Band and Chorus Audition Information

Band and Chorus Auditions

Students are required to take either band or chorus for the entirety of 7th and 8th grade. In order to place your child in an appropriate fine arts class, students must take part in an audition. Students may audition for both band and chorus. Auditioning for a program does not ensure placement in that program. Students who do not audition for either band or chorus by May 12 will be placed in a course based on remaining availability.

Students who already play a band instrument are strongly encouraged to continue their experience with Concert Band.
Students without previous wind instrument experience are invited to join Beginning Band.
Students auditioning for Boys Chorus or Girls Chorus will be expected to match pitch in three different ways:
- singing a major scale;
- 3 tonal memories, and
- preparing one of the two songs below.

Final placement will be determined by the department and communicated to students mid-June.

Band Auditions for Grades 7-8

List of 4 items.

Band Student Experiences

All students and parents are encouraged to watch this short Ted Talk video on YouTube. It is an entertaining video and has some great information about the incredible benefits that playing an instrument offers you!

Hear the experiences from former Marist band students.
Students who have never played a band instrument

Students interested in band must sign up for an Instrument Aptitude Test and try out multiple instruments in person with guidance from the Marist Band Directors. Guitar, piano, and string instruments such as violin or cello are not offered as choices.

Prior to their audition, students should view this presentation and arrive with three preferences of primary instrument. Choices include flute, clarinet, alto saxophone, french horn, trumpet, trombone, baritone and tuba. Percussion/drums is only open to students who take or have taken piano lessons.

Marist will provide the first instrument to Beginners, but families are responsible for purchasing some school supplies for their assigned instrument. Instrument assignments will be based on aptitude, group instrumentation, and preference - not necessarily in that order.

Click here to sign up for Beginning Band Auditions. The Band Room can be located by walking through and past the front office. Parent attendance during instrument aptitude tests is encouraged, but isn't required. We like for parents to see what it takes to begin studying instrumental music and view their child's full spectrum of progress from the beginning.
Students who currently play a band instrument
Students who currently play a Band instrument must sign up for an audition with the Marist Band Directors. Guitar, piano, and string instruments such as violin or cello are not considered as Band instruments. Print the sheet music for your instrument, and prepare everything you're able to play. Marist understands that students are at various levels with their playing, and there may be portions that students will not know how to play. We ask that students seek appropriate coaching from their current teachers in an effort to present their best audition. Our audition music asks students to play 5 things, all of which are on the sheet music:
1. Concert Bb Scale
2. Student's choice of EITHER Concert C or Concert Eb
3. Student's choice of EITHER Concert F or Concert Ab
4. Chromatic
5. Prepared Etude
Students should bring their instrument (percussionists need to bring their own mallets & sticks, Marist will provide the instrument) and will be asked to play the assigned piece.

Click here to sign up for Concert Band Auditions. The Band Room can be located by walking through and past the front office. Parent attendance during instrument aptitude tests is encouraged, but isn't required. We like for parents to see what it takes to begin studying instrumental music and view their child's full spectrum of progress from the beginning.
Audition Music

For students auditioning for Concert Band, select the sheet music appropriate for your instrument:

Alto Sax
Baritone Sax
Clarinet
Flute
Percussion
French Horn
Oboe
Tenor Saxophone
Trombone
Trumpet
Tuba

Chorus Auditions for Grades 7-8

List of 2 items.

Audition Requirements

Foundation choruses are separated by grade and gender and meet as a regularly scheduled academic class.

Auditions will be one-on-one with the choral director and will consist of three different components. Students will have the option sing each component in a high pitch key, or a low pitch key. Choose the best key that fits your voice.

Once the audition begins, the choral director will ask you to do the following:

Major scale: Sing the major scale using numbers or solfege. Teacher will give a pitch to begin.

Tonal memory: You will hear a set of pitches played in a rhythm. Please sing them back as accurately as you can, using a “Da” or “La” syllable. Review the samples below in order to practice prior to the audition.

Song: Please choose either Come, Christians, Join to Sing or My Country, 'Tis of Thee, and sing the melody and words a cappella (without accompaniment). The song is a requirement and easy to prepare as the sheet music and recordings of melodies are provided below to assist you in preparation.

Click here for auditions for girls.

Click here for auditions for boys.
Audition Music

Sheet Music:
Come, Christians, Join to Sing
My Country, 'Tis of Thee

Audio Music:
New Student Audition Prompts - High Key
New Student Audition Prompts - Low Key
Tonal Memory Demonstration
Come, Christians, Join to Sing - High Key
Come, Christians, Join to Sing - Low Key
My Country 'Tis of Thee - High Key
My Country 'Tis of Thee - Low Key