Student Eligibility

Students must be in the 5th, 6th, 7th, or 8th grade and attend school in North Carolina to audition for the NCMEA Jr. Western Regional Orchestra. 

Students must be sponsored by the instrumental director (orchestra teacher) at their school for both the audition and clinic and the sponsoring instrumental director must be a current member of NCMEA. The sponsoring director must accompany and serve as chaperone for their students at the audition and clinic.

Students must be a member of their school orchestra program, if one exists, and registered for credit of orchestra for the 2025-2026 school year to be eligible to audition for and participate in the NCMEA Jr. Western Regional Orchestra.

If no orchestra class is offered at a student's school, a youth orchestra director or private teacher who is an NCMEA member may register the student as the sponsoring director. The sponsoring director must accompany and serve as chaperone for their students at the audition and clinic.

If orchestra is offered at a student's school, but the student is not registered in orchestra at their school for any reason, the student is not eligible to audition for the NCMEA Jr. Western Regional Orchestra.

Student participants who are homeschooled must show proof of home-school status as part of their registration.

Students who audition successfully and confirm attendance must participate fully in the clinic to be eligible to audition for JWRO/WRO the following year. They may not leave the clinic at any time except in an emergency situation.

For more information, view the full Policies and Procedures Document for the NCMEA Orchestra Section