In-Person and Online Auditions
Band, Choir, Piano, & Strings
Step 1: Get The Music
The online audition process is simple. First, just click below for your appropriate instrument area to find out details.
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Audition Procedures/Materials
Please be sure to complete the scholarship/award application form and paste a link to your YouTube video after auditioning. You may complete this form and audition before being officially accepted into the university. Just complete the information you currently know.
This audition will:
Serve as your entrance audition into the music performance or music education degree programs and as your audition for marching band
Or, if you are not majoring in music: serve as your entrance audition for marching band &/or symphonic band
This audition will also qualify you for: a) a possible music-major scholarship and/or b) band service awards (provided to every member of the marching band, wind symphony, symphonic band, jazz band, and basketball pep band)
Brass & Woodwinds: Majoring in anything OTHER than music
Please play:
Perform any two major scales (you may play them memorized or with music)
A chromatic scale
Our fight song: "On McNeese"
Click here to obtain a PDF copy of your part for "On McNeese"
Our alma mater
Click here to obtain a PDF of your part for the alma mater
A short sight reading excerpt (if in person)
Brass & Woodwinds: Majoring in MUSIC EDUCATION or MUSIC PERFORMANCE
Please play:
One lyrical etude, solo or other piece of music of your choosing. Performing this excerpt should indicate your ability to perform music expressively
One technical etude, solo, or other piece of music of your choosing. This should indicate your technical ability
The above prepared pieces can be cuts from honor band or all-state audition material, etudes from lesson books, excerpts from solos, or even music from your concert band folder. Generally, many students use their honor band, all-region or all-state audition music, because they already know it well and it covers these requirements for us:
Scales: Perform any two major scales two octaves.
Sight Reading (if in person)
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Audition Procedures/Materials
Please be sure to complete the scholarship/award application form and paste a link to your YouTube video after auditioning. You may complete this form and audition before being officially accepted into the university. Just complete the information you currently know.
This audition will:
Serve as your entrance audition into the music performance or music education degree programs and as your audition for marching band
Or, if you are not majoring in music: serve as your entrance audition for marching band &/or symphonic band
This audition will also qualify you for: a) a possible music-major scholarship and/or b) band service awards (provided to every member of the marching band, wind symphony, symphonic band, jazz band, and basketball pep band)
Drum line Only
Please review the Drum line Audition Packet
Audio Files 2023:
If you have interest in two instruments, please do both requests
Snare and Tenors – Legatos, Stock N., and HT Rocks
Tenor players, if you do not have a tenor practice pad, playing the tenor part on a single pad with no crosses or drum movement is fine.
Bass Drum – Legatos (snare drum part), Stock N. (play only the unison parts), and Flow (play just the unison and bass 2 parts).
Cymbals – Legatos (play the unison and bottom parts), Flow (play unison and top cymbal parts), and HT Rocks (play the unison and bottom cymbal parts).
For cymbal auditions, please play with a metronome and be sure the metronome is audible in the video. You can either play the rhythms with sticks on a pad or other surface or clap the rhythms.
NOTE: For bass drum and cymbal parts, rhythms that are notated on the middle line are unison, so those rhythms should be played in addition to any split part.
Links to the audio files:
Percussionists Majoring in MUSIC EDUCATION or MUSIC PERFORMANCE
Please play:
One mallet solo of music of your choosing. Performing this excerpt should indicate your level of experience on mallet percussion.
One snare drum etude, solo, or other piece of music of your choosing. This should indicate your level of experience on snare drum.
The above prepared pieces can be cuts from honor band or all-state audition material, etudes from lesson books, excerpts from solos, or even music from your concert band folder. Generally, many students use their honor band, all-region or all-state audition music, because they already know it well and it covers these requirements for us:
Scales: Any two major scales 2 octaves.
Sight Reading (if in person)
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Guard
Step 2: Schedule an Audition
Marching Band: Email Dr. Pardue to set up a time for an in-person or virtual audition.
Choir: Email Dr. Thomas to set up a time for an in-person or video audition
Music Majors: Email the applied instrument professor (listed below) to set up a time. Please include Dr. Pardue (tpardue@mcneese.edu) for winds and percussion and Dr. Chandler (wchandler@mcneese.edu) for voice.
Step 3: Audition
Come to campus or log onto a provided zoom link to audition for us. Before coming to campus or logging on, fill out the Scholarship and Service Award Application for consideration.
In Person Auditions
One on one auditions are still available. Please contact the appropriate McNeese faculty member to set up a time.
All Band Auditions: Dr. Tim Pardue (tpardue@mcneese.edu)
Flute: Dr. Christopher Ludwig
Clarinet, Saxophone, and Double Reeds: Dr. Ben Cold (bcold@mcneese.edu)
Trumpets: Dr. Spencer Brand (sbrand1@mcneese.edu)
Horn: Prof. McIntyre
Low Brass: Prof. Bill Rose (roseb@mcneese.edu)
Percussion: Dr. Lonny Benoit (lbenoit@mcneese.edu)
Piano: Dr. Lina Morita (lmorita@mcneese.edu)
Strings: Dr. Michael Buckles (mbuckles@mcneese.edu)
Voice: Dr. Will Chandler (wchandler@mcneese.edu) or Dr. Paul Wolf (pwolf@mcneese.edu)
Open Audition Days: November 10th and February 23rd! Pre-register today.
Questions
Please email tpardue@mcneese.edu or lbenoit@mcneese.edu
