2023 Ensemble Auditions

For the Fall 2023 semester, ALL students (new, transfer and returning, any major) who wish to participate in a Department of Music Ensemble must audition in person on Tuesday, August 22.  The music faculty is excited to hear you. 

Please use the link below to select your audition time. You will be able to sign up for an audition time until midnight on Monday, August 21. Be sure to select the correct audition category (choral, strings, woodwinds & brass, percussion or jazz ensemble). You may sign up to audition in more than one of these categories should you wish to participate in multiple ensembles. The audition link will be live on August 7. 

Ensemble rosters will be announced by the ensemble director via email to each auditioning student before the first day of classes. ALL students can register for their ensemble on my.gordon.edu when add/drop begins on August 23. Students must be registered for the ensemble (0/1 credit) to participate.

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Audition Requirements

Choral auditions – Women’s, Men’s and College Choir

Singers may sing one selection of their choice. A hymn or popular songs will suffice e.g. Amazing Grace, My Country ’tis of Thee. 

Woodwinds & Brass – Gordon Symphony Orchestra or Symphonic Band 

Woodwind and brass players must prepare one solo piece, etude or excerpt from an ensemble piece for their audition. 

Strings – Gordon Symphony Orchestra

String players should prepare one solo piece for their audition.

Percussion – Gordon Symphony Orchestra or Symphonic Band

Percussionists are required to prepare one solo piece, etude or excerpt from an ensemble piece for their audition.  

Jazz Ensemble 

All Instruments except drums should perform one jazz standard, or a Real Book tune, or popular tune that demonstrates your best playing.
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Scales for wind and brass players

• Brass: Bb major scale up to your highest practical range
• Woodwinds: Chromatic scale through the full range of your instrument

Rhythm Section-additional requirements

• Guitar and Piano and Bass: Comp or walk 2 choruses of a Bb Blues.

Drums

1. Perform a 32-bar medium swing feel at 132 beats per minute 
   1. The first 16 bars are “time”
   2. The second 16 bars are trading 4’s-four bars of time followed by four bars of solo etc.
2. Perform 8 bars of any Latin feel
3. Perform 8 bars of any funk/fusion feel

Voice auditions for jazz ensemble solos will happen later in the semester.