Canton Youth Symphonies
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Auditioning for the
Canton Youth Symphonies

Prepare for your Audition
Read the CYS Audition Information Sheet. This sheet contains all the details for your audition. Make sure to read it fully.
Audition Information Sheet
1) Prepared Pieces/Scales

2)Orchestral Excerpts

3)Sight-Reading
*Orchestral excerpts only apply to Canton Youth Symphony and Canton Youth Symphony Advanced Orchestra. Sight-reading applies only to Canton Youth Symphony Advanced Orchestra.

Canton Youth Strings (Youth Strings)

Youth Strings Musician’s exhibit:

  • Good intonation and developing rhythmic and musicality
  • Willingness to learn and take risks

Audition includes:

  • 2 scales (F, C, G or D Major) the student will be asked to play two scales at their audition.
  • 2 prepared pieces of the students choice. One should should demonstrate technique and the other should demonstrate musicality and lyric ability. Each piece should be no longer than 2 minutes. Students may play a portion of a longer work if the length of the work exceeds 2 minutes. (student’s choice)
  • No orchestral excerpts required

Orchestral Excerpts:

Canton Youth Symphony Advanced Orchestra (CYSAO) and
Canton Youth Symphony (CYS)

Auditions includes:

  • 2 prepared pieces of the students choice. One should should demonstrate technique and the other should demonstrate musicality and lyric ability. Each piece should be no longer than 2 minutes. Students may play a portion of a longer work if the length of the work exceeds 2 minutes. (student’s choice)
  • 2-3 orchestral excerpts chosen by the Music Director, which can be found below beginning in July.
  • 2 Scales (C, G, D, A, E, F, Bb, Eb, or Ab major) the student will be asked to play two scales at their audition.
  • Sight-reading (CYSAO only)

CYSAO Musician’s exhibit:

  • Accurate intonation and excellent rhythmic strength
  • Exceptional musicality
  • String players must demonstrate proficiency shifting in multiple positions and a comfort playing in the upper register
  • Brass players must have at least a two and a half octave range (three octaves are preferred)
  • Woodwind players must be comfortable with the full range of the instrument
  • Clarinet, French Horn, and Trumpet demonstrate a willingness to transpose
  • Cello, Trombone, and Bassoon must read tenor clef or be willing to learn

Percussionists must also prepare two solo pieces for their audition. One of their solo pieces must be a mallet piece (marimba or xylophone), and the other piece must be for snare drum or timpani. 

Click your instrument below to download the music and find musical reference for your audition. 

CYS Musician’s exhibit:

  • Accurate intonation and strong, developing rhythmic capabilities and musicality
  • Willingness to take direction and risks
  • String players must be able to shift out of at least first/half position
  • Woodwind/Brass players must have at least a one and a half octave range
  • Percussionists should demonstrate flexibility and willingness to learn new instruments
Percussionists must also prepare two solo pieces for their audition. One of their solo pieces must be for snare drum. 
 
 
Click your instrument below to download the music and find musical reference for your audition. 
 

A note about the 25-26 CYS (intermediate) Excerpts

Some of these excerpts (mainly the upper strings) are more difficult than they have been in previous years. Play what you are able to! We try to give a range of excerpts so we can differentiate between all the players, and allow for a range of skill levels. If you cannot play a section of an excerpt (for example, cannot yet shift to 7th position on violin), it is 100% okay to modify or skip the section that is not accessible to you.

For audition excerpts, here are examples of modifications that will be accepted (but you may choose your own not listed here as well): 
  • If a student cannot play a section of an excerpt, they may skip the measures that they are not yet ready to play, or modify the notes to be playable
  • Modifications may include (but are not limited to):
    • Playing the section down the octave/ down by a fifth or third
    • If a student only struggles with a few notes, they may skip those notes in rhythm, or play them down the octave/ down by a fifth or third
    • Playing every other note, optionally holding it to cover gaps in rhythm
    • Playing the entire excerpt at a slower tempo
    • Playing a section of the excerpt at a slower tempo
As students arrive for their audition, we will ask if they have made any modifications so we know what to listen for. 

Don’t let the difficulty of the excerpts deter you from auditioning! We will take this into consideration while listening to your audition. The music learned in the ensemble will not exceed this level of difficulty, and more often than not will be easier than the audition excerpts. 

 
 

CYSAO Excerpts

CYS Excerpts