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:
- The Tenor/Bass Festival
- “Bands at the Grand” High School Honor Band Festival
- Make Music Your Major Days
Please follow us on social media for updates, concerts, and additional information:
Tenor/Bass Festival
Host: Stanley Roberts, Conductor
When: Tuesday, October 31, 2023; 9:15am-2:30pm
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 31 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 closed on Friday, October 13. Click here to register. Click here to process your payment. For questions, please contact Zach Bradsher.
Bands at the Grand: High School Honor Band Festival
Host: Brittan Braddock/Mercer Bands
When: February 15-17, 2024
Where: Mercer University, Macon, GA and Grand Opera House in Macon, GA
Cost: $50/student, limited scholarships available
Audition Registration Please join us for the first “Bands at the Grand” High School 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 high school musicians in the Southeast. High School musicians from Middle Georgia and the surrounding region will be invited to audition. Made up of about 80 talented high school musicians, the honor band will rehearse and prepare a concert to be performed at the historic Grand Opera House in Macon, Georgia February 15-17, 2024. Dr. Erin Bodnar, Director of Bands at the University of North Florida, will be the guest conductor for the High School Honor Band.
For questions, contact Dr. Brittan Braddock.
Auditions
Auditions are open to all students enrolled in a high school band program grades 9-12. All students are required to fill out the 2023-2024 HSHB Audition Form. This same form is also where students will submit their audio.
Audition materials are due by Friday, December 15, 2023.
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, 2023. 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. If selected for the Honor Band, students will be expected to attend all scheduled rehearsals and activities Feb. 15-17, 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 accommodations 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 15, 2023: Video Auditions are due
January 2024: Music distributed to performers
February 15-17, 2024: “Bands at the Grand” Honor Band Festival
Schedule (subject to adjustment)
Thursday, February 15, 2024 @ Mercer University
9 a.m. – Registration @ McCorkle Music Building Lobby
10 a.m. – Masterclasses with Mercer University Wind, Brass, and Percussion Faculty
12 p.m. – Lunch (pizza provided)
1 p.m. – Rehearsal #1 in Band Room in McCorkle Music Building (Dr. Bodnar’s first rehearsal)
2:45 p.m. – Break
3 p.m. – Rehearsal #2 in Band Room
5 p.m. – Campus Tour + Dinner
7:30 p.m. – Rehearsal #3 (Honor Band rehearses at MU)
Friday, February 16, 2024 @ The Grand Opera House
9 a.m. – Rehearsal #4
12 p.m. – Lunch downtown (YOYO)
2 p.m. – Rehearsal #5
5 p.m. – Dinner (YOYO) Set-up and sound check of MUWE
7:30 p.m. – Mercer University Wind Ensemble Concert at The Grand
Saturday, February 17, 2024 @ The Grand Opera House
10 a.m. – Honor Band Dress Rehearsal at The Grand Opera House
12 p.m. – Lunch (Downtown, YOYO)
2 p.m. – Arrive and Dress
2:30 p.m. – Warm-up/Tune
3 p.m. – Honor Band Concert
Make Music Your Major
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 Make Music Your Major days.