Ensemble Placement Auditions
All ensembles, except Marching Band, require an audition every fall and spring semester. Ensemble placement/seating auditions are required for any student participating in ensembles, including all music majors and EPS recipients. Music majors are auditioning for placement within the appropriate ensemble as well as seating within their instrument section (if applicable). Advance sign-up is required of ALL students!
Questions? Please contact the School of Music office at music@butler.edu or 317-940-9246 or contact the ensemble director.
Spring 2024
Brass, Percussion, Strings, and Woodwinds
Complete the audition sign-up form before December 15
All interested students, including returning orchestra and/or wind ensemble members, must complete the Ensemble Audition Sign-Up form before December 15 to secure an audition time and access the audition music. You MUST download the music on the FINAL page of your google form submission. Please also note:
- You will receive your ensemble audition time via email on January 3, please do not inquire sooner than that date.
- All majors are welcome!!
- General schedule to help you plan ahead:
- Sunday, January 14 in Lilly Hall (LH)
- Viola 3:30-5:30 PM LH 112
- Violin 5:30-7:30 PM LH 112
- Bass 3:30-5:00 PM LH 141
- Cello 3:30-5:00 PM LH 145
- Monday, January 15 in Lilly Hall (LH)
- Bassoon 3:30-4:30 PM LH 141
- Clarinet 11:30am-1:00 PM LH 145
- Flute 5:00-7:00 PM LH 145
- Oboe 4:30-5:30 PM LH 141
- Saxophone 5:30-7:00 PM LH 141
- Euphonium 7:00-8:00 PM LH 044
- Tuba 7:00-8:00 PM LH 044
- Trombone 5:00-5:30 PM LH 044
- Trumpet 5:30-7:00 PM LH 112
- Horn 4:30-5:30 PM LH 112
- Percussion 2:00-6:00 PM LH 320
- Sunday, January 14 in Lilly Hall (LH)
Spring 2024
Instrumental Jazz
Excerpts/Materials: Jazz Audition Materials
Schedule/Sign-up sheet: Jazz Ensemble/Combos Auditions Sign-Up Spring 2024 – Google Sheets
Jordan Jazz (Vocal Jazz ensemble)
Excerpts/Materials
- Be prepared to sing a Jazz standard of your choice.
Schedule and Sign-Up Sheet
- Contact Prof. Erin Benedict at ebenedic@butler.edu to set up an audition.
Spring 2024
University Choir and Chorale
Calling all choral singers! If you were active in University Choir, Chorale, or Chamber Singers in the fall semester, your membership continues through to the spring—no new audition required. If you are new to singing in Butler choirs, please contact Prof Eric Stark (estark@butler.edu) or Prof John Perkins (jdperkin@butler.edu) prior to the first class day.
Orchestra (BSO) and Wind Ensemble (BUWE)
- We will audition for BSO, and BUWE placement at the start of each fall and spring semester. Auditions will happen just before the start of classes, as close to the first day of class as possible. Ensemble directors and their Graduate Assistants will oversee this process.
- For spring semester auditions, the schedule should be determined before the end of the fall semester. The fall semester audition schedule will be included with Orientation information to incoming students and emailed to all incoming and returning students as well as posted on the Ensemble Auditions webpage.
- Every effort will be made to have anonymous auditions where the identity of the performer is unknown to the evaluators.
- Auditions will be grouped in schedule blocks by instruments (i.e. all violins will audition in one schedule block). Logistical and scheduling details may prevent this in some cases, but every effort will be made to keep instruments grouped together.
- Auditions will be evaluated by studio teachers when possible. These may be grouped by individual instruments (i.e. bassoon students will audition for the bassoon instructor), by groups (i.e. double reed students will audition for the oboe and bassoon instructors), or by area (i.e. woodwind students will audition for the woodwind faculty). Details will be arranged by each area and may depend upon schedules and availability.
- Evaluators will rank the auditionees based upon their performance in that audition only. After the order has been determined, the identity of the auditionees will be revealed to the evaluators.
- Faculty will then present this ranking to the ensemble directors and meet with them to determine ensemble assignments (BSO, WE, SB). Ensemble assignments will be decided jointly by the studio instructors and the ensemble directors. A schedule conflict may preclude a student’s placement in a specific ensemble. Furthermore, faculty will take into consideration previous ensemble participation, the needs of the ensembles, and the best interest of individual students when determining ensemble assignments. (i.e. ‘Wind Ensemble needs a strong EH player this semester’; ‘This student needs more orchestral experience’, etc.)
- Directors will consider audition results when making part assignments for their ensembles.
- Percussionists will continue to be auditioned and assigned to ensembles by the percussion faculty.
Jazz Ensemble and Combos
- We will audition for Jazz Ensemble and Combo placement at the start of each fall and spring semester. Auditions will happen just before the start of classes, as close to the first day of class as possible. The ensemble/combo directors and Jazz Area Graduate Assistant will oversee this process.
- For spring semester auditions, the schedule should be determined before the end of the fall semester. The fall semester audition schedule will be included with Orientation information to incoming students and emailed to all incoming and returning students as well as posted on the Ensemble Auditions webpage.
- Auditions will be grouped in schedule blocks by instruments (i.e. all saxophones will audition in one schedule block). Logistical and scheduling details may prevent this in some cases, but every effort will be made to keep instruments grouped together.
- Auditions will be evaluated by jazz faculty. These may be grouped by individual instruments (i.e. sax students will audition for the jazz sax instructors), by groups (i.e. brass students will audition for the brass instructors), or by area (i.e. rhythm section students will audition for the rhythm section faculty). Details will be arranged by each area and may depend upon schedules and availability.
- Evaluators will rank the auditionees based upon their performance in that audition only.
- Jazz faculty will then present this ranking to the ensemble directors and meet with them to determine ensemble assignments. Ensemble assignments will be decided jointly by the jazz faculty and director of jazz studies. A schedule conflict may preclude a student’s placement in a specific ensemble. Furthermore, faculty will take into consideration previous ensemble participation, the needs of the ensembles, and the best interest of individual students when determining ensemble assignments.
- Conductors will consider audition results when making part assignments for their ensembles.
Choral Ensembles
- Choral ensembles will host choral auditions and hearings at the start of each fall and spring semester. Auditions will happen just before the start of classes, as close to the first day of class as possible. Ensemble directors and the Choral Area Graduate Assistants will oversee this process.
- For spring semester auditions, the schedule should be determined before the end of the fall semester and may only apply to new choir members or those desiring to switch choral ensembles. The fall semester audition schedule will be included with Orientation information to incoming students and emailed to all incoming and returning students as well as posted on the Ensemble Auditions webpage.
- Auditions will be evaluated by choral faculty, and voice faculty when applicable.
If you have questions about the audition process or about specific ensembles, please contact the School of Music office at music@butler.edu or contact the appropriate ensemble director.