2025-2026 Ola Bands Placement Audition Information

Prior to each school year, all woodwind, brass, and percussion students entering the Ola High School Band Program will be required to perform a placement audition that will determine which concert ensemble they will be assigned to for the upcoming school year.   All students will perform major scales and a prepared etude.  Once the auditions are completed, students will be placed in one of the three concert ensembles based on the results of their performance.  Please understand that we must do everything we can during course registration to ensure that students are placed in the correct concert ensemble.  Students will not be permitted to perform with an ensemble that they do not rehearse with daily.  If a scheduling issue arises, students may bump down an ensemble but will not automatically bumped up.  BAND IS A YEAR LONG CLASS.  Students are required to participate for the full year.  Students who participate in band for four full years will be awarded a band cord at the spring awards ceremony.  Students that do not audition will be automatically placed in the Symphonic Band.

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The band program at Ola High School consists of three concert ensembles, jazz band, and percussion ensemble.  After school we offer the Marching Mustangs, color guard, winter guard, and a soon to be new competitive indoor percussion.

 

ENSEMBLES THAT MEET DURING THE SCHOOL DAY AS A CLASS

 

SYMPHONIC BAND - (indicated in Infinite Campus as, “Intermediate Band and Intermediate Instrumental Ensemble”) – this ensemble is a performance-based ensemble with a set instrumentation that will perform level 3-4 literature.  Students may consist of grades 9-12 and are split across two periods woodwinds and then brass/percussion.

 

SYMPHONIC WINDS - (indicated in Infinite Campus as, “Advanced”) – this ensemble is a performance-based ensemble with a set instrumentation that will perform level 4-5 literature.  Students may consist of grades 9-12.

 

WIND SYMPHONY - (indicated in Infinite Campus as, “Mastery”) – this ensemble is a performance-based ensemble with a set instrumentation that will perform level 6 and collegiate literature.  Students may consist of grades 9-12.  The Wind Symphony is considered the premier instrumental ensemble at Ola High School, with the ensemble’s approach to music making modeled after a collegiate level program.

 

JAZZ BAND – (indicated in Infinite Campus as, “Jazz Band”) - there is no audition for this ensemble.  Instrumentation usually consists of alto sax, tenor sax, bari sax, trumpet, trombone, piano, bass guitar, and drum set.  Students a lot of times will learn one of the jazz band instruments if they currently do not play one typically written for jazz band.  Students will need to communicate to one of the directors that they are interested in taking this as a second band class.  Students must be enrolled in their primary concert ensemble first before signing up for the second ensemble.

 

PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE – (indicated in Infinite Campus as, “Advanced Instrumental Ensemble”) all percussionists who plan to participate in marching band are asked to register for two classes: their primary concert ensemble and then percussion ensemble.

 

AFTER SCHOOL EXTRA CURRICULAR ENSEMBLES

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COLOR GUARD/WINTER GUARD - auditions are open to all students grades 9-12 campus wide. This ensemble meets in conjunction with the marching band after school from July – November.  AUDITIONS ARE HELD EACH SPRING.

 

MARCHING MUSTANGS - all students in grades 9-12 are eligible to perform in The Ola High School Marching Mustangs regardless of which ensemble that the student has been placed in.   The Marching Mustangs is the most visual performance ensemble at Ola High School.  Information related to The Marching Mustangs may be found at: www.olahighschoolband.com

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KICK OFF MEETING FOR

THE MARCHING MUSTANGS 

 April 24 | 7:00pm | OHS Band Room​​

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P E R F O R M A N C E   R E Q U I R E M E N T S

 

REQUIRED MAJOR SCALES

Students will be asked to perform their concert F, B-flat, E-flat, A-flat, and D-flat major scales.

 

STUDENT CHOICE SCALE

Students will be asked to perform one additional scale of their choice.

(Choosing from G-flat, B, E, A, D, G, or C)

 

CHROMATIC SCALE

Students will be asked to play the full range chromatic scale for their instrument.

 

ETUDE

Students will be asked to perform the etude provided in this packet. Practice recordings are available at the QR code below.

 

SIGHT READING

Finally, students will be asked to sight read a short excerpt. This will be passed out at time of audition.