For Audition Materials & Rubric, Click Here

We invite any student who will be enrolled at PCHS next year to participate in the PCHS Band Program! Here is some information for students that will be handy in the process of auditioning for and selecting classes for next year, organized by your current situation:

Audition Timeline

February 20th, 2022 – Basic Audition Etude and Audition Scales are due in SmartMusic
If your submission needs review because the score was less than what you expected, please fill out this Google Form and we will review, rescore, and notify you once a review has been completed.

March 4th, 2022 – Advanced Audition Etude due in Google Classroom (video submission, not live)

Students with no prior band experience

We invite you to join the PCHS Band Program as part of our Concert Band. Since marching band is a required part of our curriculum for all students, we strongly encourage that you study with a private teacher prior to joining the program so that you at least have some experience and can play your instrument. None of our bands start at the very beginning, so having a private lesson teacher to help you along the way will help you be a lot more successful!

Percussion Students (All Levels)

Please follow the instructions below based on your current circumstances with the following exception: instead of using SmartMusic, please submit your audition components as videos via Google Classroom through your current Band Program. If you are outside the PSD202 School System, you can share links to your audition videos with Mr. Vanderwall via email. All audition videos must show your hands and face. Having your music stand low and as flat as possible will help us see your hands!

Please note, all percussion students will be enrolled in 7th period band. It’s called Concert Band on your schedule, but it’s really a Percussion Class! All percussionists, regardless of the band that you audition into for performances, will have band together.

8th grade band members who will be freshman students at PCHS next year

While all three levels of band are open to all students at PCHS, we invite you to join our program with no audition required to be in Concert Band. This is the introductory level of high school band and we expect most 8th grade students to place in this level.

However, if you are interested in performing more advanced music, you are welcome to audition for Symphonic Band and/or Wind Ensemble. To join Symphonic Band, you are required to play the Basic Audition Etude at 90% or higher and the PCHS Band Scale Sheet at 60% or higher. If you intend to be in Wind Ensemble, you need to play the Basic Audition Etude at 90% or higher, the PCHS Band Scale Sheet at 80% or higher, and play the Advanced Audition Etude live. For Symphonic Band, if you pass the barrier levels, you’re in! However, Wind Ensemble has specific numbers of students in each section and we strive to create an ensemble with the best possible balance of players from one section to all the others. While there may be many qualified players for one section, it is possible that not all will be selected for Wind Ensemble.

Current PCHS Concert Band Students

If you’re in Concert Band and intend to stay in Concert Band next year, you are only required to play the Basic Audition Etude in SmartMusic (it’s for a grade). If you intend to move up to Symphonic Band, you need to play the Basic Audition Etude at 90% or higher in SmartMusic and the PCHS Band Scale Sheet at 60% or higher in SmartMusic. If you intend to move up to Wind Ensemble, you need to play the Basic Audition Etude at 90% or higher in SmartMusic, the PCHS Band Scale Sheet at 80% or higher in SmartMusic, and play the Advanced Audition Etude live with Mr. Vanderwall

Current PCHS Symphonic Band Students

If you’re in Symphonic Band and intend to stay in Symphonic Band next year, you are required to play the Basic Audition Etude at 90% or higher in SmartMusic and the PCHS Band Scale Sheet at 60% or higher in SmartMusic . If you intend to move up to Wind Ensemble, you need to play the Basic Audition Etude at 90% or higher in SmartMusic , the PCHS Band Scale Sheet at 80% or higher in SmartMusic , and play the Advanced Audition Etude live. 

Current PCHS Wind Ensemble Students

If you’re in Wind Ensemble and intend to stay in Wind Ensemble, you need to play the Basic Audition Etude at 90% or higher in SmartMusic, the PCHS Band Scale Sheet at 80% or higher in SmartMusic, and play the Advanced Audition Etude live. If you intend to move to Symphonic Band, you are required to play the Basic Audition Etude at 90% or higher and the PCHS Band Scale Sheet at 60% or higher (no live audition on the Advanced Audition Etude). Anyone who does not turn in an audition will be placed in Concert Band.