Audition for the EYO!
Since 1991, the EYO's mission has been to provide the students of Northeast Alabama with major musical and educational experiences through training, development, and performance. Find out how you can be a part of one of the nation's premiere youth orchestra programs!
Audition Information
Auditions for the 2025-2026 Season of the Etowah Youth Orchestras
Audition Information
Auditions for the 2025-2026 season of the Etowah Youth Orchestras will be held at The Music Center at Temple Beth Israel in downtown Gadsden (761 Chestnut Street, corner of 8th and Chestnut Streets) from May 20-22, 2025. The EYO will be auditioning for open seats in the Etowah Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Etowah String Sinfonia.
The following spots are open by audition in the EYO ensembles for the 2024-2025 season:
Etowah Youth Symphony Orchestra
Violin, viola, cello, string bass, flute, clarinet, oboe bassoon, French horn, trumpet, trombone, euphonium (for bass trombone), percussion, and piano
Etowah String Sinfonia
EYO Double Reed Program
Alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone (for students wishing to learn and transfer to oboe or bassoon in an EYO ensemble).
HOW DO I KNOW WHICH EYO ENSEMBLE IS THE RIGHT ONE FOR ME?
It's a great question that we're asked frequently each year during audition season. To be honest, it's not black-and-white - in other words, we don't define ensemble levels by grade in school, age, number of years playing, or any other cookie-cutter type of criteria. Instead we take the time - for every student, on a case-by-case basis - to determine which of our ensembles is the BEST FIT. This takes into consideration the student's current performance level and abilities, as well as the student's potential that is demonstrated through the audition process.
Check out the EYO ensembles by clicking the button below to get an idea of the performance levels of each ensemble, and to see which ensemble might be the BEST FIT for you. Oh, and don't hesitate to contact us with any questions you might have about this, or any other aspect of the audition process or the Etowah Youth Orchestras in general - WE'RE HERE TO HELP!
Audition Requirements
Part 1 – The Prepared Excerpt
All students wishing to audition for acceptance or promotion into any ensemble of the Etowah Youth Orchestras will be asked to prepare an excerpt of music provided by the EYO specifically for each instrument and ensemble.
String players will perform an excerpt that is specific to either the Etowah Youth Symphony Orchestra or the Etowah String Sinfonia.
Woodwind, brass, percussion and piano players are provided with two audition excerpts. Please prepare BOTH excerpts for your audition!
The prepared excerpts are selected from recent repertoire for the ensemble for which the student is auditioning, thus providing an audition experience comparable to the level of those ensembles. While you will not be asked to play the entire excerpt as provided in your audition due to time constraints, please be prepared to play ANY SECTION of the excerpt!
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR PERCUSSION AUDITIONEES: Please prepare TWO (minimum) of the three provided excerpts (timpani, snare drum, mallets). Preference will be given to percussionists who prepare and perform all three excerpts. PREPARED EXCERPTS FOR ALL INSTRUMENTS AND ENSEMBLES CAN DOWNLOADED BY CLICKING ON THE LINKS BELOW!
Etowah String Sinfonia (strings only) -
ESS - Violin ESS -Viola ESS - Cello ESS - String Bass
Etowah Youth Symphony Orchestra Strings -
EYSO- Violin EYSO- Viola EYSO - Cello EYSO - String Bass
Etowah Double Reed Program -
Alto Saxophone Tenor Saxophone Baritone Saxophone
Etowah Youth Symphony Orchestra Woodwinds, Brass, & Percussion -
Flute Oboe Clarinet Bass Clarinet Bassoon French Horn Trumpet Trombone/Euphonium Percussion Piano
Part 2 – Scales
Scale Requirements
For acceptance into the Etowah String Sinfonia (strings only):
- Major scales – A, C, D, F, G
- Of these, the student selects one scale to play TWO OCTAVES
- From the remaining scales, the judges select two scales to be played ONE OCTAVE
- Bass students should prepare all scales in ONE OCTAVE
For acceptance or promotion into the Etowah Youth Symphony Orchestra- Strings, Woodwinds, Brass, and Piano:
- Major scales – (two octaves minimum)(piano - two hands)
Required – Ab, A, Bb, C, D, Eb, E, F, G
Preferred – All major scales
- Chromatic scale – two octaves (piano - two hands)
Scale/Rudiment Requirements – Percussion
For acceptance or promotion into the Etowah Youth Symphony Orchestra:
- Percussionists may choose to perform scales on marimba or rudiments on snare drum – preference will be given to those who can perform BOTH!
- Scales – Major scales – (two octaves minimum)
Required – Ab, A, Bb, C, D, Eb, E, F, G
Preferred – All major scales
Chromatic scale – two octaves
- Rudiments – Any of the PAS 40 Essential Snare Drum Rudiments – open, closed, open
PLEASE NOTE – due to limited time during auditions, students auditioning for the Symphony will not be asked to play ALL of the noted scales and rudiments, BUT may be asked to play ANY of them!
Part 3 – Sight Reading
General Information
Students will be given 60 seconds to review the sight-reading excerpt and will then be asked to perform the excerpt. Sight reading excerpts will be selected from recent repertoire for the ensemble for which the student is auditioning, thus providing a sight-reading excerpt comparable to the level of the ensemble.
Sight Reading Excerpts – What to Expect
Etowah String Sinfonia:
- Keys – A, C, D, F and G major; F#, A, B, D and E minor
- Time signatures – 4/4, 3/4 and 2/4
- Length of excerpt – 8-16 measures
- Rhythms – whole, half, dotted-quarter, quarter and eighth notes
Etowah Youth Symphony Orchestra Strings, Woodwinds, Brass and Percussion:
- Keys – All major and minor keys, atonal
- Time signatures – any, including complex meters (7/8, 5/8, etc.)
- Length of excerpt – 16-32 measures
- Rhythms – any, including compound rhythms
Audition Procedures
- Please complete the online audition registration form by clicking this link: EYO Online Audition Registration
- If you have any questions about which ensemble to audition for, please contact the EYO offices at eyo@culturalarts.org. Please note, based on the audition, that a student will not be placed in a more advanced ensemble than he or she originally auditions for, but may be placed in a less advanced ensemble.
- The Prepared Audition Excerpts for all instruments and ensembles can be found above, with links for downloading all excerpts.
- Auditions will be held between May 20-22, 2025 at The Music Center at Temple Beth Israel (761 Chestnut Street, Gadsden). Audition times will be assigned based on the requested times indicated on the audition registration form, and will be emailed to the provided email address.
- If you are interested in auditioning, but unable to attend the scheduled audition dates, please contact the EYO offices at eyo@culturalarts.org.
AUDITION RESULTS
Audition results will be posted on the EYO website and on the EYO Facebook page by Friday, May 23, 2025.
These auditions will serve to assign each student to a specific ensemble. No seating assignments will be determined based on these auditions.
AUDITION ELIGIBILITY
Audition Registration
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR YOUR AUDITION FOR THE 2025-2026 SEASON OF THE ETOWAH YOUTH ORCHESTRAS!