HONORS ORCHESTRA AUDITION INFO

Please carefully read the entire message below regarding Honors Orchestra auditions on Monday, September 16 at Fox Chapel High School. There are 3 sections to the message below:
1. Director Responsibilities 
2. Director Pre-registration link
3. A copy of the information Mairi shared last spring.
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1. Director Responsibilities
To be in alignment with band and chorus, there have been a few significant changes to our procedures for the auditions. It is imperative that you and your students are aware of them prior to the audition night.
Director Responsibilities
Before Honors Strings Audition Day: 

• NEW!!! DIRECTOR PRE-REGISTRATION: You must complete the Honors Strings Audition Day Director Registration Form to attend.  This will ask you to provide an estimated number of students attending and their audition room(s).  In addition, you must also include a copy of your PMEA card. This will be verified and must be current before students can audition.  You will receive this google form in your email or can access it from the District 1 website.  The information asked on this form allows the executive board and audition committee to best prepare for a satisfactory audition process for directors and students.  
• AUDITION FEE: Remind your students that there is a $5.00 audition fee for each instrument they plan to audition on. No student will be permitted to audition if their audition fee is not paid at registration.

On District Wide Audition day:

• DIRECTOR/PROXY ATTENDANCE: Each director must attend auditions or provide a current PMEA member as a substitute. This substitute will not be responsible for representing any other school at the audition.  Please be sure to make note of this on the DWA Day Director Registration Form or contact the PMEA District 1 President or Festival Coordinator as early as possible so judging assignments can be made accordingly.  Every director/proxy will have an assignment for the audition timeframe.  Responsibilities can be reviewed on the following page.  
• MEETING ATTENDANCE: Each director/proxy must attend the Director Meeting prior to auditions.  During this time, the audition procedures will be reviewed, updates will be announced and discussion for future auditions and festivals will occur as needed and judging assignments/responsibilities will be announced.  
• NEW!!!UPDATES TO AUDITION PROCEDURES: 
  • Audition numbers will be randomly assigned and not based on order of arrival/registration.  They will be sorted following the close of registration at 5pm.
  • Students must use paper copies of the music; no iPads or similar devices are permitted in the audition room.
  • Digital scoring will be used; paper copies of scores may be used if there are connection issues. All directors are expected to bring a device in order to submit digital scoresheets.
    
    

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2. Director Pre-Registration

All directors attending the Honors Orchestra auditions on Monday, September 16 are asked to complete THIS FORM by Friday, September 13. All directors will be assigned a role during auditions as required for your students to participate.  Please indicate your instrumental specialties so that appropriate assignments can be made for the best interest of the students. Also, in an effort to help auditions run as smoothly as possible, please indicate your estimated audition counts in each instrument.
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3. Information from Mairi


Dear Fellow Directors:

I look forward to seeing you on Monday September 16th at PMEA District 1 Honors Orchestra Auditions. Auditions will be held at Fox Chapel Area High School (611 Field Club Road Pittsburgh, PA 15238). Please come through the auditorium entrance.


Please be aware of the following:

1. Students will pay a $5 registration fee (checks should be made payable to PMEA). 
2. No student will be allowed to register if a sponsoring PMEA member is not with them and prepared to listen to auditions. All directors must be prepared to present their current PMEA membership cards at registration.
3. Registration will open at 3:30pm and close at 5pm. The directors' meeting will start promptly at 5pm. Students who arrive after this time are not permitted to audition.
4. Please check the PMEA District 1 website for details about the audition pieces. Students need to follow the bowings as indicated on the approved editions.
5. For copyright purposes, students should own (and be playing from) an original copy of the music. All music must be paper copies; iPads and similar devices are NOT permitted in the audition rooms.
6. We will have pizza and water for purchase from 4:30-5:30pm.
7. Your students are NOT allowed to drive themselves to the audition.
8. I promise to have yummy food for the directors and a smile on my face to greet you.

The PMEA Honors Orchestra Festival will be held at Upper St. Clair High School on November 15th and 16th. Many thanks to Karen Chisholm and Doug Reichenfeld for co-hosting! Please have your students check these dates BEFORE they audition. They may not attend only part of the festival. They need to commit to both days.


I look forward to seeing you!
Mairi Cooper