SCIBA Honor Band Auditions

SCIBA honor band auditions are held each fall for 7th and 8th graders in the south central section of the State of Iowa.

Being part of the South Central Iowa Bandmasters Association honor band is very exciting and a fun experience for all students involved in it. The auditions are very competitive for flutists, as you can imagine, so it's important to be well prepared. If your band director nominates you for the SCIBA honor band, start practicing right away!

At the SCIBA honor band auditions, students are auditioned for membership in one of three bands...

Red Band - 7th graders
White Band - 7th and 8th graders
Blue Band - 8th graders only

In addition, two or three 8th graders are selected from the Blue Band to perform in the 8th grade All-State Band at the Iowa Bandmasters Association Convention which takes place in the spring of the year in Des Moines, Iowa. Students combine from all six districts in Iowa...

1. Northwest
2. North Central
3. Northeast
4. Southwest
5. South Central
6. Southeast

... to form the band. It's a great honor to be selected!

Audition Requirements...

The audition process is the same in all of the districts and basically the same for all instruments...

1. Chromatic scale through the entire range of the instrument.
2. Major scales for two octaves: C, G, D, A, F, B-flat, E-flat, A-flat.
3. Required etudes. The flute etudes are taken from Selected Duets for Flute, Volume I. These etudes change each year.

2011 Required Etudes...

1) Page 48-49 #2, Allemande, top line, all, no repeats, take 2nd endings

3) Page 56, #12, Adagio, top line, all, no repeats

Here are videos of the two flute etudes to help you learn them.

Page 48-49 #2, Allemande...

Playing suggestions: Although the time signature shows a cut time symbol, we are instructed to play in 4. I have played this at the quarter note = 80.

Be careful not to play during the rests. I left the metronome on so you could hear the click during the rests. Count carefully!

There are a lot of 16th notes in this piece. Practice them slowly at first, then work up to your final speed. Try playing with different rhythms, such as dotted 8th with a 16th, then 16th with a dotted 8th. Then play straight 16th notes.

The dynamic marking starts out at forte, but watch for the piano marking at the end of the 6th measure. Try to make a big difference in volume here. Also observe the crescendo in the last three measures.

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Page 56, #12, Adagio...

Playing suggestions: This piece demonstrates your beautiful flute tone and breath control. Be sure to take big breaths. Careful not to scrunch up your shoulders when breathing. Feel the air going all the way down your lungs and pushing down onto your stomach. Pretend you have swallowed a watermelon. Try not to take too many breaths--that's the tough part about this piece.

The dynamic marking is just piano throughout until the last few measures. Don't play too loudly--this will help you make it through the entire phrase.

If you play with vibrato, this is the perfect time to use it. Reserve it for the long notes, the dotted quarters and half notes.

I played this at a metronome marking of 69 for the quarter note.

Your band director will have the music for you to practice with for the SCIBA honor band auditions, but you can order the book here if you would like buy your own...

Good luck at the SCIBA honor band auditions!

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