My Private Students

All-District Audition Briefing 2002

 

PLACE:  Carver Middle School, 3800 Cougar Trail, Chester, VA. (off Harrowgate Rd, 5 miles south of Chester)  Click here for Directions

DATE & TIME:  Saturday, December 14th, 8:00am-5:00pm. Registration is from 8:00-9:30a. Results should be posted by 5:00p. I plan to be present and to write down the posted results for those of you who leave right after their audition.

LUNCH:  Food and drink should be available for purchase at the school. Bag lunches are also okay.

REPORTING OF RESULTS:  Preliminary audition results should be available on the VBODA District III Website. I will try to post audition results on the student/teacher news page Saturday evening or Sunday afternoon at the latest.

PREPARATION

GENERAL ADVICE

SPECIFIC ISSUES

Middle School Scale Format - Chromatic is in eighth notes at 88bpm, slur up/tongue down. You can do this at a higher speed if it sounds good. Major scales, I'm told, will be at a set tempo--80 beats per minute in quarter notes. The judges will give you the tempo. Tongue up and down. Play with best possible tone. If you can play an extra octave, go ahead if it sounds good. If not, just stick to what you have.

Middle School Prepared Piece/Sight Reading - Select the best tempo at which you will play the piece with no mistakes. If the judge provides you a tempo that you think is too fast, go ahead and play it slower. You might lose a couple of points for tempo, but the lack of mistakes will make up for it.

How Your Scales Will Be Called - If the judge asks for a B-flat scale, he does not mean concert B-flat. He wants the scale that starts on your instrument's written B-flat.

Extra-Credit Items for Middle Schoolers - Extra speed on chromatic scale and/or your prepared piece. Play only as fast as you can without making mistakes. You can add an extra octave to your major scale if it sounds good. Clarinetists can add a high octave to their F, G or E-flat scales. Saxophonists could add a high octave to their E or E-flat scale, or a low octave to their C or B-flat scale. If you're not sure, try it out on me when I see you.

Contacting Me - I will have my cell phone (382-1846) with me on Saturday, but the quality of reception may vary inside the school building. I will regularly visit both the warmup rooms and the cafeteria if students want help, or parents want to talk about anything. I will be visiting the middle school warmup rooms most frequently.

Audition Results - I am hoping to stay until audition results are posted. If you have to leave earlier, make sure that I have your phone number and I'll try to get the info to you. Remember that the posted audition results are not officially final until your band directors notify you the following week.

Punctuality - It is very important to be on time both for auditions Saturday, and for rehearsals when the band convenes next year. Make sure that you arrive at Carver  before registration is over. They are not obligated to sign you in once registration has ended.

Behavior - Be on your best behavior at all times. VBODA is a private organization and they can exclude you from the band or demote you in terms of chair position if you demonstrate misbehavior or tardiness. You have no avenue of recourse or appeal in these decisions.

High School Clarinets - Practice your 3-octave scales, E, F, F# & G. In all likelihood, you will be asked for at least one of these.

 

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