High School Student Events
The School of Music at Mercer University hosts several events for high school students throughout the academic year! Events range from full-day visits designed for prospective students to enjoy a ‘day in the life’ of a music major to multiple-day Honor Band Festivals designed to provide a premier musical experience to young musicians. This page will provide event details as well as registration and audition information. We hope to see you on campus soon! Go Bears!
Use this page to learn more about:
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Tenor/Bass Festival
Host: Stanley Roberts, Conductor
When: Tuesday, October 21, 2025; 9:15 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Where: Mercer University – Macon, GA
Cost (includes music, T-shirt, and lunch):
- $30 per student
- $15 for All-State Choir Students
- Free to all All-State Reading Choir Students
Join us on October 21 for our annual High School Tenor/Bass Festival! This is an excellent opportunity for high school students to build community and see how fun choral singing really can be. Students will be provided music for the festival, as well as lunch and a t-shirt. Under the direction of Dr. Stanley Roberts, students will rehearse music and sing with the men of Mercer Singers in concert that afternoon.
Registration for the 2025 Tenor/Bass Festival will open in August. Click here to register. Click here to process your payment. For questions, please contact Dr. Roberts. Registration will close September 30.
Bands at the Grand: Honor Band Festival
Host: Brittan Braddock/Mercer Bands
When: February 26-28, 2026
Where: Mercer University and Piedmont Grand Opera House in Macon, Georgia
Cost: $50/student, limited scholarships available
Please join us for the third “Bands at the Grand” Honor Band Festival! The mission of the “Bands at the Grand” Festival is to provide a premier musical experience and build a community of talented musicians in the Southeast.
This year, both Middle School and High School musicians from Middle Georgia and the surrounding region will be eligible to audition. Made up of about 80 talented high school musicians and 80 talented middle school musicians, the Honor Bands will rehearse and prepare a concert to be performed at the historic Piedmont Grand Opera House in Macon, Georgia, on February 28, 2026. In addition, the Mercer University Wind Ensemble will perform a concert on Friday, February 27, 2026.
Middle School Honor Band Audition Registration
Dr. MJ Robinson, director of bands at Pierre Moran Middle School and assistant band director at Elkhart High School in 
Elkhart, Indiana, will be the guest conductor for the the Middle School Honor Band.
Auditions are open to all students enrolled in a middle school band program grades 7 and 8 with at least one year of experience in band. All students are required to fill out the 2025 – 2026 Middle School Honor Band Audition Form. Students will submit their audio on the same form.
Audition materials are due by Friday, December 5, 2025.
All auditions must include:
- Student stating their name and school first
- Two major scales of the player’s choice (one to two octaves)
- Chromatic scale
- All-State OR All-District audition excerpts (ex. GMEA excerpt)
Directors will receive a list of students selected for the Middle School Honor Band and all students will be notified by December 29, 2025. Chair placement within the ensemble will be based on the initial audition. Music for the festival will be emailed to the students by the end of January, 2026. If selected for the Honor Band, students will be expected to attend all scheduled rehearsals and activities February 26-28, including attending the Friday evening concert presented by Mercer Bands. Parents/Directors are responsible for transportation, lodging and supervision at all other times during the Honor Band weekend. Possible accommodation options include our on-campus hotel, the Hilton Garden Inn.
High School Honor Band Audition Registration
Dr. Ben Blasko is the director of bands at Bethel University, and is the conductor of the wind ensemble at the Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts, and will be the guest conductor for the the High School Honor Band. 
Auditions are open to all students enrolled in a high school band program grades 9-12. All students are required to fill out the 2025 – 2026 High School Honor Band Audition Form. This same form is also where students will submit their audio.
Audition materials are due by Friday, December 5, 2025.
All auditions must include:
- Student stating their name and school first
- Two major scales of the player’s choice (at least two octaves): in sixteenth notes no slower than ♩= 60
- Chromatic scale of the player’s choice: two octaves in eighth notes, ♩= 80
- All-State OR All-District audition excerpts OR 1 faster/technical etude + 1 slower/lyrical etude
- If using All-District audition materials that only include one excerpt, ADD a contrasting etude for a total of two music selections
Directors will receive a list of students selected for the High School Honor Band and all students will be notified by December 29, 2025. Chair placement within the ensemble will be based on the initial audition. Music for the festival will be emailed to the students by the end of January, 2026. If selected for the Honor Band, students will be expected to attend all scheduled rehearsals and activities February 26-28, including attending the Friday evening concert presented by Mercer Bands. Parents/Directors are responsible for transportation, lodging and supervision at all other times during the Honor Band weekend. Possible accommodation options include our on-campus hotel, the Hilton Garden Inn.
Fees
There is no fee to audition. The cost to participate in the festival if selected is $50 per student.
Timeline
December 5, 2025: Video Auditions are due
January 2026: Music distributed to performers
February 26-28, 2026: “Bands at the Grand” Honor Band Festival
Schedule (subject to adjustment)
| Middle School Sample Schedule:
Thursday, February 26 at Mercer: 3:00pm Registration 4:00pm Rehearsal #1 6:00pm Pizza Dinner (provided) 7:00pm Sectionals with Music Majors 9:00pm Finished Friday, February 27 at Mercer: 9:00am Rehearsal #2 12:00pm Lunch at the Cafeteria (included) 1:30pm Rehearsal #3 5:00pm Dinner (YOYO, downtown) 7:30pm MUWE Concert at the Grand Saturday, February 28 at Mercer: 9:00am Rehearsal #4 11:00am Lunch (YOYO, downtown) 1:00pm Sound Check at the Grand 2:00pm Get changed 2:45pm Set up on stage 3:00pm Honor Band Concert |
High School Sample Schedule: Thursday, February 26 at Mercer: 3:00pm Registration 4:00pm Masterclasses with Mercer Faculty 6:00pm Pizza Dinner (provided) 7:00pm Rehearsal #1 in the Band Room 9:30pm Finished Friday, February 27 at the Grand: 9:00am Rehearsal #2 12:00pm Lunch downtown (YOYO) 2:00pm Rehearsal #3 5:00pm Dinner (YOYO) 7:30pm MUWE Concert at the Grand Saturday, February 28 at the Grand: 9:00am Rehearsal #4 11:00am Lunch (YOYO, downtown) 2:00pm Arrive and Dress at the Grand 2:30pm Warm-up/Tune 3:00pm Honor Band Concert Middle School first High School second |
For questions, contact Dr. Brittan Braddock.
Music Day in the Life
When:
Discover the life of a music major in the School of Music by living it. Join us for classes, ensembles, information sessions, and evening events at our Music Day in the Life days. Registration for 2025 – 2026 Music Day in the Life days will open in August!