revised 08/20/10 --This information is for Wayland students. Students from other schools should contact their school music directors for info --
What IS Junior District, anyway??  See below.

Watch this space for new announcements!

Where to Purchase Music: 

Call or go on line to one of the following stores and have your credit card ready.

• Sheet Music Plus -- http://www.sheetmusicplus.com/ (WMS bands get a portion of the proceeds from sales to this site)
• JW Pepper Music Co. http://www.jwpepper.com (this is where we get most of our band school music)
• Yesterday Service at Cambridge Music Center1906 Massachusetts Ave.2nd Floor Cambridge, MA, Mon. - Sat. 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM EST. 02140 USAtel: (617) 547-8263 fax: (617) 661-9246 http://www.yesterdayservice.com/

Interested in Junior District??  Here's what you need to do:

• Prepare the audition piece
• Prepare the scales
• Play your piece (work in progress) for Ms Muffitt sometime the week of November 29
• Take part in the Wayland Jr. District Participant recital on January 20, from 2:30-4:00
• Audition on Saturday, January 29, 2011
• Be available for both Junior District Days (if you get accepted): Friday & Saturday, March 4 & 5, 2010
• You can not take part if you can't make all of the above dates
• What IS Junior District, anyway??  See below.

There are five junior district ensembles: Band, Orchestra, Jazz Band, Mixed Chorus SATB, and Treble Chorus SSA. Both boys and girls will be eligible to audition for the Soprano and Alto parts.

Notice that there is a JAZZ BAND. Students may audition for both the jazz band and one of the other groups (otherwise, students may not audition for more than one group). Students must pay the fee for both auditions.

The Wayland Jr. District Participant recital is Thursday, January 20, 2010, from 2:30 - 3:45ish at the middle school. This recital is required for all MS students.

See 2011 dates below

Auditions are open to 7th, 8th & 9th grade students who in good standing within their school's music department.

Winds, strings & mallet percussion, check the scale requirements carefully! Note the FAST tempos!

The Junior District Audition pieces have not yet been announced. Watch this space for the list.  Start working on your scales!

PERCUSSION students, there is an Auxiliary Percussion Part, as well as the solo. (to be posted when released - usually in October.)

Vocal students: MP3 files of the vocal audition pieces will probably be posted sometime soon.

If we need them, middle school pre-auditions will be Thursday, January 6 , right after school. This is necessary if we have more than 5 flutists, 5 clarinetists or 5 saxophonists wishing to audition -- we can only take five   :-(

All students should play/sing for their directors sometime in December. We will expect a work in progress, not a polished piece at this point in time. It is wise to play/sing for more than one person (other than your private teacher). If you are in orchestra, ask the choral director to listen to you, too. If you are in HS, ask your former teachers in the MS to listen to you as well as your current teacher. The more times you perform the piece in front of people, the better prepared you will be!

The audition list (which hasn't been released yet - watch this space & I'll post it when they send it) tells you what pieces are required for which instrument. Be sure that the solo is the correct publisher and composer. If the solo is from a book, "Classical Festival Solos", for example, search for the book for your instrument, rather than for the selection title.

When you get your music in the mail, double check the audition list to be sure you got the correct piece and publisher. You will be disqualified if you go into the audition with the wrong piece! If you aren't sure, take the list and the music to your director or to your private teacher to check for you.

Please, if you have the music from your teacher, please, please, PLEASE, double check the audition list to be sure that you have the correct piece -- there are often a lot of errors in the first lists that go out and some teachers got those incorrect lists (often after the lists are done it is discovered that some of the music is out of print - this happens even though the music is checked before hand!)

Other important info:

If you do not have a private teacher helping you with the music, see your director and set up a time in the next couple weeks so he/she can help you get started.

All middle school band students MUST play for Ms Muffitt sometime the week of November 30. I am expecting a work in progress, not a polished performance, so don't panic.  Don't just skip this!! I might not have another time to hear you and then you can't audition!  (All other students ask your director when you need to play/sing for him/her.)

PARENTS -- Please do not call the Jr. District staff directly; all questions should be run through your child's director or Ms Memoli (NE District request) (Wayland parents only - Students from schools other than Wayland should contact their own music directors)

Remember, you may not audition with a Xeroxed copy of the music -- you must have the real thing.

2011 Dates:

Auditions are on Saturday, January 29, 2011, (place TBA), sometime between 8:30 and 5:30. We won't know our time until January.

The festival is all day Friday and Saturday (note the change from past years), March 4 & 5, 2011 at Lincoln-Sudbury High School. The concert is Saturday afternoon. Please check these dates to be sure you are free.

(The Wayland MS Jr. District Participant recital is Thursday, January 20, 2011, from 2:30 - 4:00 at the middle school. This recital is required for all MS students. HS students are encouraged to attend.

What to practice:

You need to prepare the music listed on the audition list plus scales. The scale requirements are very strict and specific; go over them carefully!

Vocalists do not have scale requirements.

Drummers, see Ms Muffitt or Mr. Oneschuk about rudiments and the extra auxiliary percussion piece (Symphonic Band members - this is your exam piece).

So what is Junior District, anyway?? The best students from the Eastern Massachusetts towns/schools which are in the Eastern District, prepare an audition piece and the required scales and audition in January to see if they can win a spot in the festival band, orchestra, mixed chorus, treble chorus or jazz band.  It is quite an honor and it takes a lot of preparation to have a chance at a seat.  Traditionally, Wayland does pretty well, but not even half of our students who audition will make it!  Tough competition and loads of fun to play with so many superb musicians!!  GO FOR IT!

*Wayland Parents: Feel free to call or email me if you have any questions muffitt@bandnotes.info (Wayland parents only) or during the school day: diane_muffitt@wayland.k12.ma.us

Word to the wise:

Even if you have a private teacher helping you, come see us (your director) early on and let us listen, too. Two sets of ears always makes for a better performance because we will listen for different things. Who knows what the judge will want! Don't wait until you have the piece all learned; see your director soon!

Oh, yeah... There is also an audition fee (usually $15.00 plus $12.00-15.00 bus costs) and a festival fee for those who make it (about $35.00 including bus costs).