Harper College

Brass Auditions

Brass applicants wishing to enroll in the Associate of Fine Arts Degree in Music program may be accepted for study in the Department of Music at one of three levels:

  • 200 Brass major
  • 100 Non-major
  • Brass as a secondary instrument

Alternatively, students may be referred to the College's Continuing Education (non-credit) music program for further instruction.

Requirements

See the main Auditions page for important information about all auditions. Brass auditions require demonstration of basic skills for all winds: posture, embouchure, right-hand position (horn only), and understanding music notation. Additionally (by instrument):

Trumpet

  1. Perform scales (one octave) from three sharps to three flats.
  2. Perform exercises in A, D, G, C, F, B-flat from the Rubank Intermediate Method Book.
  3. Perform one selection from the following (or a selection of comparable or greater difficulty): Sonata VIII (by Arcangelo Corelli), Sonata (G.F. Handel), Concert and Contest Collection (H. Voxman)

Trombone

  1. Perform scales (one octave) from one sharp to five flats.
  2. Perform exercises in G, C, F, B-flat, E-flat, A-flat, and D-flat from the Rubank Intermediate
    Method Book
    .
  3. Perform one selection from the following (or a selection of comparable or greater difficulty):
  • Tenor Trombone:  Aria (J.S. Bach, arr. by Fitzgerald), "Aire" from Suite No.3 (J.S. Bach, arr. by Fote), First Solos for Trombone (Smith, editor)
  • Bass Trombone: Elegy (Alfred H. Bartles), Sonata in F (B. Marcello), Andante (A. Tcherepnine) for tuba.

Euphonium (Baritone)

  1. Perform scales (one octave) from one sharp to five flats if reading bass clef or from three sharps through three flats if reading treble clef.
  2. Perform exercises in the above keys, as appropriate to the clef, from the Rubank Intermediate Method Book (or comparable).
  3. Perform one selection from the following (or of comparable or greater difficulty): Aria (J.S. Bach, arr. by Fitzgerald), "Aire" from Suite No.3 (J.S. Bach, arr. by Fote), First Solos for Trombone (Smith, editor), Arioso (J.S. Bach, arr. by Kent), Fantasie Marziale (E. Paudert)

Horn

  1. Perform scales (one octave) from three sharps through three flats.
  2. Perform exercises in A, D, G, C, F, B-flat E-flat from the Rubank Intermediate Method Book (or comparable).
  3. Perform one selection from (or of comparable or greater difficulty):> French Horn Solos, Levels 1 and 2 (H. Voxman).

Tuba

  1. Perform scales (one octave) from one sharp through five flats if playing E-flat tuba, or from three sharps through three flats if playing C tuba.
  2. Perform exercises in the above keys as appropriate to the instrument from the Rubank Intermediate Method Book (or comparable ).
  3. Perform one selection from the following (or of comparable or greater difficulty): Sarabande and Gavotte (A. Corelli, arr. by H. Voxman), Sarabande from Concerto in F Minor (G.F. Handel), or Legend (A. Stoutamire).
Last Updated: 3/15/24