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All State
The All State Ensembles (Band, Choir, Orchestra, Jazz) are a select group of students representing the most talented musicians in the State of Maryland. More information can be found at www.mmea-maryland.org.
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How Do I Get Involved and Register?
Interested students should inform their director that they would like to audition for the All State Ensembles. Visit the MMEA Website for more information.
NOTE: There is an $13 fee to audition (new this year), and if you are accepted to the ensemble there will be a participation fee of approximately $450.
STEP 1: Read over the All State Audition Requirements
STEP 2: Complete the online Parent/Guardian Confirmation Form
STEP 3: Pay the $8 Audition Commitment Fee
STEP 4: Print the attached confirmation form and return it to Mr. Fischer by Monday, September 23rd. I can not complete your registration without this form.
Interested students should inform their director that they would like to audition for the All State Ensembles. Visit the MMEA Website for more information.
NOTE: There is an $13 fee to audition (new this year), and if you are accepted to the ensemble there will be a participation fee of approximately $450.
STEP 1: Read over the All State Audition Requirements
- Junior Band auditions will be held at Edgewood High School (in Harford County) on November 16th
- Senior Band/Orchestra auditions will be held at Edgewood High School (in Harford County) on November 23rd.
- Jazz Ensemble auditions are by videotape
STEP 2: Complete the online Parent/Guardian Confirmation Form
STEP 3: Pay the $8 Audition Commitment Fee
- Find the drop-down menu and select “2019 Audition Commitment - $8.00”
- click “Add To Cart"
- Fill in all blanks on the form
- click “Add To Cart”
- click “checkout”
- enter your email address and payment information
- click “review and purchase,” to complete your transaction.
STEP 4: Print the attached confirmation form and return it to Mr. Fischer by Monday, September 23rd. I can not complete your registration without this form.
Where Do I Get Audition Music?
The audition requirements for the All State Music Program are published by MMEA in their August edition of the Music Educators Journal. Interested students can find a complete listing of requirements to the left. Students must follow the audition guidelines exactly or be disqualified. Actual copies of the music must be purchased from your local music store or ordered through appropriate distributors. You must not perform from photocopies – that is illegal! Sometimes, audition materials may be borrowed from your ensemble director.
The audition requirements for the All State Music Program are published by MMEA in their August edition of the Music Educators Journal. Interested students can find a complete listing of requirements to the left. Students must follow the audition guidelines exactly or be disqualified. Actual copies of the music must be purchased from your local music store or ordered through appropriate distributors. You must not perform from photocopies – that is illegal! Sometimes, audition materials may be borrowed from your ensemble director.
Requirements and Procedures
Audition music is prepared and performed for a panel of judges in early November. The top student musicians are selected and invited to participate for that year.
Winds: ● There will be two judges in each room. Scores of the two judges in each room will be averaged. ● Clarinets, flutes, trumpets, and alto saxophones may be sent to a finals room after the first audition. ● If a student is to go to the finals room, the preliminary room judges will issue the student a “Finals Room Pass.” Those students will then go to the registration desk to sign-up for the finals room.
Scales: ● Each student will be asked to perform the chromatic scale and one major scale for their instrument, selected from the following keys: C, F, G, D, A, E, B-Flat, E-Flat, A-Flat. ● The scales must be performed from memory. ● Scales will be selected by the adjudicator according to the level of the selection being performed. ● The scales are to be played evenly and smoothly in a 16th note pattern at a metronome speed of quarter note = 72. ● All scales are to be played ascending and descending a minimum of one octave, except Flute and Soprano Clarinet who shall perform the scales a minimum of two octaves.
Visit my Scales Page for a list of required scales by instrument.
Required Music: ● See required music list. Only an excerpt will be performed. The entire piece will not be required. ● The excerpts of the required pieces will be posted in the warm-up room and at the entrance to each audition room. ● No student may audition on more than one instrument (except for flute/piccolo, oboe/English horn and Eb Clarinet/Bb Clarinet). Flute players wishing to be considered for piccolo parts, oboe players wishing to be considered for English horn parts, and clarinetists wishing to be considered for Eb Clarinet parts should bring those instruments with them to the audition and will be asked to demonstrate their proficiency on those instruments. ● In the event that a student arrives at the audition with the incorrect audition music prepared, the student will be given the correct music and up to an hour to prepare the correct music before the audition.
Sight Reading: Students will be asked to perform a short selection (approx. 16 measures) for the judges with only a minute or so of preparation
Percussion: ● The percussionists will be required to perform on snare drum, keyboard percussion, timpani, bass drum, crash cymbals, and tambourine. ● Prepared pieces on snare drum, keyboard percussion, and timpani are required. Please refer to the following information for these selections. ● Sight reading on snare drum, keyboard percussion, and timpani will be required. ● Students are to follow the provided audition requirements and play the musical examples exactly as printed on the page. Any deviation from the printed music will result in lower scores. ● The audition committee will ask students to perform selections from the list of roll exercises, rudiments, major scales, and arpeggios. The student should be prepared to play everything on the list. ● Percussion instruments provided at the audition are a (minimum) four-octave marimba, xylophone, four timpani, snare drum, tambourine, crash cymbals, and a concert bass drum. A bass drum mallet (or mallets) will be provided. ● Students may bring their own snare drum, tambourine, crash cymbals and/or bass drum mallets. ● All percussionists are expected to provide their own snare drum sticks, keyboard mallets, timpani mallets, and a pitch source (tuning fork, pitch pipe) for tuning the timpani. ● Although there is more than one acceptable technique that can be used for their performance, students sometimes use improper techniques, which result in a less than optimal musical effect. The adjudicators have the right to lower scores for the use of improper techniques. Scores of all the instruments will be averaged together.
NOTE: To get the most from the opportunity... students should prepare their audition under the guidance of a private instructor or your ensemble director.
Audition music is prepared and performed for a panel of judges in early November. The top student musicians are selected and invited to participate for that year.
Winds: ● There will be two judges in each room. Scores of the two judges in each room will be averaged. ● Clarinets, flutes, trumpets, and alto saxophones may be sent to a finals room after the first audition. ● If a student is to go to the finals room, the preliminary room judges will issue the student a “Finals Room Pass.” Those students will then go to the registration desk to sign-up for the finals room.
Scales: ● Each student will be asked to perform the chromatic scale and one major scale for their instrument, selected from the following keys: C, F, G, D, A, E, B-Flat, E-Flat, A-Flat. ● The scales must be performed from memory. ● Scales will be selected by the adjudicator according to the level of the selection being performed. ● The scales are to be played evenly and smoothly in a 16th note pattern at a metronome speed of quarter note = 72. ● All scales are to be played ascending and descending a minimum of one octave, except Flute and Soprano Clarinet who shall perform the scales a minimum of two octaves.
Visit my Scales Page for a list of required scales by instrument.
Required Music: ● See required music list. Only an excerpt will be performed. The entire piece will not be required. ● The excerpts of the required pieces will be posted in the warm-up room and at the entrance to each audition room. ● No student may audition on more than one instrument (except for flute/piccolo, oboe/English horn and Eb Clarinet/Bb Clarinet). Flute players wishing to be considered for piccolo parts, oboe players wishing to be considered for English horn parts, and clarinetists wishing to be considered for Eb Clarinet parts should bring those instruments with them to the audition and will be asked to demonstrate their proficiency on those instruments. ● In the event that a student arrives at the audition with the incorrect audition music prepared, the student will be given the correct music and up to an hour to prepare the correct music before the audition.
Sight Reading: Students will be asked to perform a short selection (approx. 16 measures) for the judges with only a minute or so of preparation
Percussion: ● The percussionists will be required to perform on snare drum, keyboard percussion, timpani, bass drum, crash cymbals, and tambourine. ● Prepared pieces on snare drum, keyboard percussion, and timpani are required. Please refer to the following information for these selections. ● Sight reading on snare drum, keyboard percussion, and timpani will be required. ● Students are to follow the provided audition requirements and play the musical examples exactly as printed on the page. Any deviation from the printed music will result in lower scores. ● The audition committee will ask students to perform selections from the list of roll exercises, rudiments, major scales, and arpeggios. The student should be prepared to play everything on the list. ● Percussion instruments provided at the audition are a (minimum) four-octave marimba, xylophone, four timpani, snare drum, tambourine, crash cymbals, and a concert bass drum. A bass drum mallet (or mallets) will be provided. ● Students may bring their own snare drum, tambourine, crash cymbals and/or bass drum mallets. ● All percussionists are expected to provide their own snare drum sticks, keyboard mallets, timpani mallets, and a pitch source (tuning fork, pitch pipe) for tuning the timpani. ● Although there is more than one acceptable technique that can be used for their performance, students sometimes use improper techniques, which result in a less than optimal musical effect. The adjudicators have the right to lower scores for the use of improper techniques. Scores of all the instruments will be averaged together.
NOTE: To get the most from the opportunity... students should prepare their audition under the guidance of a private instructor or your ensemble director.
How Does The Audition Work?
Students will be given a specific audition time several weeks prior to the audition. The times are sent to the ensemble director from the audition coordinators and are not available before that time. Students should plan to arrive at the audition site approximately one hour prior to their scheduled audition time. Students will need to check in at the registration desk where they will be given instructions and will be directed to the warm-up area. (The warm-up area is usually a cafeteria or gymnasium where everyone waiting to audition is preparing.) Approximately ten or fifteen minutes prior to your audition time, a runner will come to escort you to the audition room.
When you arrive at the audition room you must wait until the person ahead of you has completed their audition. This could take several minutes, but DO NOT play outside of the room. You can play a little once you get into the audition room. (The audition room is often just a classroom with the desks pushed aside.) There will usually be a chair and a stand, as well as two judges sitting at the other end of the room. One of the judges will invite you inside and will probably ask if you would like to play a few notes. Use this time to get comfortable and play whatever you would like to calm your nerves and get adjusted. Next you will be asked for scales or your prepared piece. Usually the sight-reading is last. The whole process takes about ten minutes.
Some students (usually flute, clarinet, and trumpet players) may be asked to perform a second time in a Finals Room, due to the number of students auditioning. Students auditioning on these instruments should plan to stay an hour past their audition time in case they are invited to perform in the Finals Room. Students invited to perform in the Finals Room will receive a Finals Room Pass from one of the judges. (DO NOT ask if you made it to the Finals Room.) The Finals Room Pass will allow you to perform a second audition for a different set of judges who will make the final selections for the ensemble.
Audition results will be mailed to your ensemble director approximately one month after the audition. Selection to the All State Music Program is the highest musical honor within MMEA and the State of Maryland.
Students will be given a specific audition time several weeks prior to the audition. The times are sent to the ensemble director from the audition coordinators and are not available before that time. Students should plan to arrive at the audition site approximately one hour prior to their scheduled audition time. Students will need to check in at the registration desk where they will be given instructions and will be directed to the warm-up area. (The warm-up area is usually a cafeteria or gymnasium where everyone waiting to audition is preparing.) Approximately ten or fifteen minutes prior to your audition time, a runner will come to escort you to the audition room.
When you arrive at the audition room you must wait until the person ahead of you has completed their audition. This could take several minutes, but DO NOT play outside of the room. You can play a little once you get into the audition room. (The audition room is often just a classroom with the desks pushed aside.) There will usually be a chair and a stand, as well as two judges sitting at the other end of the room. One of the judges will invite you inside and will probably ask if you would like to play a few notes. Use this time to get comfortable and play whatever you would like to calm your nerves and get adjusted. Next you will be asked for scales or your prepared piece. Usually the sight-reading is last. The whole process takes about ten minutes.
Some students (usually flute, clarinet, and trumpet players) may be asked to perform a second time in a Finals Room, due to the number of students auditioning. Students auditioning on these instruments should plan to stay an hour past their audition time in case they are invited to perform in the Finals Room. Students invited to perform in the Finals Room will receive a Finals Room Pass from one of the judges. (DO NOT ask if you made it to the Finals Room.) The Finals Room Pass will allow you to perform a second audition for a different set of judges who will make the final selections for the ensemble.
Audition results will be mailed to your ensemble director approximately one month after the audition. Selection to the All State Music Program is the highest musical honor within MMEA and the State of Maryland.
