Ensemble Placement Auditions

Fall 2023

Brass, Percussion, Woodwinds, and Strings

Sign up for an audition (form coming soon)

All interested students, including returning orchestra and/or wind ensemble members, must complete the Ensemble Audition Sign-Up form in order to receive access to audition materials and reserve an audition time.

Fall 2023

Instrumental Jazz

Excerpts/Materials

• Jazz Audition Materials

Schedule: to be determined

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.

Fall 2023

University Choir and Chorale

Excerpts/Materials

• Please bring a short solo work/excerpt that you can sing comfortably and confidently. A work from the 24 Italian Songs and Arias, a Hymn-Arrangement or Folk-Song Arrangement is also permitted. Please bring a copy for the accompanist. The audition may also include some vocalizing and sight reading.
• Students who do not have a solo selection may choose to sing “America the Beautiful” (click the piece title for printable score). You may choose to sing the melody or whichever voice part is most comfortable for you; you need only prepare the first verse.

Schedule and Sign-Up Sheet

Coming soon.

Orchestra (BSO) and Wind Ensemble (BUWE)

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Every effort will be made to have anonymous auditions where the identity of the performer is unknown to the evaluators.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7.  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.)
8. Directors will consider audition results when making part assignments for their ensembles.
9. Percussionists will continue to be auditioned and assigned to ensembles by the percussion faculty.

Jazz Ensemble and Combos

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Evaluators will rank the auditionees based upon their performance in that audition only.
6. 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.
7. 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.