Audition Procedures

2025 All-State/All-Region Virtual Audition Procedure

Step 1

Read through the ENTIRE audition procedure carefully before proceeding! There are 7 STEPS in the audition process.

Step 2

Email: executivedirector@alabamaorchestraassociation.org to join our communication stream, to stay connected and hear the very latest updates regarding auditions.

(NOTE: In the Subject Line type ‘Email List’ – in the Body of the email please include your name, preferred email, phone number, district, instrument with choice of FO/SO or CSO. Please repeat instrument and FO/SO or CSO if recording more than one audition. Woodwind, Brass, and Percussion students only have one set of audition materials – FO/SO – for all ensembles.)

Districts:

• Northern: Colbert, Franklin, Jackson, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Limestone, Madison, Marshall, Morgan
• East Central: Calhoun, Cherokee, Clay, Cleburne, DeKalb, Etowah, Randolph, Saint Clair, Talladega
• Central: Blount, Cullman, Fayette, Marion, Jefferson, Lamar, Shelby, Walker, Winston
• West Central: Bibb, Choctaw, Dallas, Greene, Hale, Marengo, Perry, Pickens, Sumter, Tuscaloosa
• South Central: Autauga, chambers, Chilton, Coosa, Elmore, Lee, Macon, Montgomery, Russell, Tallapoosa
• Southwest: Baldwin, Butler, Clarke, Conecuh, Escambia, Lowndes, Mobile, Monroe, Washington, Wilcox
• Southeast: Barbour, Bullock, Covington, Coffee, Crenshaw, Dale, Geneva, Henry, Houston, Pike

Step 3

Select preferred audition material, download, and begin practicing! Strings are allowed to audition on both sets of audition material (a small extra fee is applied).

• Students may select the following audition repertoire:
• Combined audition material for Festival Orchestra and Sinfonia Orchestra (all orchestral instruments)
• Audition material for Consort String Orchestra (strings only)

• Auditions for the 2025 All-State Orchestra consist of:
• Scales (Part I)
• Etude (Part I)
• Orchestral Excerpts (Part II)
• [NOTE: 2025 Auditions WILL NOT include sight-reading]

Step 4

Prepare to record audition material on a home device. Appropriate recording devices include:

• Smartphone
• Personal Zoom Camera
• Camcorder that can convert to a Digital file (on a computer)
• Laptop Camera with a Quality Microphone
• Ask a sponsoring teacher to assist with recording your audition (if necessary)
• Ask an AOA District Chair to help facilitate (if all other options are exhausted)
• PERCUSSIONISTS: Please ask your school band/orchestra directors for permission to use school instruments in preparing/recording auditions. Contact your local District Chair for assistance if you are not able to use school instruments.

Note that while decent video quality is appreciated, the quality of audio is paramount to a fair judging process.

BEFORE recording audition material, please watch the following video explaining the audition process (with a sample recording video):

AFTER watching the video, read through the reminders below:

• Have all music in order on your music stand before beginning
• Do not speak throughout the audition process
• Be sure that your entire instrument (with both hands) can be seen at all times
• Make sure that the camera is directly in front of you near shoulder height
• Place the music stand at an angle to avoid obstruction of the performer
• Please do not hit the recording button until ready to begin playing (avoiding silent delays on video)
• All audition material must be performed in a ‘single take,’ without any stop in the recording process
• Take a deep breath between each portion of the audition, but minimize delays between scales/etude/excerpts
• Absolutely NO post-editing of video recordings is allowed – raw footage only

Step 5

• Perform and record the audition in the following order:
• Scales (Part I) – from memory
• Etude (Part I)
• Orchestral Excerpt 1, 2, and 3 (Part II)
• NOTE: We recognize that most students will want to record the entire audition process several times, and submit their favorite version of the audition. While this is allowed, please remember that several recordings CANNOT be spliced together for a final product. When recording begins, an entire audition must be completed in a ‘single take’.
• Any audition videos deemed to have been edited WILL BE disqualified, as determined by the audition judges and the AOA Board of Directors.
• Please verify that your chosen video can be heard clearly, and adheres to all audition requirements listed above.
• In the event that you make multiple recordings for this audition, or have saved audition recordings from previous years, please check, and then check again, to make sure that you submit the correct video and that it is labeled correctly!

Step 6

• Students will upload their entire audition (in a single take) to an ‘Unlisted’ YouTube Video, and submit the URL link on the AOA registration form. Please watch the following video to discover how to upload an ‘Unlisted’ Video to YouTube

• NOTE: The video MUST be ‘Unlisted’
• NOTE: Remember to note (copy/paste) the ‘link’ of the YouTube video, as the ‘link’ will be given to All-State judges to review.
• Video Title – Be sure to label your YouTube video with the following information:

FIRST NAME_LAST NAME_instrument_FO/SO or CSO_2025

• Please be sure to PROOF that your video uploaded correctly. This may include checking to see that the LINK provided works.
• In the event that you make multiple recordings for this audition, or have saved audition recordings from previous years, please check, and then check again, to make sure that you submit the correct video and that it is labeled correctly!

Step 7

• Register for your Audition(s). When you register online, you will have the option of paying online or mailing in your payment. Fees per student are $25 for the first audition, and $10 for each additional audition.
• Sponsor Information. Before registering you must know the NAfME (MENC) number, phone, and email of your sponsoring teacher.
• You will need to drop in the YouTube link of your virtual audition. Please carefully test the link to be sure it works. AOA cannot be responsible for links that are incorrect.
• If you wish to audition on both sets of audition material (strings) or on more than one instrument (everyone), you will have the opportunity to add a second audition slot when you register. Fees are reduced to $10 for each additional audition.

All audition recordings are sent to a central location where all video links for each instrument in each orchestra will be sent out for impartial adjudication. No judge will adjudicate a section in which he/she has students auditioning. Judges will rank all auditions for each instrument/orchestra from the statewide pool. Using these rankings, a list of students to be accepted for each orchestra will be assembled, with alternates listed in case someone on the list declines or fails to register on time.

• Students may be evaluated over 2 rounds of judging (by multiple judges). The first round of judging will use scales and etudes to rank students. The top students in each instrumental section would then move on to the second round of judging which will use orchestral excerpts to place students into an ensemble or on our alternates list (as well as place them in their section or chair where needed).

Woodwind, Brass, and Percussion Students: Top-ranking students will be offered a position in an All-State Orchestra Festival ensemble (FO or SO). After these sections are full, additional students will be given an invitation to participate in the North or South All-Region Orchestra Festival (PO).

String, Harp, and Piano Students: Top-ranking students will be offered a position in an All-State Orchestra Festival ensemble (FO, SO, and CSO) and a North or South All-Region Orchestra Festival (PO or CO). Additional students will be asked to participate at the Region level only.

String Seating: All-Region ensemble seating will be determined by this virtual audition. All-State ensemble seating will be determined by live audition on the first day of All-State Festival weekend.