Audition fees ($27.00) and form for the All-District/All-State Band are due on Tuesday, September 9, 2025. This form will serve as your official registration for this audition. This first audition serves two purposes—To select students for the District V Honor Bands and to select students for the Georgia All-State Band.
Audition Requirements
Students are required to perform 4 scales as printed on the GMEA website (Audition Information — GMEA), and the chromatic scale in the range given on the GMEA webpage. These scales must be performed at the audition. Students will also be required to perform the Lyrical Etude from the All-State etude for their instrument as posted on Audition Information — GMEA for their first audition. The etude and scales is NOT to be performed from memory. Copies are available on line at Audition Information — GMEA or one can be obtained from the directors upon request. In addition to the scales, students are required to sight-read a short musical example. Sight-reading is discussed and practiced regularly in all band classes.
Advanced 6th grade band students may also participate in the All-State audition process if they are studying with a private tutor.
Audition Location
The audition for all middle schools in District 5 will take place on Saturday, December 6, 2025, at Elkins Pointe Middle School located at 11290 Elkins Rd, Roswell, GA 30076
Other Information
The top students for the day will be selected to perform in the District 5 Honor Bands on February 6th and February 7th at Alpharetta High School. The students who meet a minimum score will also pass to the second and final All-State audition which will take place on Saturday, January 10, 2025, at Union Grove Middle School located at 210 East Lake Rd., McDonough, Georgia 30252.
Students participating in the final audition will be required to perform both the lyrical and technical etudes which is assigned to all students on the same instrument across the state. The etude is NOT to be performed from memory. In addition to the etude, students will sight-read a musical example. The etude will be made available through the GMEA website. Please note that scales ARE NOT included as part of the FINAL audition on January 10th.
All students interested in auditioning should begin work on the entire etude now. Waiting for the results from the first audition before beginning work on the etude will not leave enough time to prepare this selection. Students passing both auditions will be awarded a seat in the Georgia Middle School All-State Band and will rehearse in Athens, Georgia, on March 5th-March 7th, 2025. Regardless of the audition outcome, all students who prepare and participate in the process will have greatly improved their reading and performance skills. You have nothing to lose—Set this goal and work toward it.
We have set up checkpoints for students to provide extra support and structure for those auditioning. Checkpoints are required as part of the preparation/audition process and will be conducted at 8AM on 9/19, 10/3, 10/24, 11/14, & 12/5.
Please complete and submit this form no later than September 9th, 2025. You will also need to submit the audition fee ($27.00) via the link below. The All-State audition application is a time-sensitive process and the state GMEA organization will not accept late applications.
Sincerely,
Mr. Stroud, Mr. Stallings, & Mr. Durden