Audition Criteria  For Senior Band and Concert Band Members

At the start of each school year all Balgowlah Heights band members (as well as those who wish to join a band), are required to audition. This ensures all children are placed in the band that best reflects their current abilities.  

Band Music Director, Mr Ray Hampton and Senior Band Condcutor, Mrs Emma Clain, will carry out the assessments with each student. The assessments are very informal and relaxed and take around 5 minutes to complete in most cases. There will be parent helpers assisting with greeting the children, assisting them with their warm up, settling any nerves and supervising them until they are collected by parents.  Assessments are very informal and care is taken to make the children feel at ease.

Auditions for Senior Band and Concert Band take place on the staff development day. The strongest musicians are placed in the Concert Band and students from the previous year’s Junior Band audition for Senior Band.

Below are the criteria for joining Senior and Concert Bands.  Please take this criteria to your private tutors over the next few weeks so they can help your child prepare for these auditions.

AUDITIONS for Senior and Concert Band are held at the school at the beginning of each year. Children are asked to perform a short prepared piece and to sight-read a piece.

Senior Band children should be able to recognise and to play the following scales:

Flute, Oboe, Lower Brass - C, G, F, B Flat Majors Chromatic Scale 1 Octave

Clarinet, Trumpet, Alto & Tenor Sax - C, F, G Majors & Chromatic Scale 1 Octave

Keyboard, Electric Bass Guitar - C, F, G, B Flat Majors Chromatic Scale 1 Octave

French Horn - C, F, G Majors Chromatic Scale 1 Octave

Percussion - C, B Flat Majors and Chromatic

Concert Band children should be able to competently play the musical scales listed below:

Flute, Oboe, Lower Brass - C, G, F, B flat, D Majors, E Flat Major, Chromatic Scale 2 octaves where possible

Clarinet, Trumpet, Alto & Tenor Sax - C, G, F, D, B Flat, E Flat Major, Chromatic Scale 1 octave, 2 if possible

Keyboard - C,  F,  G,  D,  B  Flat,  E  Flat  Major  and Chromatic

Electric Bass Guitar - C, F, G, D, B Flat, E Flat Major Chromatic Scale 1 Octave

French Horn - C, F, A, B Flat Major, Chromatic Scale 1 Octave

Percussion - Able to tune Timpani; play scales on Glockenspiel/Xylophone; show proper technique for snare drum and other percussive instruments

Access word document of criteria here.