District Honor Bands

[dragonmegaXX]

Hi everyone, just making a thread to talk about something that's coming up for me next Saturday.

I'm not sure if every state has these kinds of things or if Georgia's just one of the few, but every year we have District Honor Band auditions in most regions of Georgia. The auditions are for every instrument from flute to piano to baritone (saxophone). It's a middle and high school event, and being a senior means this is my last shot at making it.

Im trying out on clarinet, having played it since 6th grade. I made it once in 8th grade, but since then Ive either not prepared enough, broken my instrument days before the audition(lulz...), or the I just became a nervous wreck. Ive been practicing pretty hard the past few months though and Im hoping I actually make it again this year.

For those unfamiliar with this, the set up is like this: for my group(11-12 grade) auditions include playing all 12 major scales as many octaves as we can at tempo=144. After that we play our instruments full range chromatic as fast as f**king possible. Then is a prepared etude that we've had access to since like july. Then finally is a piece of sight reading which is usually looks fairly simple but usually has some retarded key or time signature.

Anyways, yeah. Im practicing my scales right now actually (I never bothered to master them although my technical skills and sight reading ability are actually really good)

For reference Im 1st chair clarinet in the top group (out of 4) of my school of 3100 students, and my band usually places at the very top in all types of festivals and competitions.


Anyone else have this type of event coming up? :3

[WSCB]

Well what do you know, same here, only next Saturday. Which district are you in? I'm clarinet as well. \o/

[dragonmegaXX]

I said mines next Saturday too
Im in Gwinnett county, District 13, Norcross high school.

[WSCB]

Originally Posted by dragonmegaXX

I said mines next Saturday too
Im in Gwinnett county, District 13, Norcross high school.

Columbia County, District 10, Lakeside High School. Yeah, I don't tend to read the forums thoroughly at times. :/ I take it you're trying out for All-State?

[dragonmegaXX]

Originally Posted by WSCB

Columbia County, District 10, Lakeside High School. Yeah, I don't tend to read the forums thoroughly at times. :/ I take it you're trying out for All-State?

If I make it past round 1

It's hard for me to practice tons because my family gets really annoyed really fast.

Also lakeside HS hi :3

[WSCB]

Originally Posted by dragonmegaXX

If I make it past round 1

It's hard for me to practice tons because my family gets really annoyed really fast.

Also lakeside HS hi :3

Hi thar. Made All-State cuts last year, but this year will be harder as a junior. D: I think FFR improves finger dexterity because I never practice and clarinet is easy as usual. Gl with your audition though.

[dragonmegaXX]

Originally Posted by WSCB

Hi thar. Made All-State cuts last year, but this year will be harder as a junior. D: I think FFR improves finger dexterity because I never practice and clarinet is easy as usual. Gl with your audition though.

You too.
Try to make it and we can wear FFR Tshirts to the all state event

[WSCB]

Originally Posted by dragonmegaXX

You too.
Try to make it and we can wear FFR Tshirts to the all state event

I would do that if I made it. :P My sight reading needs work.

[Cyr]

My school was too much of a fail to ever have any such thing D:

Good luck though!

[TheSaxRunner05]

As someone with a music degree and have judged for district before, I'd recommend not playing the chromatic as fast as possible, but as fast as you can play it evenly, without skipping any notes or losing tone quality. Good luck though, I hope you make it.

Curious, what type of mouthpiece are you playing on?

[dragonmegaXX]

Originally Posted by TheSaxRunner05

As someone with a music degree and have judged for district before, I'd recommend not playing the chromatic as fast as possible, but as fast as you can play it evenly, without skipping any notes or losing tone quality. Good luck though, I hope you make it.

Curious, what type of mouthpiece are you playing on?

mouthpiece: I honestly don't know, it came with my newest clarinet and the brand is worn off.

However the clarinet itself is an R13 Green-line model, great condition.
I managed to snag it from a desperate college kid for only $1800.

[TheSaxRunner05]

lol, nice. It's probably a decent mouthpiece then, most college students don't have stock mouthpieces. I double on clarinet, so I picked up an Vandoren M13 mouthpiece, and it works for me.

[PlayTrumpet]

Speaking as a District's, All-State and All New England veteran from Vermont, I can give advice on general auditions of this sort.

While I'm not a woodwind player at all, all adjudicators notice confidence, so be confident. It'll help your tone and help prevent you from, gosh forbid, squeaking.

If you're the type to get stage or audition fright and maybe you start shaking, just BREATHE deeply. The number one problem caused by nervousness is lack of air support, even if you don't realize it.

SaxRunner is very correct about playing your scales evenly and clearly - so much more important that they hear the notes than it is for them to hear them quickly.

I don't know what adjudicators look for in a lead clarinet player, but I assume the basics - great sound, good fingers, good reading. God I love auditioning.

Good luck. ^_^

edit: this post is late, but still viable advice for future auditions.

[WSCB]

lol, Buffet mouthpieces are doorstops for me. :P I have an M15 and it holds up pretty well. :]

[reuben_tate]

One piece of advice I can give is to make sure you have good tone quality and are in tune when it comes to playing in the altissimo range. Just curious dragon, what is the top of your range?

EDIT: Honors Band on the Big Island of Hawaii is a joke; your basically in no matter what, they just use the auditions for seating. :P

[dragonmegaXX]

I can play everything, low E to high high high C lol
I just try not to except in marching band when Im trying to hurt people.

[reuben_tate]

Originally Posted by dragonmegaXX

I can play everything, low E to high high high C lol

Well, the range of the clarinet can go higher, but the really, really high C is the considered the highest in most method books. I'm jelly though, I can only play up to high, high A, unless you count overblowing up a 12th, but the tone quality and tuning is a little off when overblowing. :/

Originally Posted by dragonmegaXX

I just try not to except in marching band when Im trying to hurt people.

Lmao, I know what you mean. xD

[Cavernio]

Never heard of District Bands. Are those just regular bands, or are those the funky-ass acrobatic marching bands that make figures on football fields and stuff, like precision line figure skaters or something.
First time I saw something like that was during a football game and I was totally dumbfounded that 1) that existed, 2) it was apparently popular and 3) it was pretty freakin' awesome.

[dragonmegaXX]

No, they're really well organized and well prepared concert bands.