Honor Band Information

Honor Bands

We highly encourage students with at least one year of experience on their instrument to audition for our honor bands! Auditioning is a great way to challenge yourself with more advanced music, scales, and sight-reading, as well as improve your individual playing skills. Students selected for the honor bands will spend two to three days learning new music in a full-ensemble setting, guided by experienced music educators and conductors. The clinic concludes with a formal concert to celebrate their hard work and achievements. More information on each honor band is detailed below.

FIND ALL AUDITION MUSIC, RECORDINGS,  AND BACKING TRACKS HERE: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1r8YZ9HFBOd_JG-XP3zqqa_-xXbsZ_Vyi?usp=sharing 

Wake County Honor Band (All-County Band): Each year around October/November, middle school students from Wake County schools have the opportunity to audition for a spot in the Wake County All-County Band. Auditions will be held at Carnage Middle School. The clinic, which consists of rehearsals and a concert, will take place all in two consecutive days, which are typically Thursday and Friday. The audition solo is the same solo for All-District Band auditions. Symphonic Band and Concert Band students are strongly urged to audition. Audition material is largely based on the same material used for All-District and All-State Band auditions.

• Auditions: Carnage MS on Monday, October 20, 2025 (Audition times assigned closer to event).

• Audition Fee: $5 per student

  • Scales are the following from the All-State Scale List and NOT memorized:

  • Woodwinds & Keyboard Percussion play F, Bb, Eb, Ab, chromatic

  • Brass & string bass play C, F, Bb, Eb, chromatic. 

• Clinic: Honor Band will be Hosted at Martin MS from Nov 20-21, 2025

• Clinic Fee: $20 (includes Pizza Lunch on Friday)

NC East Central Band District Honor Band (All-District Band): Both Symphonic and Concert Band students will be strongly urged to audition for All-District Band in early January. Students who are selected will attend a two-day clinic/concert in late January, much like that of All-County Band. Students need not qualify for All-County in order to qualify for All-District Band, but it is highly recommended that students audition for All-County first. 

• Auditions: Broughton HS on Saturday, January 10th, 2026

• Clinic: Meredith College on January 23-24, 2026

NC Honors Band (All-State Band): A select few students who make top seats in the All-District Band may audition for the North Carolina All-State Honors Band. Students who make this band will attend a three-day clinic at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. The auditions for this band are held at Atkins High School in early March. 

• Auditions: Atkins HS on Saturday, March 7th, 2026.

• Clinic: UNC Greensboro from May 1 - 3, 2026.

Central Region Jazz Band (All-Region Jazz Band): Public, Private, and Charter schools from Central NC submit videos to earn a seat in one the two prestigious honor jazz big bands. Auditions are virtual and require students to learn a jazz standard that is recorded along with a required backing track.

• Video Auditions due to Mr. Giambusso Tuesday, December 9, 2025.

• Clinic: Panther Creek HS from January 16 - 17, 2026.

NC Honors Jazz Band (All-State Jazz Band): Students who were selected to be in either of the All-Region Jazz Band ensembles are elligible to audition for the All-State Jazz Band. Students submit video auditions with the backing track at a faster tempo.

• Video Auditions due TBD March 2026

• Clinic: NC State from April 17 - 18, 2026.