Thank You for Registering

Students and Families,

Thank you for registering for the UA Outreach Honor Band! Here is all the information you’ll need to know about auditions.

  • Please make sure that you arrive on Sunday afternoon, September 8, 2019 for FALL auditions and on January 26, 2020 for SPRING auditions at 1:15 P.M. for check-in and auditions/chair placements. This is an audition day only, not a normal full rehearsal, but you need to bring your instrument and your audition music (your prepared solo).
  • Please check-in outside of room 170 in the University of Arizona Fred Fox School of Music between 1:15 P.M. and 1:45 P.M. Directions, the School of Music map, and parking information can be found on our website: outreachband.music.arizona.edu.
  • Students will warm up until 2:00 P.M. in room 170, and then auditions will take place in the order students checked-in, so parents, please plan on staying nearby while the student auditions.
  • All students will be heard individually by their section coaches to determine membership and chair order. Any student who misses the audition or arrives late may not be selected for the group or may be placed at the end of the section at the director’s discretion.
  • If you have friends or schoolmates that would be interested in this honor band, please have them register online ASAP: outreachband.music.arizona.edu/register. Auditions are held every semester, and all new and returning members need to register prior to auditions.
  • Parents, the best place to park your car is in the Park Parking Garage, located just north of the Speedway and Park Ave intersection. Parking is free on the weekends, and there is an underpass under Speedway to safely walk from the garage to the Fred Fox School of Music. Do not park at any local businesses near the School of Music, such as Chase Bank or Jack in the Box, because they tow vehicles regularly.
  • What students need to bring for the audition/chair placement:
    1. Instrument (if percussion, only bring your snare drum sticks and xylophone mallets if you have them)
    2. Sheet music for your choice of a prepared piece of music (approx. 30-60 seconds in length)
  • About the Audition/Chair Placements:
    Your audition determines your chair placement within your section for the entire semester, so please make sure to be prepared. U of A section coaches will lead the auditions. Students, please practice your scales and a solo passage to be prepared for this audition. Most students who can read middle-school-level music and produce a good solid tone on their instrument are accepted into the group; with the exception of those who did not adequately prepare for the audition or if too many students audition on the same instruments and cuts need to be made to balance instrumentation.

Each student (new and returning members) will play three things for the judge:

  • Solo: Play a prepared piece of music that you have practiced prior to the audition. Pick something that showcases how good of a player you are! Pick a selection/passage that is approximately 30-60 seconds in length. You could choose a solo, an etude, a piece from a technique book, or an excerpt from a previous piece of music you’ve played in band. Try to play something that demonstrates both your strongest abilities. If you are unsure of what to play, please ask your school music teacher for suggestions.
  • Scales: You will be asked to play a two-octave chromatic scale and two major scales up to three flats and three sharps (Eb, Bb, F, C, G, D, and A scales on your instrument, not transposed). The judge will decide which of these scales you’ll play at the audition.
  • Sight reading: You will play a short passage from a piece of music you have not seen/prepared. We are evaluating how well you read music on the spot.

If You Pass the Audition
Results will be sent via email within three days after the auditions. We will then have rehearsal each Sunday afternoon throughout the semester at the UA Fred Fox School of Music. Registration fees are due at the first rehearsal and all music for the semester will be provided at the first rehearsal. Students will also receive small-group instruction each week by an expert on their instrument during our rehearsal time. We perform a concert for the public on the final day of our semester.

Please look over the posted semester schedule and parent information on our website: outreachband.music.arizona.edu. If you have any further questions, please let me know. I look forward to an incredible semester making music together! See you at the auditions!

For your convenience, please download the following: Semester Schedule.

Many thanks,
Dr. Williams