NORTHERN CALIFORNIA BAND & CHOIR DIRECTOR'S ASSOCIATION

HONOR BAND & SELECT CHOIR

CONCERT BAND DIRECTOR APPLICATION

After you submit your application, you will receive an email with a copy of your application in PDF form. This will serve as your official receipt.

The deadline to submit an application for the choir is November 1st, 2020.

All fees and applications must be submitted by November 1st, 2020.

If you are sending a check, it must be postmarked by November 1st, 2020 to:

Cassie Moulton-Rizzo, Arcata High School, 1720 M Street, Arcata, CA 95521

Please visit www.ncbcda.com for more information.

For application questions, contact President-Elect Dan Sedgwick. 

For any other questions, contact Treasurer Cassie Moulton-Rizzo.

Payment of Membership Fees:

Director/School Membership Fee (once per year): $50

Instrumental Student Audition Fee (per student): $15

Jazz Band Student Audition Fee (per student): $15 

Choir Student Fee (per student): $45

Jazz Choir Audition Fee (per student): $15

Note: Instrumental/Jazz/Jazz Choir students will pay an additional $30 fee if accepted.

All Fees and recordings due November 1st

You may pay your fees via PayPal or by postmarking a check by the application deadlines.  

If sending a check, mail ONE check or money order payable to:

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA BAND AND CHOIR DIRECTOR'S ASSOCIATION

Cassie Moulton-Rizzo, Arcata High School, 1720 M Street, Arcata, CA 95521

If mailing a check, the postmark deadline is November 1st for all ensembles

Band & Jazz Band Application Process

All recordings will be submitted on this form by the Director.  All audition materials must be uploaded by November 1st, 2020.  

Concert Band Instrumental Recording Instructions

• One track per student (see website for recording instructions)
• name each track as follows:  School -Instrument - Name.
• MP3 file format only.
• Each Director will Upload 1 MP3 file per student to the Director’s Application.
• Each audition recording must contain the following material recorded in the listed order:
  • Name of Student
  • Name of School
  • Name of Instrument
  • Scales
  • Solo
  • Announcement – “End of Audition”
• Omit accompaniments and long rests over one measure.
• Play scales and passages at specified tempos.
• Listen to the completed recording to make sure that everything is recorded in order and review the directions above.
• Cheating will not be tolerated.
• Recordings are not to be electronically enhanced. Enhanced recordings will be eliminated from consideration for participation in the honor band.

Jazz Band Recording Instructions

• One track per student (see website for recording instructions)
• name each track as follows: School -Instrument - Name.
• MP3 file format only.  No CD's will be accepted.
• Each Director will Upload 1 MP3 file per student to the Director’s Application.
• Each audition recording must contain the following material recorded in the listed order:
  • Name of Student
  • Name of School
  • Name of Instrument
  • Scale
  • Required Etudes
  • Announcement – “End of Audition”

• Listen to the completed recording to make sure that everything is recorded in order and review the directions above.
• Cheating will not be tolerated.
• Recordings are not to be electronically enhanced. Enhanced recordings will be eliminated from consideration for participation in the honor jazz band.
• see www.ncbcda.com for specific instructions.  

Process, Rules, Instruction, and Eligibility

Directors will be notified as to which of their students has been accepted in the Honor Band and Honor Choir. Please do not make any unauthorized substitutions after a student has been accepted to either the Honor Band or Honor Choir. Applications and recordings submitted after the deadline will not be accepted.

A student MUST be in enrolled in the high school that submits their audition and be an active participant in the local high school concert band or choir program.

Students are required to be chaperoned by the band director or a district designated chaperone during the Honor Band and Select Choir weekend activities. If a designated chaperone is used rather than a director a document designating the chaperone must be presented on school letterhead and signed by the principal, parent, and director. Students are expected to participate fully in the Honor Band and Select Choir weekend activities. Students and directors must plan ahead and be prepared to be on time to begin rehearsals at the designated times. Please review the rules of courtesy to other guests while in a hotel and rehearsal etiquette before you arrive. Rudeness will not be tolerated and will be considered grounds for dismissal.

Band

Each school may submit up to 15 students. A maximum of 10 students will be accepted, 12 if secondary instruments are accepted. Secondary instruments are defined as piccolo, Eb Clarinet, and English Horn, and mallet specialist if also auditioning as general percussion.

If a student chooses to submit a secondary instrument audition as well, they must submit submit the primary instrument audition as well. Each student need only pay the audition fee once. The additional secondary instrument does NOT count towards the 15 total submissions.

If a student would like to submit an audition on two different, non-secondary instruments, then each audition would count as two separate auditions, each requiring an audition fee and counting towards the total of 15 submissions.

Ninth grade members of junior high school bands may apply for the Northern California High School Honor Band or Honor Choir in the following way: A high school band director may include 9th graders from a feeder junior high school in the total of 15 recordings and assume responsibility for any who are accepted. Midterm (January) graduates are not eligible. All instrumental students must meet or exceed the minimum standards of the Honor Band to qualify. No school may have any student(s) in the Honor Band more than two years in a row based on school representation.

Jazz Band

Each school may submit up to 10 auditions. Only two students from each school will be accepted.

Honor Choir

Each school may submit ONE quartets consisting strictly of one soprano, one alto, one tenor, and one bass. If you have enough qualified singers for part of a quartet, you may coordinate with another school choir director to fulfill the quartet.

NCBCDA may ask for a second quartet to be submitted depending on application submission, stage restrictions, and rehearsal space. NCBCDA will make an announcement if it is deemed necessary.

Choir students are expected to memorize the music before attending the Honor Choir weekend. Directors are expected to do their best to help students adequately prepare so that the Honor Choir experience can be rewarding for all involved. Students will be tested upon arrival on Thursday night. If a student does not know their music, they will attend a mandatory rehearsal until they are prepared.

Jazz Choir

Each school may submit up to 10 students. A maximum of 2 will be selected.

Representation

If a high school submits only one recording, that student can qualify for the band on his/her own merit, however, the school is not guaranteed representation. To be eligible for guaranteed representation a high school must submit at least two recordings of two different instruments. Both recordings must meet or exceed minimum standards for the Honor Band. The failure of students to meet these minimum standards in interpretation, intonation, technical facility, characteristic tone, articulation, or tempo and rhythm will eliminate them from consideration. Instruments that cannot be included for representation are the following: Oboe, Bassoon, Saxophones, and Percussion.

By signing this form, it is understood that the Northern California Band and Choir Directors Association does not assume any responsibility for the actions and/or conduct of students participating in the Honor Band or Honor Choir.

The Association requires that student(s) are chaperoned by their director or a district designated chaperone regardless of the student’s age. If a Director can not be present, a letter from the school, signed by the principal, needs to be submitted to NCBCDA stating that the director can not be present and who is responsible for the student(s).

Students are not to drive themselves to the Honor Band or Honor Choir site.

The director or designated chaperone must register before the student will be allowed to participate.

All students must be a member of his/her high school band or choir.

You have chosen to send a check for your fees.  All fees must be postmarked by November 1st, 2020 for band students and submitted to:

Cassie Moulton-Rizzo, Arcata High School, 1720 M Street, Arcata, CA 95521

Please submit a copy of this application with your check.  You will receive a PDF copy of after submission.