Ensemble Auditions

All Music Majors are required to audition for the appropriate ensemble each semester.

Non-Music Majors are invited to audition for the ensembles listed below.


Jazz Band Auditions

Tuesday, January 17, 2023 -
Gaertner Performing Arts Center, Room 220H (Dr. Aric Schneller's Ofice)

9:00am - 11:00am             Open Auditions (i.e. saxophone, trumpet, trombone, piano, bass, and guitar)

11:00am - 12:00pm           Preliminary Drum Set Auditions, School of Music Room 224

12:00pm - 5:00pm             Open Auditions (i.e. saxophone, trumpet, trombone, piano, bass, and guitar)

Each new and returning jazz student should sign up for an audition time on the Jazz Studies bulletin board (located just outside of rooms 202 and 205 in the School of Music main foyer), ideally several days before Tuesday, January 17, 2023, to secure an audition spot on a first-come first-served basis. Instrumentation for the jazz bands auditions include the following: saxophones (i.e. alto, tenor, and baritone), trumpet, trombone, piano, guitar, and acoustic/electric bass. Auditions will be held in room 205 "David Caffey Jazz Rehearsal Hall", of the School of Music. Dr. Schneller asks that you bring a prepared transcription, jazz etude, or any prepared piece to the audition (i.e. Wind Ensemble audition music, etc.) as there will be no posted audition music. Additionally, you will be asked to sight-read. Students wishing to be considered for jazz chair placement will be asked to play 1-2 choruses of an improvised solo on a 12-bar blues in keys of concert "F" or "Bb".

The preliminary drum set auditions will be conducted by Dr. Lane in the School of Music, room 224. This portion consists of sight-reading and a demonstration of various styles. Final placement in ensembles will be determined by reading/rehearsing with the Jazz Ensemble and/or Jazz Lab Band, conducted by Dr. Schneller and Mr. Fincher during the first week of classes.

For more information, please email Dr. Aric Schneller at schneller@shsu.edu.


Wind and Percussion Auditions for

Spring, 2023

  • Orchestra Wind Section
  • Symphonic Band
  • Wind Ensemble

AUDITION SCHEDULE SPRING 2023

Tuesday, January 17, 2023

  • 9:00 AM
    • Flute, Room 205
    • Clarinet, Recital Hall
    • Trumpet, Room 201
  • 1:00 PM
    • Percussion, Concert Hall Stage
    • Euphonium & Tuba, Recital Hall
    • Horn, Room 201
    • Double Reed, Room 205
  • 2:30 PM
    • Trombone, Room 201
    • Saxophone, Room 205

Spring 2023 Wind & Percussion Audition Music


Symphony Orchestra Strings Audition

SHSU Symphony Orchestra Strings Audition Information

Welcome to Spring 2023 SO Audition! Remember, if you plan to perform with the SO, you must audition for Dr. Dan.

The audition will be via video submission by Friday January 13, 2023. Please email your video to kayokodan@shsu.edu by January 13th.

The information and audition materials can be found here.

Violins, there are two options. Please look at both excerpts and decide which one you would like to prepare. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

I HIGHLY recommend listening to various recordings to get a general idea of performance tempi and styles. However, at the audition, I will value precision over tempo. If you perform with consistent rhythm, intonation, articulation, and control at a slower tempo, I will value that more than a sloppy performance at the performance tempo.

Kayoko Dan, Director of Orchestral Studies


REQUIRED EXCERPTS

Violin

First Violin audition music
Second Violin audition music

Please Read Carefully! If you have ANY questions, please reach out to kayokodan@shsu.edu *Seating: I will rotate seatings. I may place more experienced players to the back of the sections at times to strengthen sections. It is my wish that experienced players can act as mentors to less experienced players.

1. Beethoven Symphony No. 5, movement 1 m. 322-2 before E
2. Beethoven Symphony No. 5, movement 1 m. 400-F
3. Mussorgsky/Ravel Pictures at an Exhibition, Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuyle 56 to 58

If you would like to be considered for First Violin Section, also prepare #4 and #5

4. Mussorgsky/Ravel Pictures at an Exhibition, Limoges (prepare the top part)
5. Beethoven Symphony No. 5, movement 2

If you would like to be considered for Concertmaster, prepare #6

6. Saint-Saens Danse Macabre, beginning to m. 101 (skip the rests)

Listen to the recordings for general tempi.

Viola

Viola audition music available here

1. Beethoven Symphony No. 5, Movement 2 beginning-m.59
2. Beethoven Symphony No. 5, Movement 3 m. 146-181
3. Beethoven Symphony No. 5, Movement 4, m. 613-644
4. Mussorgsky/Ravel Pictures at an Exhibition, Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuyle 56-4th of 57
5. Mussorgsky/Ravel Limoges, 63 to 6th of 70 (prepare the top part)

Listen to the recordings for general tempi.

Cello

Cello audition music available here

1. Beethoven Symphony 5, movement 2 beginning-m. 10
2. Beethoven Symphony 5, movement 2 m. 98-123
3. Beethoven Symphony No. 5, Movement 3 beginning-m. 67
4. Beethoven Symphony No. 5, Movement 3 m. 140-183 (no repeat)
5. Mussorgsky/Ravel Pictures at an Exhibition, Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuyle (skip rests)
6. Mussorgsky/Ravel Pictures at an Exhibition, Limoges 68 to the end

Listen to the recordings for general tempi.

Bass

Bass audition music available here

1. Beethoven Symphony No. 5, Movement 3 beginning-m. 67
2. Beethoven Symphony No. 5, Movement 3 m. 140-218 (no repeat)
3. Mussorgsky/Ravel Pictures at an Exhibition, Promenade 1 before 3 to the end
4. Mussorgsky/Ravel Pictures at an Exhibition, Gnomus 11 to 7th measure o 14
5. Mussorgsky/Ravel Pictures at an Exhibition, Samuel Goldenberg and Schmuyle 60 to 62

Listen to the recordings for general tempi.

Harp

Harp audition music available here