Yorktown has two wind bands, the Symphonic Band and the Concert Band. Membership in the Symphonic Band is by audition only for students grades 10-12, and its members participate in the Marching Band. Both ensembles meet daily and perform concerts on and off-campus each year. The repertoire is chosen from orchestral transcriptions and challenging original literature for band and wind chamber ensemble.
Auditions Dates for Symphonic Band are generally in February. While etudes and sight reading change each year, you can expect to be asked the perform:
Yorktown High School Symphonic Band Audition Requirements
SIGHT-READING: Students will be asked to perform one or more sight-reading selections. Students will be given a period of time to “study” the sight-reading before being asked to play and be scored. Students are not allowed to play their instruments during the study period for the sight-reading selection. Sight-reading excerpts will be pulled from printed or published material.
PREPARED EXCERPT: Students will be asked to perform one or more selections from the high school concert or district audition repertoire. Flutes will also perform the assigned piccolo excerpt (no scales or sight reading on piccolo).
MAJOR SCALES: Each student will be asked to perform all 12 major scales, continuous, 2 octaves (3 when possible) starting on concert C, and moving around the circle of fourths. Scales should be memorized. Tempo for the scales is MM=100 for the quarter note, and a metronome will be playing during performance. Tempo should be strictly adhered to. Scales should be articulated with a legato tongue ascending and descending. Scales should be performed in the following quarter note/eighth note pattern:
CHROMATIC SCALE: The chromatic scale should be slurred ascending and staccato tongued descending. The scale should be memorized and performed at or above the tempo indicated below, in 16th note subdivision. Students should play even ascending, pause at the top for a breath (if needed), and continue playing even 16th notes descending. Listed below are the required ranges for each instrument’s chromatic scale. However, students may choose to go beyond these requirements if they have prepared more.
| Instrument | Tempo | Range |
| Flute | MM110 | C below staff to altissimo C (3 octaves) |
| Oboe | MM100 | C below staff to E above staff (2 octaves + 3rd) |
| Bassoon | MM88 | Bb below staff to F above staff (2 octaves + 5th) |
| Bb Clarinet | MM110 | E below staff to G above high C (3 octaves + 3rd) |
| Bass Clarinet | MM92 | E below staff to C above staff (2 octaves + 6th) |
| Alto, Tenor Sax | MM100 | Bb below staff to F above staff (2 octaves + 5th);hold high F for two counts prior to descending. |
| Bari Sax | MM96 | Bb below staff to F above staff (2 octaves + 5th);hold high F for two counts prior to descending. |
| Trumpet | MM100 | G below staff to C above staff (2 octaves + 4th) |
| French Horn | MM92 | G below staff to G above staff (2 octaves) |
| Trombone | MM96 | F below staff to F above staff (2 octaves)Legato ascending, staccato descending |
| BC Euphonium | MM100 | F below staff to Ab above staff (2 octaves + 3rd) |
| Tuba | MM88 | 2nd F below staff to Bb on top of staff (2 octaves + 4th) |