AUDITIONS INFO & SCHEDULES
 for audition-in performing arts classes in the 2020-2021 school year
All auditions are completed! Questions? Email the contacts listed.

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Advance Placement Auditions for Dance Class
  • Tuesday, February 26, 3:10-5:00 pm, Dance Studio One in Tappan Gym
OR
  • Thursday, February 28, 3:10-5:00 pm Dance Studio One in Tappan Gym

This audition is only for students interested in being in an Intermediate or Advanced level class. Students interested in Beginning Dance or African, Latin, Hip Hop Dance, simply need to sign up for either of those classes and do not need to attend an audition.

At the audition students will be guided through a center floor warm-up, across the floor phrases, and a short routine. The audition is a group audition, with all students working together at the same time. Please come dressed in dance clothing, ready to move. You do not need to sign up for the audition, you can simply choose one of the dates to attend. You will need to attend the whole audition time. If you have any questions, please email Ms. Hernandez at mayra_hernandez@psbma.org
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The dance program offers a curriculum from beginning through advanced levels. The program covers a variety of dance techniques and choreography. All students enrolled in the full year dance classes perform in the annual dance concert, Progressions. Students are also encouraged to participate in the student variety show, ReVisions in January. The classroom facilities include two dance studios. Performing Arts dance classes can be used to fulfill the Health & Fitness requirement, except in 9th grade where all students are required to take and pass HF0900.
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Advanced Chamber Orchestra

Advanced Chamber Orchestra is open to all string, winds, brass and percussion students by audition.

Auditions are approximately 6 minutes long and held:
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  • Wednesday, February 27, 5:30-6:30 PM in the Black Box
  • Thursday, February 28, Z block (7:30 - 8:14 AM) in the auditorium
  • Thursday, February 28, 3:00 - 4:00 pm in the White Box
  • Friday, March 1, Z block (7:30-8:15 am) in the auditorium

Sign up for a time using this form, and please be careful not to erase anyone else's info. If you absolutely can't make one of these times, or if you have any questions, please contact Nina Bishop at Nina_Bishop@psbma.org.

Students will need to do the following:
  • Prepare a solo movement (a movement from a concerto, sonata or solo piece)
  • Play one major and one minor scale with arpeggio
  • Short sight reading assessment
Music Collective — Sheet music is here.
The BHS Music Collective is an audition-only ensemble and one of the top ensembles in the instrumental music program at BHS. (It is open only to sophomores through seniors; incoming freshmen interested in jazz and other styles of improvised music should sign up for the Jazz/Rock Ensemble class, which requires no audition.) Music Collective is open to any instrumentalist (we are not a traditional big band). The group has performed concerts for The Boston Music Society and The Highland Jazz Society. The Collective has received awards at the Berklee High School Jazz Festival, and recently the ensemble was mentioned in the Music Educators Journal in an article that applauded collaborative ensembles in the 21st century public music classroom.

Although most members are juniors and seniors, all current members auditioned as incoming freshman; they might not have been accepted as 9th graders into the music collective but they did take either the jazz-rock ensemble or concert band to develop their skills. All current members then re auditioned and were accepted either as sophomores or juniors. I mentioned the above so that you will not feel intimidated by the audition requirements below and that YOU COME AND AUDITION EVEN IF YOU FEEL AS THOUGH YOU ARE NOT 100% prepared. We spend most of the audition performing music and the theory exam is just a small part. The audition is an ensemble audition and students will work together for the hour. 

When:
  • Wednesday, February 27, 3:00-4:00 pm in room 120, or
  • Friday, March 8, 2:30 -3:30 pm in room 120
  • Pick one​ ​day to attend and sign your name on the list below UNDER​ ​THE​ ​CORRECT DAY​ ​or​ ​email​ ​me​ ​at​ ​carolyn_castellano@psbma.org
  • Incoming​ ​8​th​​ ​graders​ ​should​ ​email​ ​Carolyn​ ​to​ ​indicate​ ​what​ ​day​ ​and​ ​what instrument​ ​they​ ​are​ ​auditioning​ ​on.
What​ ​to​ ​bring:
  • Instrument,​ ​if​ ​not​ ​a​ ​drummer​ ​or​ ​piano​ ​player.
  • If​ ​you​ ​are​ ​a​ ​guitar​ ​player​ ​then​ ​you​ ​must​ ​bring​ ​your​ ​own​ ​1⁄4​ ​inch​ ​cable.
  • If​ ​you​ ​are​ ​a​ ​drummer​ ​bring​ ​your​ ​own​ ​sticks​ ​and​ ​brushes.

You do not need to prepare anything. The​ ​​audition​ ​will​ ​last​ ​from​ ​45-60​ ​minutes​ ​and​ ​consist​ ​of:

1. Being​ ​asked​ ​to​ ​play​ ​any​ ​of​ ​the​ ​following​ ​scales​ ​in​ ​the​ ​following​ ​concert​ ​keys:
  • Major-F-Bb-Eb-Ab-C-G
  • Mixolydian-C-F-Eb-G-D
  • Blues-just​ ​concert​ ​Bb,​ ​F​ ​and​ ​Eb
  • Dorian-just​ ​concert​ ​D​ ​and​ ​E
  • Diminished-whole​ ​half​ ​starting​ ​on​ ​concert​ ​F
Drummers​ ​need​ ​to​ ​know​ ​the​ ​following​ ​scales:
  • Major-F-Bb
  • Mixolydian-F-C
  • Blues-F

2. Playing​ ​in​ ​a​ ​variety​ ​of​ ​musical​ ​genres​ ​including
  • Rock
  • Jazz
  • Funk
  • Bossa​ ​Nova

3. Sight​ ​Reading​ ​of​ ​a​ ​typical​ ​jazz/rock​ ​chart.

4. ALL​ ​SHOULD​ ​KNOW​ ​HOW​ ​TO​ ​PLAY​ ​THE​ ​HEAD​ ​AND​ ​SOLO​ ​OVER​ ​THE​ ​BLUES:
  • "Straight​ ​No​ ​Chaser"​ ​by​ ​Thelonious​ ​Monk (If​ ​you​ ​can’t​ ​find​ ​the​ ​lead​ ​sheet​ ​let​ ​me​ ​know​ ​and​ ​I will​ ​send​ ​it​ ​to​ ​you.)
  • guitar/piano — should​ ​also​ ​know​ ​how​ ​to​ ​play​ ​the​ ​chords
  • bass — should​ ​know​ ​how​ ​to​ ​walk​ ​a​ ​bass​ ​line​ ​as​ ​well

5. Theory​ ​exam:
  • Notate​ ​seventh​ ​chords-Maj​ ​7,​ ​Minor​ ​7,​ ​Dominant​ ​7 (from​ ​the​ ​keys​ ​you​ ​played​ ​the scales​ ​in)
  • Recognize​ ​secondary​ ​and​ ​substitute​ ​dominants​ ​(if​ ​you​ ​do​ ​not​ ​know​ ​this​ ​it​ ​is​ ​covered in​ ​the​ ​jazz​ ​rock​ ​class)
  • Write​ ​a​ ​guide​ ​tone​ ​line

No​ ​need​ ​to​ ​prepare​ ​a​ ​selection​ ​except​ ​the​ ​blues​ ​above.​ ​This​ ​audition
will​ ​be​ ​an​ ​opportunity​ ​to​ ​hear​ ​how​ ​well​ ​you​ ​work​ ​given​ ​prompts​ ​and
direction​ ​and​ ​your​ ​ability​ ​improvise​ ​and​ ​be​ ​creative.
carolyn_castellano@psbma.org
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Open Chorus Rehearsal
Tuesday, February 11, 6:15 pm - 8:00 pm
Brookline High School, BHS Chorus Room (room 324)

Register here.

​This event gives students currently in 8th through 11th grades a chance to meet some of the current BHS choir members and to get a sense of what choir rehearsals at BHS are like. During this event you will be paired up with a current member of the BHS Camerata choir who will guide you through the evening. We’ll have a pizza dinner together and do some ice-breaker activities in small groups. After we eat, we’ll all warm up together, do a little bit of ear training and sight-singing work, break into sectionals to learn a new song, then rehearse the song all together. Then you’ll get to watch Camerata rehearse a piece for their upcoming ‘masterwork’ concert. The evening concludes with a question-and-answer session where you can ask any questions you may have about chorus and music at BHS.
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Camerata Honor Choir and 
​A Cappella Choir
  • Auditions for Camerata are for interested students in all grades.
  • Auditions for A Cappella Choir are  necessary only for incoming 9th-grade students.
Auditions will be in the BHS Chorus Room (room 324). Students can sign up for an audition time on the sign up sheet outside the choral room or should contact Dr. Driscoll to set up an audition time at michael_driscoll@psbma.org

Auditions are 8 minutes long and held between 3:00 PM and 5:30 PM on :
  • Wednesday, February 26
  • Thursday, February 27
The audition consists of the following:
  • Singing scales to determine vocal range/voice part
  • Singing “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” (or “Happy Birthday”)
  • Pitch memory assessment (director plays a series of notes, auditioner sings them back)
  • Sight-singing of rhythm patterns
  • Sight-singing of a melody
  • Written test of music notation/theory
If you have any questions please contact michael_driscoll@psbma.org    
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Needs Improvment & BETCo Auditions

This year our drama auditions will be for both Drama II, which is open to all students currently in grades 8 to 11, and for BETco and Needs Improvment, for students who are going into 11th grade and have completed three semesters of drama classes at BHS or equivalent if coming from another school system. Nothing needs to be prepared for either audition. Times are:
​Monday, March 4, 3:00 - 4:00 pm, in the auditorium OR
  • Friday, March 8, 2:30-4:00 pm in the auditorium

Students do not need to prepare anything for the audition - just show up ready to work.

For questions, contact Mark VanDerzee at mark_vanderzee@psbma.org