm-up the way you’ve been taught. What matters happens in the audition room, not while getting ready. You are required to arrive at the audition room at least ten minutes before the scheduled performance time.Audition day
Dress professionally.
Breathe! Take the time to collect your thoughts and focus before you perform. This is your time to demonstrate your preparation. It’s ok to make mistakes: no one is perfect. When the audition is over, be sure to thank the evaluator and accompanist.Conduct in the audition room
Positive body language helps show confidence.
Evaluations are confidential
The evaluator will not provide feedback to students during or after the audition. The evaluation form is for use by the selection committee only.
Congratulations for taking the initiative to practice and audition.Audition Results
High School Honors audition results are sent in mid-March.
Middle Level Honors results are sent late May.
