MCC BAND EVENTS: 7:30pm - Monday, November 21, 2011 - FALL CONCERT 3:00pm - Sunday, February 19, 2012 - GUEST PERFORMANCE 1:00pm - Wednesday, April 18, 2012 - SENIOR STORM 7:30pm - Thursday, April 26, 2012 - SPRING CONCERT 4:00pm - first Mondays of most months - BAND SCHOLARSHIP AUDITIONS
BAND AUDITIONS BAND VISITS FREE LESSON!
MUSICIANS WANTED!
Q & A with Dr. Brian Harris, director of the Wind Ensemble How good do I have to be to play in a college band? Well - that's a hard one to answer . . . and that's why I really need to hear you play/audition. Here are some broad generalizations we can use as a starting point:
Some good indicators of your qualifications include:
BUT the most important factors for success in college band are:
What do I need to do to join the MCC Wind Ensemble? Contact me to set up a "placement audition" on campus. I just need to hear about a minute's worth of music. Any music will work - part of a region band etude, some of your concert band music, or something you've worked up for Solo & Ensemble. And at this meeting, I'll answer any questions you may have . . . we can also talk about whether you should audition for a band scholarship if you're unsure. But it's not required that you do a "placement audition" before a "scholarship audition" - whatever makes you more comfortable. I just want to get you in the band! But it's been over a year since I last played! Not a problem. I've heard people who haven't played in over 5 years! I am familiar with the challenges of "getting your chops back" and can listen beyond tone and technical problems. What if I don't have any music? If you really can't find anything, then use this link and you'll find some music you can download and use. It's not necessary for you to use this music, though . . . I am just making it available if you need some. Do I have to be a music major or have a band scholarship to be in the band? No! We have a broad mix of majors and non-majors in the group and many players not receiving music scholarships. How challenging is the music? I select music that is appropriate for the skill level of the group as a whole. While it is difficult to find something that fits everybody, some people will always be ahead of the others . . so I use those students to help the others learn their parts. And that's what is unique about the MCC band - it is a total group effort - and everyone is always willing to help each other. What is the level of difficulty of most music? This varies every semester, but usually we perform a couple of Grade 4 or Grade 5 pieces on each concert. The rest of the works are around a Grade 3. Most concerts have 5, 6, or 7 different works on them. It all depends on the ability level of the players and their determination to learn challenging music. Does the college provide instruments? The college owns the larger instruments such as tubas, euphoniums, French horns, and low woodwind instruments. Students are expected to have their own flute, clarinet, trumpet, sticks/mallets, and (usually) trombone. If you only have a beginner-level instrument, use it to get started playing in the college band and we can discuss step-up options later. Do I have to register for band? How much does it cost? Yes - to participate you have to add MUEN-1121 as a course to your load. That's college policy. Registration is 1 hour credit. So it costs whatever the current rate is for one hour of tuition at MCC. And, yes, you get a grade in band and it averages into your college Grade Point Average. Some degrees will also count band as part of your required Humanities credits. How many are in the group? What instruments are needed most? This varies from semester to semester. Usually the group consists of 30 to 40 players. Woodwinds, especially clarinets, are usually the most needed section. But that, too, changes. Sometimes we've had to use flute players on percussion . . or rewrite French horn parts for saxophone. Everyone and every instrument is needed! When does the band practice? We meet as a "lecture + lab" class. That means we have rehearsal every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. When registering, the schedule can be confusing at first glance, but essentially the lab portion of class is added on to the lecture portion, giving us a longer rehearsal time. We start promptly at 1:00pm. Sometimes we meet as small groups or have time in practice rooms (all during class time). Some days, certain groups are excused from rehearsal. It all depends on the music we're working on and the progress being made. Other than concerts, there are no other required meetings (like in high school you might have had sectionals once a week after school or marching on Monday night, etc - we do all of our work during the scheduled time). Class is scheduled to "end" at 2:45pm, but it's rare that we go that late - usually only right before performances! How often does the band perform? We try to do at least two performances every semester. That means a concert about every six weeks. You won't get bored with the music moving at that pace! What do we wear for the concerts? The band wears "formal black" for concerts. For men, that means a tux/black suit and black bow tie. Consider that a tux outfit (around $120) generally costs less than a single college textbook and it won't bother you so much. And if you can't do that, there are other options. For women, all black is required. The most complete information can be found on the Formal Concert Dress Guidelines (pdf) handout. Are private lessons available? Absolutely! One of the great things about MCC is that you are allowed to take private lessons even if you are not a music major. You just have to be in band to qualify for them. And the lesson instructor will be glad to work on your band music with you. Because lessons are a college course for which you receive a grade, you must pay the tuition costs and a supplemental lesson fee (this helps offset the high expense of having an instructor teaching a private course for just you!). Generally, it averages out to less than $15 per lesson - that's cheap! How can I get in touch with you about joining the band? My email is bharris@mclennan.edu and my office phone is (254) 299-8220. Email is preferred. There are two types of auditions - a Placement Audition and a Scholarship Audition. I suggest you read this page - Band Scholarship Auditions - then contact me and let me know of your interest. If you're not interested in competing for a band scholarship at this time, just tell me you want to do a Placement Audition. If you want to do a Scholarship Audition I'll need to schedule you a time on one of the upcoming dates. And to better prepare for your scholarship audition, you might like to come for a "mini-lesson" with me before your audition date . . . this allows us to meet and for me to listen to your music and make suggestions; I will also walk you through the scholarship audition process, which can help you be less nervous when you play. I hope to see you in the MCC band soon! 1. Audition
[Coming Soon: calendar, All-State info, MFAC info, locker info, student comments section - replies to certain questions, become a better musician, prioritize time, make new friends, "belong" somewhere on campus] Click to see YouTube videos of the MCC Wind Ensemble Download info about our various instrumental ensembles Vist MCC's Music Department web site for scholarship information.
This page is always being updated. Please contact Dr. Harris (bharris@mclennan.edu) if you have any questions. |
|---|
2. Register