Welcome to the website for all things about District 4 Percussion.  This website facilitates the Fall District Band Percussion auditions.

 To participate in District Band on January 14-16, 2027, at West Branch. you must submit the following materials by the deadline:

• A recording of each of the three pre-selected etudes

• A recording of each of the three selected sections from the festival folder

Use this website to complete the audition.  Once your recordings are made, use the District 4 Percussion Audition Form to submit your audition.  If you have questions or run into technical problems, please email Mr. Ryan Wade at rwade@huntsd.org

ALL AUDITIONS ARE DUE BY SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2026 BY NOON

Folder assignments will be posted on Wednesday, November 25, 2026.

All students selected for District 4 Band must audition to participate in the District 4 Band Festival.  The top four scores will advance to Region III Band.  Failure to complete an audition will result in removal from the festival.

Etude Audition Requirements:

1. Snare Drum Etude

2. Mallet Etude 

3. Timpani Etude 

Repertoire Audition Requirements:

1. Selection 1 - 

   • Start at m.  → Mid at m.  → End at m. 

2. Selection 2 - 

   • Start at m. → Mid at m.  → End at m. 

3. Selection 3 - 

   • Start at m. → Mid at m. → End at m.

Timpani Specific Instructions

• All timpani must be untuned at the start of each timpani audition.  As per the District 4 Band Policy Manual, "Timpani will be given 1 pitch per excerpt."  This pitch may be played by the student or by the band director.  The judges must hear each timpani be tuned by the student at the beginning of each timpani excerpt.

1. All auditions must be a video file with audio.

2. No post-production editing is permitted.  

3. The student's face and hands must be clearly seen.

4. No school identification should be seen in the video.

5. Hands/Body must be in the video.

6. No earbuds or headphones are permitted.

7. Record each etude/selection separately.

*Failure to meet these requirements will result in an invalid audition and will not be considered.*

Preparing your audition:

Step 1 - Have your music 

• Hard copy available from the folder or the website

• Be prepared to play from the beginning to the end of each excerpt

Step 2 - Identify the devices you will need to make the recording

• You will need to submit separate video auditions for each excerpt (6 videos total).

• You may not use any aids such as a metronome; therefore, headphones/earbuds are prohibited.  Failure to adhere to this requirement will result in a disqualified audition.

Recording Instructions

•  There are two main ways you will make that happen

  • Phone

    • Most smartphones have good cameras and microphones

    • Place your phone in a location where it can "see" your body, hands, and instrument.  Make sure the music stand isn't blocking the view of the camera

    • Press "record" on the device you are using to capture the audition

    • Perform your audition

    • Press "stop" on the recording device

  • Computer

    • There are several software programs you can use to record a video with audio.  Choose what is familiar to you however, be sure that the file can be saved in a format that can be sent in the Google Form.

    • One option is to use OBS, which will allow you to add your own camera and USB microphone inputs

    • Another option is to use the camera software on your laptop.  Most of the time, those applications include a recording feature.

  • Chromebooks are not good options for making recordings since the files that they generate do not work across all platforms and they often have poor quality microphones.

Step 3 - Set up for your recording session

• Wear generic attire so that judges can't tell which school you attend based on your apparel.

• Position camera/phone so we see your entire instrument generally from the waist up

  • Make sure your device is positioned so you can get the best sound possible

  • Avoid playing too close to the mic to avoid distortion

  • Do not play too loud.  Use dynamics, but remember that your microphone is designed to pick up speaking voices.  Playing too loud will result in poor audio quality.

• Avoid background noises (siblings, lawn mowers, TV, etc.)

• Try to think about the final product (if we can't hear you or see you, it will be difficult or impossible to provide an audition score)

• Listen to your recording before submitting

• Save recordings in standard video formats:  MP4, MOV, WMV, AVI

  • Files should be labeled this way - LastnameFirstnameInstrument (ex:  smithjohn_etude1)

  • Percussion will have 6 files (ex: smithjohn_etude1, etc.)

Step 5 - Submit Recording. 

ALL SUBMISSIONS ARE DUE SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2026 BY NOON!