Join the CSU Marching Band

Hello everyone, I hope that everyone is doing well. I'll wait just a couple more seconds to begin but thank you for taking the opportunity to be with us and join us in this virtual space.

Just another moment or so.

If someone could type something in the chat just to let me know if you can hear Maine.

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Thank you awesome. Well, let's begin.

My name is Doctor T Andre Fagan and I currently serve as the assistant director of bands at Colorado State University. One of my responsibilities in my role as the assistant director bands is the director of the CSU symphonic band, the CSU Marching Band, the CSU basketball pep band, and the CSU presidential pep band. I'll talk a little about those three organizations out here in a second, if at any point throughout this web and R.

If you have any questions that I don't address or questions that you're eager to know before I address them, um, feel free to drop those in the question and or chat.

Ah, chat box. I'm going to go through some basics here to let you know a little about the program I'm heading into my third year in this job and I'm really excited about this upcoming season an even through this uncertain time. Both myself, the staff as well as a student leadership. I think I've really been active and engaged in trying to make sure that this is the most successful season to date and we're really looking forward to that are.

Organization turns 119 years old this year and we're super excited about that. In all of the the pageantry that that will bring on the on the marketing side of things, it will be an interesting year, but in an exciting year of nonetheless, and so we're eager to get you involved. So just a couple of things.

A couple of the basics as you learn about us a little bit and I'll navigate this slide too far to reflect that information as well. the Colorado State University marching band is the largest and most visible student organization on the campus. Membership in our organization is open to all students, regardless of academic major in fact, and these were last years stats. Currently, 85% of last year's marching band were.

Non music majors representing every academic discipline at Colorado State University. I envisioned the marching band being the front door to the University. One of the things that I enjoy exclusively is that when the band is together, it is a small snapshot of the University as a whole were really, really proud of that. We'd like to continue that into the future experience in high school marching band is encouraged, but experience in high school marching band is not required. There were twelve students.

In 2019 that were in the marching band that had never been in a marching band before, they had great. They had great auditions, showed great promise, and were really outstanding members. So if you've not had a lot of experience on that side, that's not something that you should exclusively be worried about. Of course, due to Cobit 19 and we have we started this a year ago, but we've moved all of our auditions to the online platforms. Auditions for the percussion section.

Are now complete. They were finished last Saturday. Auditions for the Golden palms are also complete. Those were those were done in in late April. What we still have open at this point are the auditions for all of our wins. All brass players, all woodwind players, as well as color art. I asked if you will make and make it a point.

To visit the The Marching Band Web page so that you can have an opportunity to read on the requirements and the specifics that are important through through this process. The video audition deadline for all brass for Woodwinds, an for color guard is Monday, July 13th, 2020, so that's a little less than a month from now, so about 27 days or so.

And so as you, navigate yourself to that web page, you will find that on the on the wind side there are three things that we're looking for. They consist of a self introduction video for us to get to know. You give us some some information to let us know who you are, what you're interested in, what you're majoring in, why you're interested in being a member of the CSV marching band. We also asked them that you prepare and record and submit to a tubes.

A lyrical Etude and a technical etude don't have to be a long or just looking to see where you are in terms of your performance ability.

That could be an 80 that you were working with, UM, a solo of a small portion of of a solo. Just something that will allow us to hear both your lyrical and your technical proficiency. The final thing that's on that requirement that should be in that video submission.

Is you performing a box drill over playing the concert B flat scale and on the website is a demonstration of that, so I encourage you to visit that website and will visit that together here towards the end to navigate through that by encourage you to look at that to see how that would be beneficial for you and your development. I want to answer some important questions as we're in.

Uh, in this audition process and you'll see these things repeated on the website as you check those out.

One of the things that's most important right now for potential new members is some of you won't have access to instruments. So whether you play mellah phone or you play baritone, or you play the sousaphone or or things of that nature that you don't have access to because the school is closed or or you just don't have access to those equipment, we are conscious of that. That's been a common thread for some of us. I asked for those people who that involves that you email me directly and you let me know what your situation in your circumstance.

Is it's very easy for me to, uh, to use recommendations and your participation in your marching band as your checking off the box for your requirements for your lyrical, your technical etude.

We don't want to make that more difficult than it already is, so individually send me those emails to let me know your situation. What will still be required of those people who don't have access to those marching instruments will be the self introduction video as well as that marching demonstration. And yes, you're allowed to do that marching demonstration without the equipment in hand, so again, you don't have an instrument you can't don't have access to an instrument. No worries. If you do, of course.

Please submit those materials as requested, but if not your experience in your high school program. If you have that will be taken in lieu of.

In lieu of your.

You're lyrical and your and your technical etude. I'm going here, uh, one of the things that I know that as I was checking the participants, this applies to some of it. It does not. But if you are a potential member and you have already been accepted into the School of Music, Theatre, and dance as a music major of any kind, music therapy, music composition, music, performance, music education, your audition for the School of Music, Theatre and dance serves as your musical audition for the marching band.

So there's no need for you to pre record anything or send that in. That's already done for you. Again. what I would still need from you in terms of your video submission should be yourself introduction as well as the marching demonstration just a couple of quick things as relates to those videos. I recommend that you upload those videos to YouTube and that you allow those videos to be public so that I can access that. If you don't want that lingering in the virtual space off for very long.

More than welcome to take that video down after the audition process is over, but that's the easiest way for me to evaluate that an before you submit your video.

Have someone else or you check that video to make sure that that link is open and available to anyone. I'm the only one who evaluates those panels, but again, depending on which device I am or where in the country I am, it's very important that I have access to that. what I try to do appan each submission. And yes, you're welcome to.

Meteor your audition videos. In early I will send you a reply back a letting you know that that was received and B in letting you know if your video is in working order or not and so I'll do that. Upon receiving of that. But so that you have a little buffer, I recommend that you may not send your audition video in 35 minutes before it's due, right? So let's try to avoid. Let's try to avoid that at all costs.

Just a couple of things currently right now our preseason camp. Our band camp, if you will, is currently scheduled for August 16th.

That is a Sunday. That is a schedule date that students are would move into their dorms early, as well as begin orientation offer band. Now we're going to holding pattern in that topic right now because of COVID-19. If something changes about the start date for band, we will certainly let you know well in advance the auditions are scheduled currently for July 13th. I hope to be able to get through all of the material and to announce the new roster.

For the 2020 CSU marching band, by that Friday it will be at that time that all information should be a readily available one month before we get together. If any of our dates are changing due to do to COVID-19, so you'll hear more about that later. If all is good, August 16th will still be that move in date for us. You'll move into your dormitories early, will have orientation and registration.

But the Marching Band and of course, the meetings that take place in that evening and then Tuesday through Saturday of that week. I'm sorry Monday through Saturday of that week we would be engaged in rehearsal, though those rehearsals are typically from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM. I do understand also, as it happens every year that this is also in the middle of registered some registrations and some orientations for various programs on campus. We try to work with those programs so that you're able.

To participate in its participate in both. Of course, ban takes precedence, but we also work with with with many entities on campus to make sure that you're getting what you need from your respective organizations. An and things of that nature will work that out on a case by case basis as we navigate through.

I'm through that space so that's in a nutshell a couple of other things that you probably want to know the marching band typically performs up to 5 halftime shows per year and get 6 if you will include what the pregame performances for me it's often the most different thing from high school in the fact that the show rotations up sometimes it happens very quickly will learn a show in 3 rehearsals.

And then have to present that, um, it's very. I used to be a high school band director and there were there was no way I would ever rehearse for three days and then present something. But the way we function here is sometimes in that fashion. We do have a great leadership team. I think the atmosphere that we have created over the years, that is the tradition of the band is probably what you're used to. A large family environment, you know, people care a great deal for each other and take care of each other. It's a really.

Wonderful place to be with great people to be around. I also encourage you to participate in marching band because it's an incredible opportunity to join a campus with 30 + 1000 students and start school with 200 plus friends right out of the gate knowing your way around campus, knowing your way around facilities and having a cohort of students, both old and new on that can help you get acclimated to your new environment. I think that's very important. I think my life would have been completely different.

Had I not join band, a man, of course when I joined ban, I knew I wanted to be a a music educator.

But it was that first participation in a very large program at a very large University that made me really feel comfortable, and I think I owed that success from that great jump start. If you're majoring in a discipline that's outside of music and you're worried about time, stop worrying about time I think first of all, marching band allows you to have the opportunity to really hone in your time management skills as it relates to you being being in college and an on your own.

Gives you some some some purpose. Add it keeps you out of trouble, so that's some things that I think that you should think about marching band rehearses three days a week, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, late afternoon from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Of course we have those Saturday football games in that Saturday is pretty jam packed day full of game day activities. So six home games that are played in canvas stadium this season. We have a couple of opportunities outside of campus that we're still working on as we navigate through.

On the code 19 situation, we typically do performances at Colorado Bandmasters Association every other year, doing exhibitions at places like the Denver Broncos. At every other year. So we're still working through those elements as we navigate through.

Through the scheduling I have said a lot about a lot and I am free to answer some questions if you have them.

Don't be shy.

No questions.

No, not at all.

Oh here we go.

Happens if we come in for band camp and we don't have a housing assignment yet, so that's something that I think that we would work on together before that happens so that you can get an assignment so that you can know exactly where you're going. We work a month ahead of time so that we can get things coordinated with housing so you'll recognize in the audition process there's an interest form that you all have to fill out, and if not filled out that form, please go to our website.

And complete that entrance form that interest form will allow me to know if you will need. If you are planning on staying in University housing that sets off my administrative assistant who works closely with housing to connect to make sure that our students have what they need and are put in the correct place, so will get that taken care of. And hopefully by the time band Camp happens, that's that's taken care of, but if not will certainly work with you from individual basis to make that great. What does the color addition look like? Great question. So the colour audition.

Is on is online as well. It's a lot of information, but it's clearly outlined on the web page. There are two videos that take you through the choreography that is required for you to demonstrate as well as some technical things that that that you're required to do. There's a video of video self introduction assignment as well, with some pretty specific questions that need to be answered from a color guard standpoint and will drop by that web page here in a second to look at that.

But that information is up and it has videos to guide you. If you have questions through that process on the emails from our colleague. Art instructors are located.

I'm in that law on that website as well.

So thank you once the season starts as soon as able to rent instruments through CSU Brenda, thanks for that question. If you are a brass or percussion player, you are required to play on a University owned instrument. YA, it's a more uniform look and it's more uniform sound. We have absolutely incredible instruments here and we pride ourselves on that. So all brass players, not percussion players. Check out instruments. We expect that all of our woodwind players are going to have equipment. We have limited resources in that Department.

You know the flute, piccolo clarinet, saxophone, tenor saxophone, but we do have some of those instruments available. You'll work with our administrative assistant once the roster is finalized to determine what you're going to need and when you're going to need it. I'm currently using my high school. Yeah, that's fine if you're currently using your high schools instrument, that's fine.

Incense for the box drill when performing it? Uh, do we use CSU March in Selma, correct on this so great question. The answer is no. If you use a style that we currently use, by all means do that, but you don't have to learn our style as demonstrated on that video. To complete this audition, move in whatever style you are used to an whatever style you have been taught. What we will do in spend a great deal of time doing is from a technique standpoint. Musically and visually will be refining and defining that when you're here with us, so no need.

Um?