- The Concert Band is open to students in grades 10-12 from "small" schools (schools with enrollments of 1,100 students or fewer based on the CHSAA School sizes posed on this website.
- The Symphonic Band is open to students in grades 11-12 from any Colorado high school, regardless of enrollment
- All students must be a member of their school band program (piano, harp and string bass students must be a member of their school band OR orchestra program).
- All directors must be a member of the Colorado Bandmasters Association before students can audition. CBA information can be found HERE
How your audition will be assessed
Each faculty member from UNC creates their own scoring system and is consistent for each auditionee. Be assured the judges are listening for the following musical criteria: tone quality, rhythm, intonation, technique and musicality. Focus appropriate attention on the scales; they are essential.
How to record your audition
Step by Step instructions will be posted on October 1. Students/Directors who do not follow the instructions PRECISELY will have the audition disqualified. Please be sure to read and follow the instructions.
BEGINNING with the 2024-2025 school year, all auditions will be VIDEO auditions.
How to submit your audition
A link to the All-State Band audition platform will be made available on November 1 along with complete instructions on how to upload the recording.
NOTE: You will be required to pay the $25.00 audition fee to your school, and your director must make the payment by 5:00pm on November 22. Make sure you have your payment to your school early enough so your director can complete their part on time.
Audition Materials
2024-2025.
Instrument Specific Instructions - Best way for students to know what is required for the auditions:
FLUTE 3A
OBOE 3A
BASSOON 3A
Bb/Eb Clarinet 3A
Bass Clarinet 3A
Saxophone 3A
Trumpet 3A
Horn in F 3A
Trombone/Euphonium 3A - NOTE. Tempo of excerpt #2 is changed to mm=108 as the recommended tempo. Students are still allowed to perform the excerpt at whatever tempo best demonstrates their ability.
Bass Trombone 3A
Tuba 3A
String Bass 3A
Percussion 3A - NOTED: The mallet audition CAN be performed with two mallets and the three and four note chord arpeggiated.
School Directors Instructions - a single document that lists the requirements for ALL instruments - best way for directors to see the information
Directors Poster (Audition Set 3A)
- All piccolo students MUST also audition on flute. The flute audition will determine membership in the band and the Piccolo double will be determined by the Piccolo audition.
- All English horn students MUST audition on Oboe. The oboe audition will determine membership in the band and the English horn double will be determined by the English horn audition. The Website will post by October 1 if an English horn is needed for the repertoire selected. If it is, auditions will be accepted - if no English Horn parts are in the repertoire, auditions will not be accepted.
- All E-Flat clarinet students MUST audition on B-flat Clarinet. The B-flat clarinet audition will determine membership in the band, and the E-flat double will be determined by the E-flat clarinet audition. The Website will post by October 1 if an E-flat Clarinet is needed for the repertoire selected. If it is, auditions will be accepted - if no E-Flat Clarinet parts are in the repertoire, auditions will not be accepted.
- Alto Flute, Bass Flute, Contrabassoon, Contralto Clarinet, Contrabass Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone, Bass Saxophone and other specialty instruments are included in the band ONLY as parts are needed for the specific repertoire. If parts for these instruments exist, students who were selected to the band will be contacted in early January with instructions to audition for the parts if they want.
- String Bass students will be given string bass parts when they exist, but will receive tuba parts if no string bass part exists. It is the student/director responsibility to make octave changes to the tuba part as needed so it is playable, and to determine the best choices for bowings and/or pizzicato sections. The All-State Band guest director may ask for changes once they hear what the student/director came up with.
- Piano and Harp are included in the band ONLY as parts are needed for the specific repertoire. If parts exist, a piano and/or harp audition will be announced on OCTOBER 1 with specifics on how to audition. If the student selected to play piano or harp are also selected to the band on another instrument - they will play the piano/harp part on the literature that requires it, and the other instrument on all other pieces. If the student selected to play piano or harp are not selected on another instrument, they will be added to the band, but will rehearse/perform ONLY the works that require that instrument.
The Colorado All-State Band is a collaboration between the Colorado Bandmasters Association and the University of Northern Colorado. Click the logos to find out more about each organization.
