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2025 Season Audition Guide
The Washington Commanders Marching Band will be holding open auditions for the 2025 season on Feb 1-2 and March 8-9 at District Heights Recreation Center, the home of the Washington Commanders Music Department. Each audition day will include morning music auditions and an invited afternoon marching audition.
Alto Saxophone, Trumpet, Mellophone, Trombone, Baritone, Sousaphone, Snare drum, Bass drum, Tenor drums, Cymbals
Offers to join the marching band for the 2025 season will be sent following auditions. Band members are part-time employees of the Washington Commanders and are paid for rehearsals, games, and special appearances. Percussion rehearsals will begin in February. Winds/brass rehearsals will likely begin in April. A schedule of season rehearsal and game commitments will be provided to members following the NFL schedule release in May. Additional special events are announced on a rolling basis.
As paid employees, musicians are expected to meet standards of musical excellence and professional etiquette including preparedness, timeliness, and communication.
Musicians who are accepted by audition for the 2025 season and complete the 2025 season in good standing may be invited to participate in the 2026 season without an audition.
All portions of auditions will be held at the District Heights Recreation Center, the home of the Washington Commanders Music Department. There is abundant free parking in the parking lot adjacent to the Rec Center.
2000 Marbury Dr, District Heights, MD 20747
In-person auditions are strongly preferred. Video auditions will be considered in extenuating circumstances for winds/brass only. Video auditions are not accepted for drumline. If you would like to submit a video audition, please email marchingband@commanders.com for instructions.
Applicants are invited (but not required) to pre-register for their audition: https://forms.microsoft.com/r/iidCUV3jCP
Walk-up audition registration will also be available on site, on a first come first serve basis. The last registration will be accepted at 11am on each audition day.
INFORMATION
There are three rounds to the percussion audition - music, marching, and placement.
Music - Individuals should attend a morning music audition on Saturday or Sunday. Auditions will occur on a first come first serve/rolling basis with the last registration accepted at 11am.
Marching - Individuals who pass the music audition will be invited to the afternoon marching audition on the same day. Please wear athletic clothes and shoes, and be prepared to march outside.
Placement - Individuals who pass both the music and marching audition will be invited to the Sunday, February 2 placement session, which will occur Sunday, February 2 at 3:15pm (after the marching audition that afternoon).
Instrument openings for 2025 will include: SNARES, TENORS, BASSES, CYMBALS. Percussion instruments will be provided, though percussionists should bring their own sticks/mallets. Individuals should audition for percussion instrument(s) they would like to be considered for. If they are interested in more than one instrument, then a separate music audition should be performed for each instrument they wish to be considered for. In case we need to fill out specific battery sections, we may ask if applicants are willing to fill in those spots based on our needs. This would occur after hearing all applicants and after evaluating battery needs. Any "NO" responses will not prevent applicants from being accepted on the originally auditioned-for spot.
PERCUSSION AUDITION SCHEDULE
Saturday Feb 1
9am-12pm Music Auditions
1pm-3pm Marching Auditions
Sunday Feb 2
9am-12pm Music Auditions
1pm-3pm Marching Auditions
3:15pm Placement Session*
*All members who pass marching auditions on EITHER day must attend this placement session as part of their audition
PERCUSSION AUDITION INFORMATION AND EXCERPTS
Excerpts may be accessed here: https://tinyurl.com/commandersband2025
Musicians should prepare the following:
1. Required excerpt for your instrument.
Note: Bass Drum: Please play only the DRUM 2 and UNISON parts.
2. "Accent-Tap" exercise. Play the entire exercise, with repeat.
3. Solo or excerpt of your choice (60-second excerpt). Please choose music for the instrument on which you are auditioning. Please print and bring a copy of your piece for the adjudicators.
INFORMATION
There are two rounds to the winds/brass marching band audition - music and marching.
Music - Individuals should attend a morning music audition on Saturday or Sunday. Auditions will occur on a first come first serve/rolling basis with the last registration accepted at 11am.
Marching - If individuals pass the music audition, they will be invited to the afternoon marching audition on the same day. Please wear athletic clothes and shoes, and be prepared to march outside.
In addition to the marching band audition, musicians may play additional music auditions to be considered for "Command Band," a sub-ensemble of the marching band that plays at special events. More information about Command Band auditions is below.
Alto saxophone, trumpet, mellophone, trombone, and baritone players should bring their own instruments to the audition. Sousaphone players should bring a mouthpiece.
- Baritone and mellophone players in the band play on personally-owned or rented instruments during the season. If you do not have a baritone or a mellophone at audition time, you are welcome to instead audition on euphonium or horn.
- Sousaphone players in the band are provided with instruments. Musicians interested in auditioning on sousaphone may either bring a tuba to audition on OR should bring a mouthpiece and play on a provided sousaphone.
WINDS/BRASS MARCHING BAND AUDITION SCHEDULE
Saturday March 8
9am-12pm Music Auditions
1pm-3pm Marching Auditions
Sunday March 9
9am-12pm Music Auditions
1pm-3pm Marching Auditions
Winds/Brass Marching Band Audition Excerpts
Musicians should prepare BOTH:
1. One audition excerpt. Excerpts may be accessed here: https://tinyurl.com/commandersband2025
2. A solo excerpt of your own choosing (no longer than 60 seconds). We recommend you select something that shows your strengths as a musician. Please bring two copies of the sheet music of your solo excerpt for the adjudicators
WINDS/BRASS COMMAND BAND AUDITIONS
"Command Band," is a sub-ensemble of the Washington Commanders Marching Band that plays at special events. Auditioning for Command Band is voluntary. Membership in Command Band is only open to musicians who are offered a spot in the Marching Band.
The instrumentation of Command Band is: 2 alto saxophones, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, 3 trumpets, mellophone, 2 trombones, and rhythm section.
This offseason, we are holding auditions for all Command Band spots. Musicians may audition for Command Band on as many instruments as they would like, but will only be considered for Command Band spots for the instruments they audition (e.g., if a musician auditions on alto saxophone for the Marching Band and only on bari saxophone for Command Band, they will not be considered for an alto saxophone spot in Command Band).
MUSICIANS SHOULD PREPARE:
1. One Command Band audition excerpt in full. Excerpts may be accessed here: https://tinyurl.com/commandersband2025
2. A solo excerpt of your own choosing (no longer than 60 seconds). We recommend you select something that shows your strengths as a musician. *Please bring two copies of the sheet music of your solo excerpt for the adjudicators*
Musicians may also be requested to play a chromatic scale to demonstrate range, and, when they check-in for a Command Band audition, will be asked if they are comfortable improvising solos.
