Musical Arts Day
See our Concordia National Honor Choir, Honor Band and Honor Orchestra pages for information on the upcoming 2022 events.
Concordia's 2021 Musical Arts Day
Each year, the best vocal and instrumental high school musicians from around the country audition for the opportunity to work with Concordia's music department students and faculty in clinics and rehearsals during the university's Musical Arts Day. Singers and instrumentalists receive a full day of high energy, focused rehearsing and acclaimed performances. Any high school band or choir students are encouraged to audition! A $35 registration fee applies and covers music, lunch and a t-shirt. Participants may request Thursday night housing in the dorms with CUNE student host – this option is contingent on COVID-19 campus procedures at the time of the event.
Applications and video auditions are due October 1.
Honor Choir Day | Friday, Nov. 5
Check-in at 8:30 a.m.
Rehearsal, lunch, rehearsal
4 p.m. concert at St. John Lutheran Church
Honor Band Day | Friday, Nov. 12
Check-in at 8:30 a.m.
Rehearsals, lunch, rehearsals
4 p.m. concert in the PE Gym
Concordia’s music department is carefully following the university’s COVID-19 precautions, as well as those of our local public health institutions and those recommended by professional music organizations. These measures may change at any time depending on the current health situation. Final details on COVID requirements and safety measures for these Honor Ensembles will be communicated to students selected to participate.
Honor Band 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
- Etude piece
- Excerpt from your current band music
- (optional) Repeat steps 2 & 3 if you are auditioning on multiple instruments.
Honor Choir 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!)
- Demonstrate your vocal range by singing a series of scales.
- Start in the middle of your range and sing a five‐note ascending/descending pattern. Move your starting note up a half step and sing the pattern again. Repeat and go as high as you can.
- Start again in the middle of your range and sing a five‐note descending/ascending pattern. Move your starting note a half step lower and sing the pattern again. Continue as low as you can go.
- Sing (a cappella) the first stanza of “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee”:
My country, ' tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing;
Land where my fathers died,
Land of the pilgrims' pride,
From every mountainside let freedom ring!
To Apply
Upload your video(s) to YouTube. Make sure you set the privacy/visibility level to UNLISTED. If you set your video as private, Concordia won’t be able to view your video or consider your application.
Complete your Musical Arts Day application by October 1. Be sure to paste your video link into it and include correct contact info (especially your email address) so we can reach you!
Contact music@cune.edu with any questions!
FAQs
We welcome – and encourage ‐‐ auditions for choir and band from high school level students (freshman through senior) from any public, private or home school.
Absolutely! The application form has an option to audition for both ensembles, and you can certainly record scales and excerpts on more than one band instrument. You can submit just one video with multiple instruments/voice, or you can make a couple of audition videos and include more than one link on your audition form. If you do multiple videos, please clearly state your name, grade level and high school at the beginning of each video.
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.
Give it your best shot! Your school choir/band 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.
Auditions and applications will be reviewed in the first week of October and results sent via email by October 8. Make sure you include your correct contact information on your application form so we can reach you! Those selected for the ensembles will need to confirm their participation (via an online form, sent in the results email) before their music packet will be mailed to them.
Any significant changes to Musical Arts Day events will be sent to the email address you fill in on your application. Changes will also be posted here, so please check if you’re concerned you’ve missed an update.