Auburn University Bands
2025-2026 Audition Procedures and Deadline

Thank you for interest in auditioning for Symphonic Winds and Concert Band at Auburn University. Woodwind and Brass auditions are completed virtually using the HeartOut app. The audition window for the 2025-2026 academic year will close on Wednesday, August 13th at 11:59 a.m. Percussion auditions will be completed live during the first week of classes. Percussionists are required to create an account on the HeartOut app for our records.

For questions regarding the auditions or the audition process, please contact the AU Band Department.

Please read the following information regarding this year's audition process. There are changes due to the Symphonic Winds trip to Japan in May 2026.

1. For the Symphonic Winds only this year, we plan not to audition between the Fall and Spring semesters. This is due to the payment plan for the trip to Japan.
   • Cost for Japan = $3,000 per student.
   • The payment plan will begin mid-August of 2025.
   • Save your money over the summer for Japan!
2. Symphonic Winds will be very competitive. You will increase your chances of making the ensemble if you can play, or audition on, more than one instrument. You can submit more than one audition. For example,
   • Saxophones - don't just audition on alto, but tenor, baritone and bass clarinet as well.
   • Clarinets - also audition for bass clarinet and contra bass clarinet.
   • Trumpets - consider possibly auditioning for horn as well.
   • Low Brass - audition for trombone, euphonium and tuba.
3. Class Conflicts/Internships/Fall Graduation
   • Please try to limit class conflicts with ensembles. Class time are listed below.
     • Symphonic Winds
       • All Year: Mon/Wed 12:00 pm - 12:50 pm; Tue/Thurs 12:30 pm - 1:45 pm
     • Concert Band
       • Fall: Mon/Wed 12:00 pm - 12:50 pm
       • Spring: Tues/Thurs 3:30 pm - 4:45 pm
   • Music Education Majors who will be student teaching (fall or spring) must inform Dr. Good via email, along with their audition submission.
   • Other students who have internships required for their majors (fall or spring) must inform Dr. Good via email, along with their audition submission.
   • Students who are graduating in December 2025 must inform Dr. Good via email, along with their audition submission.
4. Review your audition video before you submit it!
   • Returning Symphonic Winds members, Concert Band members, incoming Freshment and GTAs are all auditioning for the same spots.
   • Prepare for this audition carefully. Please plan preparation time accordingly, especially those involved in the AUMB or other summer activities.

HeartOut Registration

To Register for the Auburn University Symphonic Winds and Concert Band Auditions, create an account on HeartOut.io or login if you already have an account. After you have created an account, on your contestant panel you will see a field - "Enter your contest code". Type in the Invitation Code for our event (au25fall for woodwinds/brass or au25fallperc for percussion) and click Register. Fill in all the required fields and click Register.

To find the codes necessary to audition on HeartOut, click Open on the event in your Contestant panel. Under your registration info you will see your ID number - a unique code specific to your registration.

Attention! Percussion users will not need their ID code to audition on the app due to the live audition. You WILL need it to register on HeartOut.

Download the HeartOut app on any phone (IOS or Android), login with the account you created on the website, click "New Audition" and use the Invitation Code (au25fall) for woodwinds/brass, and (au25fallperc) for percussion. The ID number (unique to your registration) while you follow the instructions in the Tutorial Video below to record and submit an audition on the HeartOut app.

Click here to watch a short video tutorial - How to Audition on the HeartOut app

Woodwind and Brass Audition Instructions

RECORDING TEST: Type your codes in the app and click on the pending audition created. On your audition page, you will be able to "Try a Recording Test" to check your positioning in the frame, the distance from the device for best audio clarity, and more. You can do as many recording tests as you want; they do not get saved and they do not count towards your four recording opportunities.

RECORDING YOUR AUDITION: You will have to perform your repertoire in one take just like you would in a live setting - once you click on "New audition" and start recording you must perform all scales and pieces back-to-back in the same recording. You will have four recording opportunities for your audition. When you are done, watch your audition videos, select the best take, and submit your audition.

IMPORTANT! Auditions on the HeartOut app are recorded under the same conditions as a live performance - no option to pause the recording or edit the audition video. Scales and excerpts will be done in one take. Simply start recording and play your HeartOut!

If you have any questions about the HeartOut platform, feel free to reach out to the tech support team or check out these important tips for recording your audition on the HeartOut app.

Wind Scale Requirements: Quarter note = 120

1. Concert F
2. Concert Bb
3. Concert Ab
4. Full Range Chromatic Scale

Wind Excerpts: You can find the excerpts for your instrument in the folder below. You may download or view the excerpts as needed.

Download Audition Excerpts

Percussion Audition Instructions

This year's percussion auditions for the AU Symphonic Winds and Concert Band will look different from the other sections. Interested students will prepare a small list of repertoire resembline an audition list for professional orchestras. Instruments in the audition will include snare drum, mallets, timpani, crash cymbals and tambourine.

Students will play a live blind audition during the first week of classes. We will not use HeartOut to submit videos for this audition; however, you will still need to register for your audition via the app. Your registration with HeartOUt will provide Dr. Locklear your email address. He will contact your for audition sign-up times prior to the first week of classes. Dr. Locklear and a second adjudicator will sit behind a screen and listen to students play the asssigned excerpts. Students will be assigned a random number to ensure anonymity and merit-based selections. Students will not be allowed to speak during the audition. A proctor will oversee the transition between students.

Instruments will be provided, but students must provide their own sticks and mallets. Students are also welcome to provide their own instruments (snare drum and tambourine) if preferred.

Percussion Excerpts: Please find "Percussion" in the Box folder below. You may download or view the excerpts as needed.

Download Audition Excerpts

Percussion Audition Reference List

Snare Drum

Etude No. 6 from Douze Etudes pour Caisse Claire – Jacques Delécluse

• Beginning through the first measure of line 4

Listen to Etude No. 6 from Douze Etudes pour Caisse Claire on Spotify

Symphony No. 10, Movement 2 – Dmitri Shostakovich

• Rehearsal 98 – End

Listen to Symphony No. 10, Movement 2 on YouTube

Xylophone

• Porgy and Bess – George Gershwin
• Opening phrase of the introduction

Listen to Porgy and Bess on YouTube

Glockenspiel

Sleeping Beauty – Peter Tchaikovsky

• All

Listen to Sleeping Beauty on YouTube

Vibraphone

West Side Story – Leonard Bernstein

• measures 567-577 from the Meeting Scene
• measures 582-589 from Cool
• measures 620-632 from Cool

Listen to Meeting Scene from West Side Story on YouTube

Listen to Cool from West Side Story on YouTube

Timpani

Concerto for Orchestra, Movement 4 – Béla Bartók

• measures 42-51

Listen to Concerto for Orchestra, Movement 4 on YouTube

Finalndia – Jean Sibelius

• Letters D-H, no repeats

Crash Cymbals

Romeo and Juliet – Peter Tchaikovsky

• Letter E - 6 before F

Listen to Romeo and Juliet on YouTube

Tambourine

Carnival Overture – Antonin Dvorák

• Beginning - Letter C

Listen to Carnival Overture on YouTube

Credit

One hour credit is available for participation in any of our concert groups. This credit may be used as an elective in any curriculum.

Cost

Members of the Symphonic Winds and Concert Band supply their own formal attire for concerts. There is no other cost except tuition. Band members do NO fund raising.

Directors

Director of Bands, Dr. Rick Good
Associate Director of Bands, Dr. Corey Spurlin

Contact

AUBURN UNIVERSITY BANDS
132 Goodwin Music Building
Auburn University, AL 36849-5421
Phone: (334) 844-4166
Fax: (334) 844-3170
E-mail: band@auburn.edu