Orchestra Auditions for Grades 7-8

Auditions for 6th graders will be held on January 28th.  See the Calendar for more details.

The following guidelines will prepare you for the audition for the Orchestra Magnet.

Stivers offers four levels of orchestra performance. Membership in each group is determined solely by audition, ability and achievement.

Our two highest levels of Orchestra enroll mostly high school players. There are a few middle school players within the top two Orchestras. Each group meets for one class period every day.

Audition Requirements

• Audition candidates are encouraged to bring their instrument and prepare the audition pieces below.

• All incoming seventh grade students will play as much of the audition music that is possible for their level of achievement. The required music starts on a very simple level and becomes increasingly more difficult. Each player should start at the beginning and proceed as far as possible.

• You will be asked to sight read a short piece, play a scale that you choose and a scale the director chooses, and match pitches.

• All incoming students will be asked to write a short statement describing their goals as an orchestra performer and their reasons for choosing Stivers to fulfill those goals.

The audition will be evaluated on a scale of five points with five points being the highest and one point being the lowest in the following areas: 

• Pitch and intonation

• Rhythmic precision

• Tone quality

• Technique

• Bow control

• Reading / interpreting notation

• Posture / playing position

We do not offer beginning level classes. Students must have some performance skills to be in the orchestra program. Students should have their own violins. We do have violas, cellos, and string basses for students to use as rentals.

Audition Preparation

Performance music is available for download for the following instruments:

(sheet music is presented in Adobe format)

  Bass

  Cello

  Viola

  Violin