Meet new friends who speak your language,
Continue your avocational escape,
Play your instrument a couple times a week,
Fulfill Gen. Ed. credits toward graduation!
 

Scholarship Information !! (scroll down...)

 

Membership Information 

Jazz Ensemble and String Orchestra do not have auditions for membership. Studernts interested in our symphonic band will play for the director to gain membership. This may be performed during your senior year of high school (by prior arrangement), during summer orientation (by prior arrangement), or during the first week of the semester. (For those also applying for a music scholarship during your senior year of high school, that audition serves both purposes. Skip the section immediately below and drop down to scholarship information, as the requirements for scholarship auditions have different requirements).

In your non-scholarship audition, please plan to play:

Winds

We want to hear something technical that demonstrates your fluency and clarity/articulation through faster passages, and something lyrical and legato that showcases your tone quality, breath control and phrasing. You may play a solo piece, or we have a standard piece for you to download and learn (click on the links below to download a copy - and just play as far as you can. No minimum number of measures required). There will also be a short sight reading excerpt, a chromatic scale through the entire range of your instrument (as much as you know), and a couple major scales.

New members perform this informal "hearing" only once, so that our staff has an idea of your strengths - to have a more informed basis on which to select music. Also, when it is time to invite players to participate in the wind section of our orchestra, submit names for Pennsylvania and national Intercollegiate Bands, etc…, we refer to our notes from that hearing. 

Strings

We rotate string seating early in the rehearsals so we can become familiar with your strengths and find compatible stand partners.  It helps us plan repertoire and rehearsal time to hear how well you prepare and how well you read. In your hearing please plan to play:

Your choice of major scale, 2 or 3 octaves, which demonstrates your technical ability (shifting, intonation, tone, etc.);
One page of a prepared piece, solo or orchestra music;
Sight reading.

Percussion

See our "Percussion at Juniata" page for more information.

 

Instrumental Scholarships:

the audition requirements

•          All auditionees should plan to audition in person on the Juniata campus. Videotaped (not Zoom) auditions can be arranged when travel distance is a concern; parents or band director must appear in the introduction of the video.

•          Juniata’s Screaming Eagles Pep Band is open to all students, but Pep Band membership does not count toward scholarship winners’ requirement to perform in Juniata concert ensemble(s).

•          If you wish to perform with accompaniment: Plan to bring your own accompanist, or bring a recorded accompaniment.

•          Winds and String Bass: (Bring your own instruments). Play two contrasting pieces or two contrasting movements of the same larger work, at least 3 minutes each – a slower movement to demonstrate tone, phrasing, shaping and expressiveness; the other to demonstrate technical proficiency, speed, and application of rapid scales and arpeggios. (The standard Juniata instrumental audition piece, linked on our music website, may be used as a substitute for the technical piece, and must be played in its entirety). Major scales and sight reading will be asked. If there is proficiency in a secondary performance area, applicants are welcomed to include this in the audition scheduling.

•          Strings: (Bring your own instrument). Play two contrasting pieces or two contrasting movements of the same larger work, at least 3 minutes each – a slower movement to demonstrate tone, phrasing, shaping, and expressiveness; the other to demonstrate technical proficiency, speed, and application of rapid scales and arpeggios. Major scales and sight reading will be asked. If there is proficiency in a secondary performance area, applicants are welcome to include this in the audition schedule.      

•          Jazz winds, piano, bass, guitar: Follow the same exact audition procedures as Pennsylvania High School All-State jazz (https://www.pmea.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Jazz-Repertoire-2025.pdf), but plan to perform them on campus in a live audition.

•          Percussion: There are three requirements and many other optional requirements.

1. Play (as far as you can) the Juniata rhythm audition page which you will be sent via email (a pdf) three days before your audition. Start at the beginning and go as far as you can.

2. Sight read a short 4-drum multiple percussion excerpt (specific knowledge of “quads” or “tenors” not required for this)

3. Choose one or more from the following. Choosing one area is sufficient; choosing more will be beneficial to your candidacy. 

·       (You will be given ample time on campus to become familiar with Juniata’s equipment, pedals, keyboard bar sizes, etc…):

a)        Snare Drum: Perform orchestral roll, open roll, three requested rudiments from the Percussive Arts Society 40-Rudiment List, sight read, and play one or more concert audition selections of your choice, at least 4 minutes in total length (if you are auditioning only on snare drum) or at least 2 minutes in length (if you are auditioning on more than one percussion instrument).

b)        Timpani: Perform long roll, three 2-drum melodic intervals to be named at the audition, sight read, and play one or more concert audition selections of your choice, at least 4 minutes in total length (if you are auditioning only on timpani) or at least 2 minutes in length (if you are auditioning on more than one percussion instrument).

c)         Keyboard percussion: Perform requested major scales and arpeggios, sight read (2 mallets only), and play one or more concert audition selections of your choice, at least 4 minutes in total length (if you are auditioning only on keyboard percussion) or at least 2 minutes in length (if you are auditioning on more than one percussion instrument). 

d)        Drum Set: Perform time patterns and stylistically appropriate fills in swing, shuffle, rock, funk, disco, Bossa Nova, and Samba styles, in clearly identifiable 8- or 12-bar form. Special consideration given to those who can seamlessly shift from one style to the next, in one long demonstration.

Optional: Marching Percussion: play a solo of your choice on marching snare or tenors.