What is Honor Band?

 

Honor Band is a band where membership is earned through audition. This is not a band one can simply sign up to join. Young instrumentalist are required to audition from preselected scales and written exercises. 

Audition usually involves sight reading or reading music they have never seen or played on sight.

1. Young instrumentalist practice and prefect preselected audition materials as described above.

2. At a set date student instrumentalist representing different schools meet at a preselected location where they play selected materials for two or more judges usually behind a screen.

3. Judges score participants on correctness, tone, and musical interpretation.

4. Scores are tallied by another set of judges where top participants are selected.

 

Students who work up auditions materials will improve their musical skills so, even if they are not selected for honor band they become better instrumentalist. 

Students selected for honor band will be given music to be worked up for honor a future band concert. Usually a guest conductor highly considered in the field of band will be selected to rehearse with honor band winners for a day and a half and perform a concert. 

Being selected for an honor band provides an opportunity for young instrumentalist to meet and play music with students from other schools who share an interest in music. They also get to rehearse with a highly regarded conductor and play in concert under their direction.