Region Band Audition Entries

Region auditions are just around the corner.  Please see the Region Band Entry Form on CHARMS for details.

It is an expectation that students in Wind Ensemble audition for Freshman Region (9th grade only) and High School Region (all grades).  Region Orchestra is optional.  Students who do not audition run the risk of losing their position in Wind Ensemble to someone from another band who does audition.  All Wind Ensemble students regardless of audition status will be tested on the music during the 2nd 9 Weeks.  This will determine second semester placement and chair order.  While the Region audition results do not determine the placement or chair order, the results are taken into consideration with the tests taken during the 2nd 9 Weeks.

Students in Concert Band should not audition unless they are taking private lessons and a director has approved them to audition.

Symphonic Band students should only audition if they are taking private lessons and want to be considered for placement in Wind Ensemble for the spring semester.

The Region Band Entry Form is due this Friday, October 31!  Please include your entry fee payment at that time.  If forms are turned in without payment, the charge will be added to the student’s Charms account and to the campus fine and fee list.  Signed forms (with both parent and student signatures) are required before students can be entered in the audition.  Forms turned in after October 31 will have a late fee of $15 per audition added (as required by TMEA Region 17).

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TMEA All-State/Region Clinic

The University of Houston Moores School of Music will be hosting a free clinic to help prepare students for the TMEA All-State/Region Audition.  Many of the clinicians are members of local professional ensembles including the Houston Symphony Orchestra, Houston Grand Opera Orchestra, and Houston Ballet Orchestra.

Saturday, October 4th, 2014
10:00-11:30 AM (Students will be excused from band rehearsal that day with proof of attendance)

Clinic participants should bring their instrument, music, pencil, and portable music stand.  The clinic is free.  Reservations are required.  Please call or email Carol Risinger to RSVP by Friday, September 26, 2014.  Carol may be reached at crisinger@uh.edu or 713-743-3175

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All-State & Region Band Etude List and Practice Recomendations

TMEA has posted the etude lists for the 2014-2015 All-State & Region Band auditions which can be view by clicking here.

If you have not purchased the etude book for your instrument we will be posting copies of the etudes on CHARMS.  This may take several weeks once we have time to scan everything and get it uploaded.  We will send out an email when they are available for download, please do not email asking when they will be available.  If you want the etudes faster, please purchase the etude book.  The list of etude books can be found by clicking here.

All-State & Region Practice Recommendations

Do NOT immediately sit down and start playing through the etudes.  You will learn bad habits from doing this that will be hard to fix later.  Instead, break the etudes into small easily manageable sections, work through the steps below until successful and then play through the sections of music. (A section can be a couple of measures, one line, or maybe 2 lines, but do not do more than 2 lines at a time.)

  1. Read the Performance Guide
  2. Use a metronome
    • Seriously, use a metronome 100% of the time that you are practicing, and focus on completing the steps below, in-time with the metronome.
    • Start slow, only get faster when you can complete all of the steps below successfully.
  3. Determine the key of the section and practice the scale, scale in thirds, and arpeggios for that key.
    • Memorized
    • Full range
    • With a metronome
    • Both slowly while focusing on getting every note to sound the same, and fast while focusing on getting your fingers to be even.
  4. Count the rhythm
    • Count as strongly as if you were playing (don’t whisper under your breathe)
    • Instrument should be in playing position
    • Finger/position your part as you count
    • Only continue when you have counted and fingered/positioned 100% successfully.
    • If there is a rhythm that you are not sure how to count, work on a different section until you have asked for help.
  5. Say note names
    • Always do this under tempo, you won’t be able to do it as fast as counting or playing.
    • Say note names as strongly as if you were playing (don’t whisper under your breathe)
    • Say flats and sharps (e.g. if you have a B-Flat, then say “B-Flat”)
    • Finger/position your part as you say the note names
    • Only continue when you have said the note names and fingered/positioned 100% successfully
  6. Play the part
    • Record yourself with an app that can playback the recording slower than it was performed
    • Listen to the recording at different speeds and analyze
    • Did you stay with the metronome?
    • Did you play the correct rhythm?
    • Did you play the correct pitches?
    • If you are having trouble playing the correct rhythms, then spend more time counting.  If you are having trouble playing the correct pitches, then spend more time saying note names.
  7. Move onto next section or repeat this section at a faster tempo

For more information about the All-State/Region Band process please read our previous All-State/Region article by Clicking here.

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All-State & Region Band Summer Preparation

The high school region band process is very similar to the junior high region band process, However, there are two main differences.  The first is that there is a freshman only region band audition which takes place before the high school audition  and which is a non-performing band. The Freshman Region audition is for the purpose of earning a region band patch, points toward your letter jacket, and most importantly practice for the high school region auditions.  Freshman may audition for freshman region, high school region, or both. The second main difference between junior high and high school is that the highest placing students at Region band will advance to the Area band auditions and then the highest placing students at Area will become Texas All-State musicians, a prestigious honor.  They will then have the privilege of performing with one of the All-State ensembles at the Texas Music Educators Association convention in February.

Though participation in the region band auditions is not required it is strongly encouraged as the whole process is a very educationally beneficial one.  Also, students who wish to attempt to move up a band for second semester must participate in region auditions and students who do not want to be passed up by another student, and possibly moved down a band, should participate as well. All Wind Ensemble students will be tested on the music starting in September. Placement at the region audition in December will be a factor in second semester placement.

Some of you may be wondering why we are discussing this so early when region auditions are not until December and the etudes have not even been posted.  We are discussing this because your preparation needs to begin now if you wish to do well.

All-State & Region Band practice recommendations
  1. Practice all 12 major scales
    • Memorized
    • Full range
    • With a metronome
    • Both slowly while focusing on getting every note to sound the same, and fast while focusing on getting your fingers to be even.
  2. Practice all 12 major scales in thirds
    • Memorized
    • Full range
    • With a metronome
    • Both slowly while focusing on getting every note to sound the same, and fast while focusing on getting your fingers to be even.

If you are able to play your scales well, meaning that you sound the same on every note regardless of articulation, especially at the extreme ranges of your instrument and with even fingers, meaning that you are not rushing or slowing down at all between any notes, then you will be well on your way to being successful in the All-State/Region process.

Audition material
  1. Click here to see a list of the etude books.
    • The etudes will be chosen from these book.
    • We encourage everyone to purchase the etude books so that when the etudes are posted the last week in July, they can begin practicing the etudes immediately, as it will take us several weeks to get copies of all the etudes made.
  2. Click here on or after July 25th at noon to see the specific etudes.

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