Concordia's National Honor Band
Location
Borland Center for Music and Theatre / St. John Lutheran Church
Each year, the best high school instrumentalists from around the country audition to be a part of Concordia University, Nebraska’s National Honor Band. During their time on campus, selected students work with Concordia's music department students and faculty in clinics and rehearsals. They enjoy a full day of high energy, focused rehearsing and acclaimed performances. Any high school band students are encouraged to audition! For those selected to participate, a $50 registration fee applies and covers event costs, lunch on Thursday and Honor Band t-shirt. Additionally, participants traveling from a distance may request overnight housing in the dorms with Concordia Nebraska student hosts.
New this year: Students selected to participate in Honor Band are invited to join us for a special Concordia
Visit Day experience on Friday, November 6! Chaperones and group leaders are also welcome to participate.
Visit Day participants will hear from faculty and staff about college academics, admissions, campus life and
financial aid. They can also tour our campus, enjoy lunch in our dining hall and participate in our daily chapel
service. There is no registration fee for Visit Day; students can sign up on the application form.
Apply and Submit Your Audition by September 15
Honor Band Schedule
Check-in at 8:30 a.m.
Rehearsals, lunch, rehearsals
4:30 p.m. concert at St. John Lutheran Church
Audition Instructions
Make a video recording including the following, in this order:
- State your name, current grade level and the name of the school you attend. (Please make sure we can hear you!)
- Play scales:
- Wind players – play a B flat concert scale, 1 or 2 octaves, based on your range.
- Xylophone, marimba, vibes, bells – play a B flat concert scale, 2 octaves
- Snare drum and/or timpani – you can skip this step
- Perform a 1 or 2‐minute excerpt from whichever of the following best shows your skills:
- Solo piece
- Suggested etude (PDF)
- Excerpt from your current band music
- (optional) Repeat steps 2 & 3 if you are auditioning on multiple instruments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can audition for Concordia’s National Honor ensembles?
We welcome – and encourage – auditions for choir and band from high school level students (freshman through senior) from any public, private or home school.
Can I audition for multiple ensembles? Can I audition for the Honor Band on multiple instruments?
Absolutely! Just make sure you complete an application and submit a video for each ensemble for which you’d like to audition. Please clearly state your name, grade level and high school at the beginning of each video.
Can I use an accompanist for my audition?
If it’s helpful to start your scales by playing a note on the piano, feel free! Excerpts from solos or etudes can also be accompanied – just make sure we can hear you on the video and not just the piano. For vocal auditions, the stanza of “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” should be unaccompanied. If you’d like to sing a short excerpt from an additional song with accompaniment, you may... but again, be sure we can hear your voice clearly and not just the piano! Your audition should not include video of you playing/singing in an ensemble.
What if I’m not sure I’m following the audition instructions correctly?
Give it your best shot! Your school ensemble director, lesson teacher or church musician can also be a great resource if you have any questions about what to do for your audition or how best to prepare. And you can always email music@cune.edu with your questions, too.
When will I hear back about my audition?
Notifications will be sent to the email address provided in your application after all applications have been received and processed, which can take up to two weeks from the application deadline. School email servers do occasionally block our messages, so if you have not received your email by October 1, please reach out to music@cune.edu!