Performance based classes are finding new ways to get ready for next year with band using online auditions to determine what band students will be a part of in 2020-2021 with the deadline for students still May 6.

“Students will access all of their audition materials and information on the Liberty Band website. That information will lead them to a Google Classroom repository for their recordings of audition materials,” band director James Weaver said. “Students will be able to record as many times as they wish to find the very best recording option available. On the day of the audition, we will have hired judges who will view the audition recordings and make rankings based on each student’s performance.”

The change in the audition format has at least one positive for sophomore Zander Perales. 

“Having auditions online is a strange way to determine band placement but not exactly unwelcome,” Perales said. “With online auditions students no longer have to perform in front of judges. I prefer this because you can make your own schedule and do not have to worry as much about playing in front of others.”

The auditions will determine which of the four bands a student will be placed in for the next school year.

“My first reaction to the audition being on Google Classroom was I kinda freaked out,” freshmen Zeke Rubio said. “But the advantage is I can record my audition in multiple takes, and get the recording that I want.”

For the audition a student has to play a technical etude, a lyrical etude, major scales, and a chromatic scale.

“I would now prefer to have the test on Google Classroom, because on playing tests I usually get nervous and screw it up,” Rubio said. “And now I get to see my private lessons teacher more often to practice for the audition, and I feel pretty sure of myself.”

For the audition, players will have unlimited attempts at the music so that they can get their best recording.

“In fact, the current 9th grade class is the only class that has never done a Google Classroom audition like this. Prior to last year, we were administering the audition process the same as this year so students could have ample time and opportunity to submit the best recording of themselves without the worry of “in-the-room” nerves that can often accompany a live audition,” Weaver said. “It is nice to have this process already created from past years, but the live audition has benefits as well like preparing students for the need to audition live in front of people. It is, after all, a performance class.”