Everything you ever wanted to know about auditioning for the River City Youth Brass Band (but were afraid to ask)

Openings
The River City Youth Brass Band is looking for the high caliber young musicians (and high caliber people) who play trumpet, horn, trombone, euphonium/baritone, tuba and percussion.

Eligibility
Enrollment in the River City Youth Brass Band is elegible to students from grades 7 through 12. Younger students may also be considered, but only by special arrangement between the conductor and coaches of the River City Youth Brass Band and the student, his/her family and his/her private teacher. To maintain membership, all students in the program are very strongly encouraged to study privately.

Current members
All musicians, whether new to the band or members during previous years, shall audition at the first meeting in the fall session. Students participating in the fall are automatically renewed for the spring semester of that academic year.

Audition material
Each musician shall prepare and present a solo piece commensurate with his or her current level of accomplishment. Ideally, this piece should be a contest solo piece, such as an honors band audition solo. Brass players may be required to perform scales (concert Bb, Eb, F, Ab and C major scales). Auditioning percussion students should prepare, at minimum, a snare drum piece; additionally the player is encouraged to prepare a piece for mallets and/or timpani.

Acceptance
Students accepted into the program shall be seated immediately and placed into the section as determined by the section coach. During his/her period of membership, each musician is expected to prepare his/her music very thoroughly, in anticipation of working on higher-level musical concepts in sectional and full band rehearsals. Weekly rehearsals are not to be used to "learn the notes." Students should note that, subsequent to the audition, seating may be changed at any time, at the discretion of the conductor and/or the section coach.

Audition Dates

Auditions take place at the first rehearsal of the fall semester (usually August or September). Supplemental auditions will be heard at the first rehearsal of the spring semester (usually January or February).

In addition to these dates, aspiring musicians may audition - by appointment - at any time up through the half-way point of the semester (November for the fall session and April for the spring). Let us know if you would like to audition.

Please see the rehearsal schedule for posted audition dates.