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Multiple honor band audition opportunities are offered during the school year. 8th Grade Band students will spend time during class working on audition materials, and 7th Grade band students will be able to audition for these events as well. Private lessons are highly encouraged for students who are interested in auditioning.
Honor Bands are by audition-only. In order to participate in the clinic, students must audition AND earn a high placement/ranking through these auditions.
RHSD Honor Band
Auditions: November 3, 2025 at Saluda Trail MS
Clinic: November 20-21, 2025 at Rawlinson Road MS
Catawba River Winds Honor Band
Video Audition Submission: Due November 2025 (TBA)
Clinic: December 12, 2025 at Nation Ford HS
Region Three Honor Band
Auditions: January 10, 2026 at Blythewood HS
Clinic: February 27-28, 2026 at Nation Ford High School
All-State Honor Band
Call-Back Auditions: January 24, 2026 at Lexington High School (SC)
Clinic: March 13-15, 2026 at Furman University
Everything you would ever need to know about auditions:
Everything you would ever need to know about auditions:
Audition Dates & Locations
Region Band Auditions - Jan 10 @ Blythewood High School (Blythewood, SC)
Weather Make-Up Auditions: Jan 17 @ Blythewood HS
All-State Callback Auditions - Jan 24 @ Lexington High School (Lexington, SC)
Weather Make-Up Auditions: Mar 31 @ Lexington HS
To sign up for auditions, you must:
1) Listen for announcements for sign-ups in class
2) Tell your parents about the auditions now and that you want to participate
3) Practice for the auditions
The auditions are not as "scary" as some people may think. It is actually a very easy process if you learn all the necessary materials.
Your goal is to use the process of practicing and preparation to become a better player on your instrument. The region band materials are designed to make you a strong, better, and more independent musician!
What do I have to play for the audition?
1) Scales - Play all 7 of your Junior Band Scales. YOU MUST MEMORIZE THESE.
2) Chromatic Scale - Play the chromatic scale (that is one the bottom of the scale sheet.) YOU MUST HAVE THIS MEMORIZED.
3) Solo - You have been given this in class. Please look carefully at the markings to see if you play the entire page or just a portion of the page. You do not need to memorize the solo.
4) Sightreading - You will play two short pieces of music (about 8 measures each) that you have never seen before. You will get 30 seconds to tizzle through each piece of music before you play it. You will get to look at this music while you play it - do not try to memorize it.
5) Musical Terms - These are the terms we are learning in class. YOU MUST MEMORIZE THE DEFINITIONS. Be ready to give the definitions for 5 randomly selected words as part of your audition. It will be multiple choice. but you must read the definition exactly as it is.
Audition Instructions & General Information
The first round of auditions occur in 6 different regions around the state with over 8,000 total students participating. Our region is Region 3. This region consists of parts of York County (Rock Hill, Fort Mill), Lancaster, Chester, Kershaw, Fairfield, and Richland. We typically have 1,5000 students participating at Blythewood High School for auditions. The top students from the 1st round will move on to the 2nd round (All-State Callbacks) which will be held at Lexington High School in Columbia, SC. After both rounds are complete, the very best students will earn seats in the all-state bands, while the "best of the rest" will earn seats in their region bands.
Students are divided into three levels based on the grade you are in.
Junior Band (6th-8th)
Clinic Band (9th-10th)
Senior Band (11th-12th)
How many students from our region will get to audition at All-State?
How many students will make it into our region band?
Audition Rubric
Here are the required items to play and the possible points earned for each item:
Scales (15 points)
Chromatic Scale (5 points)
Solo (30 points)
Sightreading (30 points)
Tone Quality (15 points)
Musical Terms (5 points)
Secrets to Success
1) Memorize your scales NOW. Learn all 7 scales that are on your scale sheet by memory. Choose your favorite order to play them in (I recommend the order we do in class). You must be able to play your scales within 2 minutes. You will not get "extra credit" for playing your scales super fast. You will earn credit for playing them accurately. You will be able to re-do any scales your mess up, as long as you still have time left within the 2-minute limit.
2) Learn the chromatic scale by using your fingering chart. Mark, on the chart, the lowest note on your chromatic scale (from your scale sheet) and the highest note from your chromatic scale. This is the fastest way to learn it on your own. Start at the lowest note and work your way up to the highest note, then back down to lowest. Memorize this pattern and work to do it as evenly as you can. Practice this with a metronome.
3) You must play your solo at the marked speed. Learn the rhythms and notes quickly so you can add in phrasing, dynamics, style, etc.
4) Sightreading is a big deal. You will have to play 2 short selections of music you have never seen before. You will be allowed 30 seconds to study each piece before you play it. During your 30 seconds to study it, you should: (1) look at the key signature/accidentals/tempo, (2) start tizzling and fingering through it out loud.
5) Tone quality is sometimes difficult to improve. Are you playing on a good reed? Are you putting a lot of air into your instrument? Are you playing with a good, open mouth using good syllables like "TAH"? Work on long tone exercises and lip slurs. Make a recording of yourself an listen to it. Listen to professional musicians that play your instrument and imitate what you hear. This is the fastest way to improve tone quality on your instrument.
6) You will be given 5 Musical Terms to define. They will come from the list of terms you have in your band binder (the pink paper). The points from terms can mean the difference between making the band or not - ask Ms. Howard about this for a fun story.
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