Becoming A Member

The Frederick Regional Youth Orchestra welcomes young musicians with a dedicated interest in orchestral music and ensemble playing. Membership in FRYO is open to students in the upper elementary grades through high school who have played their instrument for at least one year. Students must audition to become members.

Members are expected to attend rehearsals and maintain a regular practice schedule at home.

To sustain the financial requirements of the organization and keep the tuition low, families are expected to participate in fundraising activities.

Fall Auditions for the upcoming 2008-2009 Concert Season

FRYO encourages new woodwind, brass, and percussion players, as well as new string players, to come and audition for the upcoming concert season.

The Frederick Regional Youth Orchestra has tentitively scheduled auditions for new members on Monday, August 18, 2008 and Monday, August 25, 2008 at the Frederick Church of the Brethren by appointment.

Membership in FRYO is through audition and is open to students in upper elementary through high school grades who have played their instruments for at least one year. There is a $10.00 non-refundable audition fee for new members. A small number of need-based scholarships are available. Please call (301) 473-4140 for more information.

Audition Requirements

Symphonia: The Symphonia (Intermediate Orchestra) is an all-strings program that is designed to enhance string performers' understanding of ensemble music and build on their basic playing skills. Generally, students should have been playing their instrument for a minmum of two years to join the Sympoinia. In order to fulfill the audition requirements, students are expected to know the following MINIMUM skills before being accepted into this performance group:

note names and fingerings on all four strings
a one-octave scale in these scales C,G, D, F, Bb, Eb, A

During the audition for the Symphonia, students will be asked to perform:

One or two scales
A solo piece. Students should prepare a solo piece of music that is equivalent to the difficulty in Suzuki Book 3 or higher. This should demonstrate the student's current level of musical and technical development.
A short sight-reading piece to be provided by the conductor

Wind Ensemble: The Wind Ensemble is designed to cater to young wind, brass and percussion musicians who possess one year of experience or more on their instrument (consult conductor if less than one year). The FRYO Wind Ensemble will help to reinforce your child's basic skills as well as build upon that prior training.

Students should review/prepare the following major scales (given here in concert pitch) as they will need to know the specific fingerings that coincide with them. Most beginning instrumental method books/courses cover these scales : Bb, F, C, Eb, Ab.

During the audition for the Wind Ensemble, students will be asked to perform:

Two scales for brass and wind instruments (Bb, F, C, Eb)
Percussion instruments -snare solo required; demonstrate ability on other percussion instruments
Two prepared selections of contrasting styles or one larger selection containing two contrasting sections. This will demostrate the student's current level of knowledge in other fundamental musical elements.
A short sight-reading piece to be provided by the conductor.

Philharmonic: The Philharmonic has full instrumentation and is intended to give the advanced musician additional performance experience in ensemble playing by offering more complex music selections in a variety of genres.

During the audition for the Philharmonic, students will be asked to perform three scales. Musicians should prepare melodic minor and chromatic major scales up to four sharps and four flats.

Winds and Brass
- Scales should be in two octaves (except where range is prohibitive) in eight notes at quarter note = 100 or faster. The tonic note should be repeated.
- The musician should be able to perform each scale with:

Strings
- All scales should be in two octaves, repeating the tonic note.
- The musician should be able to perform each scale:
- - in eight notes at quarter note = 100 or faster, sluring four notes per bow.
  - in half notes at quarter = 60, one bow per note, with vibrato.
- A solo piece
- - Each musican should prepare at least six minutes of solo music of his or her choosing. This may be a single work with two contrasting sections, or two contrasting works. The student may not be asked to play each piece in its entirety.
  - Please select solos carefully with guidance from your private teacher. Solo music should demonstrate your current level of musical and technical development. There is no advantage to choosing a work that is too difficult or elementary.
- A rhythmic exercise and a sight - reading piece
- - Students will be asked to clap out a short rhythmic exercise. This should demonstrate the student's ability to subdivide into eighth-notes, and to move steadily through each of these.
  - Musicians may also be asked to sight-read an instrumental selection selected by the conductor.

Percussion instruments
- Snare solo required, timpani or mallet solo required
- Demonstrate familiarity with timpani tuning and ability with bass drum and cymbals.

	Symponia	Philharmonic
Violin	2/C G D A Bb; 1/F	G chrm 1 or 2 octaves; 2/C G D A F Bb Eb 1/Ab
Viola	2/C D; 1/G A F Bb	C chrm 1 or 2 octvaes; 2/ C G D F; 1/A Bb Eb
Cello	2/C D; 1/G A F Bb	C chrm 1 or 2 octaves; 2/C G D F; 1/A Bb Eb
Bass	1/C G A D F Bb	E chrm 2 octaves; 2/E; 1/C G D A F Bb Eb
Flute	chrm 1 or more oct; 2/G D F; 1/C A Bb	chrm 1 or more octs; 2/C G D A E F Bb Eb Ab
Oboe	1/chromatic; 1/C G D A F Bb	chrm 1 or more oct; 2/D Eb; 1/C G A E F Bb Ab
Clarinet	chrm 1 or more oct; 2/C G D A F Bb	chrm 1 or more oct; 2/C G D A E F Bb Eb Ab
Bassoon	1/chromactic; 1/C G D A F Bb	chrm 1 or more oct; 2/C D; 1/G A E F Bb Eb
French Horn	1/chromatic; 1/C G D A F Bb	chrm 1 or more oct; 2/G F; 1/C D A E Bb Eb Ab
Trumpet	1/chromatic;1/C G D A F Bb	chrm 1 or more oct; 2/C G A Bb Ab; 1/D E F Ab
Trombone	1/chromatic; 1/C G D F Bb Eb	chrm 1 or more oct; 2/F G ; 1/C D A E Bb Eb Ab
Tuba	1/chromatic; 1/C G D F Bb Eb	chrm 1 or more oct; 2/F G; 1/C D Bb Eb Ab
Percussion	Snare solo or etude required; Timpani OR mallet solo or etude required. Demonstrate ability on bass drum and cymbals.	Snare solo required and timpani or mallet solo required; demonstrate familiariy with timpani tuning, and demonstrate ability on bass drum and cymbals.

Performances of the Frederick Regional Youth Orchestra are made possible, in part, by a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council, the Frederick Arts Council, and through generous community support.