Springfield Youth Symphony

Eligibility & Requirements

Auditions

Auditions for the following season are held annually each May. The audition date/time and sign-up form will be released at the end of April/early May. The following is the general information about audition and participation:

Eligibility Requirements

Student must be enrolled in his or her own school orchestra or band (respectively by instrument) if offered
Students must take private lessons from a qualified teacher
Students must be in grades 9-12 and 14 years of age
Student living out of the Springfield R-XII School District will pay tuition of $125.00 due at the first rehearsal
In the years that a trip is planned, all members are required to participate. Failure to agree to participate in a trip will result in dismissal from the group

Strings

Major scales through 4 sharps and 4 flats, 3 octaves required for violin, viola, cello; 2 octaves for bass
A solo or etude approximately 2-3 minutes
Sight reading

Woodwinds, Brass, Percussion

Major scales through five flats and five sharps (all woodwind, brass, and mallet percussion)
Chromatic scale covering the full range of the instrument (all woodwind, brass, and mallet percussion)
A solo or etude approximately 2-3 minutes
Sight-reading

Attendance

Excused Absences

All students have chosen to audition for this group, it is therefore assumed you will be at all rehearsals with few exceptions. There are only 3 reasons a student can miss a rehearsal and remain in our ensemble:

School required function: You must provide Mrs. Wootton with any conflicts you have involving the school you attend, at the beginning of each semester.
Sickness: a parent/guardian is required to call/text Mrs. Wootton if their student is ill and cannot attend rehearsal. If a student is ill consistently and cannot attend rehearsal, they will be replaced with the hope they can resolve their health issues.
Emergency School Required Function: a parent/guardian is required to call/text Mrs. Wootton if an emergency arises and their student cannot attend rehearsal. If emergencies happen on a consistent basis, the student will be replaced.

Unexcused Absences

Missing rehearsal for any of the following reasons are considered unexcused: homework, birthday parties, social events, shopping at the mall, etc. If there is any issue with attendance, the Music Director will talk with the student first then the parent/guardian before any action is taken to replace the student.

Each SYS student agrees to participate in ALL dress rehearsals/concerts and trips. If upon receiving the season schedule, the SYS member discovers a conflict(s), they and their parents should discuss the matter with the Music Director. After evaluating the student’s individual circumstances and considering the best interest of the Orchestra, the Music Director will determine whether the student should continue in membership.

Concert Attire

The tradition in the Springfield Youth Symphony, as in many professional orchestras, is for men to wear black-tie formal attire and for women to wear formal separates.