The Band and Orchestra programs tour every two years, alternating between domestic locations and Ireland: Ireland 2022, Chicago 2024, Ireland 2026, TBD 2028.
Band activities include Band Camp, Field Show competitions, Chabot Wind Band Festival, Sonoma State Wind Band Festival, CMEA Festival, concerts, clinicians, and more. Jazz events include the Sac State Jazz Festival, Folsom Jazz Festival, Campana Jazz Festival, LPAA Jazz Championships, and more.
Orchestra activities include Orchestra Camp, Sonoma State Orchestra Festival, Homestead Orchestra festival, SF Symphony concert field trip, and more.
Registration Info
If you are currently in Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, or Chamber Orchestra please list that class as your first choice in Infinite Campus.
- Philharmonic Orchestra – No audition required; minimum 2 years of prior playing experience required.
- Symphonic Band – No audition required; minimum 2 years of prior playing experience required.
- Honors Chamber Orchestra – Audition required for enrollment.
- Honors Jazz Ensemble – Audition required for enrollment.
- Honors Wind Ensemble – Audition required for enrollment.
Auditions
Auditions are ONLY required for students who want to be in an ADVANCED ensemble: Honors Wind Ensemble, Honors Jazz Ensemble, or Chamber Orchestra. There is NO audition required to be in Symphonic Band or Philharmonic Orchestra at DHS. All students with middle school experience are welcome to join these ensembles.
Ensemble Auditions for the 2025-26 school year will take place in-person during the weeks of March 17-21 & 24-28.
2025-2026 Honors Ensemble Audition Instructions
- Read the audition instructions and requirements carefully.
- Complete the Audition Information Form
- Sign-Up for an audition time slot
- Arrive on-time and prepared for your audition.
- Students currently enrolled in an honors ensemble are required to re-audition each year.
- All auditions will be held in-person. Jazz auditions will take place in the DHS Band Room. Wind Ensemble & Chamber Orchestra auditions will be held in the Music Office (just off of the band room).
- If there are no audition time slots that work for you, reach out to Mr. Bainton ASAP to schedule an alternate time.
- Students are encouraged to audition for and enroll in multiple ensembles.
Requirements
The Wind Ensemble audition will consist of three parts:
- Scales
- Prepared excerpts
- Sight reading
Scales: Students should prepare major scales up to three sharps and three flats (C Major, G Major, D Major, A Major, F Major, Bb Major, and Eb Major). Scales should be performed using the following scale pattern at at least 120 bpm.
Playing octaves are not required, but encouraged if you are able to do so. You will be asked to play only TWO of these scales in your audition, but should be prepared to play all of them.
Excerpts: Each instrument is assigned two short etude excerpts: one lyrical and one technical. Percussionists are assigned a snare drum and a mallet excerpt. You may not be asked to play all of each excerpt, but should be prepared to do so.
Click HERE to find your instrument’s excerpts (Note: you must be signed in to your DUSD Google account to access the folder). If an excerpt has brackets drawn in, you only need to prepare the bracketed sections.
Sight Reading: You will be asked to sight read a short excerpt from a piece of music comparable to the grade level of the music performed in Wind Ensemble (grade 4-5).
The Jazz Ensemble audition will consist of three parts:
- Prepared etudes
- Improvisation
- Chromatic scale (horns only)
The Chamber Orchestra audition will consist of three parts:
- Scales
- Prepared excerpts
- Sight reading
Excerpts: Each instrument is assigned two excerpts. You may not be asked to play all of each excerpt, but should be prepared to do so. Click HERE to find your instrument’s excerpts (Note: you must be signed in to your DUSD Google account to access the folder).
Scales: Students should prepare the following scale for their instrument.
Sight Reading: You will be asked to sight read a short excerpt from a piece of music comparable to the grade level of the music performed in Chamber Orchestra (grade 4-5).
Audition results will be posted on the DHS Music website. They will also be emailed to incoming/current students.
Please be patient. It can take a few weeks to hear every student and place students accordingly. Additionally, it takes time for the counseling department to place each student in the correct class.
Students who do not audition will be placed in Symphonic Band or Concert Band. 8th graders are encouraged to audition for Wind Ensemble or Jazz Ensemble. It can’t hurt to try! No matter what, you will still get to be in Symphonic/Concert Band and the Irish Guard marching band.
Transfer students may audition by emailing a single video of each of the components of the audition, minus sight reading, to Mr. Bainton as far prior to Band Camp as possible.