Auditions

DCYO Audition Requirements

We plan for auditions to be held in-person this year at Ardmore Presbyterian Church. Full directions will be emailed to each family after you have registered for an audition and your audition time has been confirmed.

Woodwind, Brass, and String Players, please also see the “Additional Information” section below

PREPARED PIECE: Students should play 4 minutes of prepared music that demonstrates both technical proficiency and lyrical ability. Students may choose to prepare 2 short selections that are no longer than 4 minutes total (one piece that is faster and more technical and one that is slow and more lyrical) if one piece cannot adequately demonstrate both styles. Prepared music may be taken from standard solo literature for your instrument, standard orchestral excerpts, or in some cases from advanced etudes. School ensemble selections (i.e. music from your school band concert) are not appropriate for this audition. The music does not have to be memorized.

SCALES: Students will be asked to play 1 or 2 major scales chosen by the audition committee. Students may choose the tempo and manner in which the scales are played. Multiple octave scales are expected as appropriate for each instrument. The audition committee can ask for any major scale up to 5 sharps and 5 flats.

SIGHT-READING: Students will be asked to sight-read a short excerpt. The sight-reading excerpt is used to gauge a student’s ability to quickly process and execute musical notation. Students will be evaluated based on accuracy of notes and rhythms as well as ability to follow musical indications (i.e., dynamics, articulations, etc.).

Percussion

Percussionists should prepare two short excerpts: one on snare drum, and one on a mallet instrument, totalling no more than four minutes. Etudes, portions of solo literature or orchestral excerpts are all acceptable. A snare drum and xylophone will be available for the audition.

Harp and Piano

Please contact Mr. Hauze (ahauze@dcyo.org) for information about what you should prepare for your audition.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR WINDS/BRASS

• Flutes should play or be willing to learn to play piccolo.
• Oboes should play or be willing to learn to play English horn.
• Ideally, Clarinetists in DCYO own both a B-flat and an A clarinet. If you do not have access to an A clarinet, you should be willing to transpose parts notated for an A clarinet.
• Horns should be able to transpose parts not notated for F Horn, or be willing to learn transposition quickly.
• Trumpets should be able to transpose parts not notated for B-flat trumpet, or be willing to learn transposition quickly. It is recommended, but not required, that students own both Bb and C trumpets.
• Trombones should be able to read bass clef and tenor clef, and be willing to learn alto clef.

YMO Audition Requirements

We plan for auditions to be held in-person this year at Ardmore Presbyterian Church. Full directions will be emailed to each family after you have registered for an audition and your audition time has been confirmed.

PREPARED PIECE: Students should play 4 minutes of prepared music that demonstrates both technical proficiency and lyrical ability. Students may choose to prepare 2 short selections that are no longer than 4 minutes total (one piece that is faster and more technical and one that is slow and more lyrical) if one piece cannot adequately demonstrate both styles. Prepared music may be taken from standard solo literature for your instrument, standard orchestral excerpts, or in some cases from advanced etudes. School ensemble selections (i.e. music from your school band concert) are not appropriate for this audition. The music does not have to be memorized.

Some suggested prepared pieces include:

• Violin I: Etude, orchestral excerpt, or movement from sonata or concerto of level of Suzuki Book 6 or above (eg., Vivaldi Gm, Bach Am), reflecting 1st – 7th positions, with vibrato
• Violin II: Etude, orchestral excerpt, or movement from sonata or concerto of level of Suzuki Book 4 or above (eg., Rieding op. 21, Vivaldi Am Concerto), reflecting 1st – 3rd positions, with beginning vibrato
• Viola: etude, orchestral excerpt, or movement from sonata or concerto of level of Suzuki Book 3 or above (eg., Seitz Concerto No. 5, Vivaldi Dm), reflecting 1st – 3rd positions, with beginning vibrato
• Cello: Etude, orchestral excerpt, or movement from sonata or concerto of level of Suzuki Book 3 or above, reflecting 1st – 5th positions, with beginning vibrato
• Double Bass: Etude, orchestral excerpt, or movement from sonata or concerto
• Winds and Brass (flute, oboe, clarinet, saxophones, horn, trumpet, trombone, euphonium, tuba, percussion): Etude, orchestral excerpt, or movement from sonata or concerto

SCALES: Students will be asked to play 1 or 2 major scales chosen by the audition committee. Students may choose the tempo and manner in which the scales are played. Multiple octave scales are expected as appropriate for each instrument. The audition committee can ask for any major scale up to 3 sharps and 3 flats.

SIGHT-READING: Students will be asked to sight-read a short excerpt. The sight-reading excerpt is used to gauge a student’s ability to quickly process and execute musical notation. Students will be evaluated based on accuracy of notes and rhythms as well as ability to follow musical indications (e.g., dynamics, articulations, etc.).

Percussion

Percussionists should prepare a snare drum excerpt. Students with mallet percussion experience should play a second short excerpt on a mallet instrument. Both excerpts should total no more than four minutes. Etudes, portions of solo literature or orchestral excerpts are all acceptable. A snare drum and xylophone will be available for the audition.

Harp and Piano

Please contact Mr. Pignataro (npignataro@dcyo.org) for information about what you should prepare for your audition.