Penn State Blue Band - Auditions

Auditions

The Blue Band is open to all students at the University Park Campus by competitive audition. The Blue Band accepts 290–315 student members annually. Veteran members (returnees) must reaudition for the band the following year if they wish to return.

The audition process consists of two parts of a standard etude or solo played on the Tuesday (prospective rookies) or Wednesday (prospective returnees) before band camp. The student should pick a slow/lyrical section and a technical/virtuosic section that demonstrates his/her current playing level. The student must then sight read a piece selected by the staff member responsible for their respective section to demonstrate the student's ability to pick up pieces quickly, as there is limited time to prepare the band's repertoire during the season. Staff members score both prepared and sightread performances, which are then tallied and ranked to assist the staff and section leaders in making final cuts.

The day after the playing audition, rookies are taught the Blue Band style of marching, during which time other members of the Blue Band staff, as well as section leaders make decisions for final cuts which happen that evening.

Though the band consists of over 300 players, there are fewer positions in both the pregame and halftime performances. After all the available slots on the drill are filled, the remaining players (usually rookies) are assigned to double a spot on the field with another Blue Band member (usually another rookie). These "alternates" are required to learn all the music and drill just as a regular member. Within each alternate pair, each person is guaranteed one performance between the first two football games. Afterwards, the whole section competes for spots on the field by memorizing and "checking off" (playing a school song or chaser for a section leader (guide), without music) as many pieces as possible. If there is a tie or the entire section has all of their music checked off, there are challenges where a player may challenge any one person in the section for a position. A challenge consists of the playing of Lions '68 (Floating LIONS Music) while marching the "skill drill", which is a basic outline of what each player must do while floating the "LIONS" during pregame.