Audition Excerpts

  • Scales and excerpts for the upcoming year’s auditions will be posted on the KMEA website by May 1.
  • During May, June, and July, KMEA All-State personnel will review and research any suggested corrections submitted regarding the posted scales and excerpts.
  • On August 15, KMEA will re-post the All-State audition materials, incorporating all confirmed corrections.
  • The August 15 posting will serve as the official and final version of the audition music, and students are expected to prepare exactly what is posted—regardless of any additional corrections suggested by private teachers or other sources after this date.
KMEA All-State Wind & Percussion
2026-27 Audition Excerpts
Participation Eligibility Requirements

There are three requirements for a student to be eligible to audition for the KMEA All-State Band and Orchestra Winds/Percussion membership:

  1. The student must first be a performing member of their District’s 2026-27 KMEA Band, Jazz Ensemble, or Orchestra.
  2. The student’s director must be a member of KMEA, will register each audition online, and send the Audition Invoice with appropriate payment to the KMEA Payment Manager. These must be completed by the deadline established by KMEA.
  3. The student must be deemed an eligible freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior in good standing in their high school.

Music Requirements for the Live Audition:

  1. A chromatic scale slurred up and tongued down. Quarter Note MM= 60. Play the rhythm as written on the scale sheet. Memorization is not required.
  2. One major scale, as written on the scale sheet, with up to 4 sharps or 4 flats. Quarter Note MM= 60. Play the rhythm as written on the scale sheet. Memorization is not required. All scales will start on the notes indicated on the scale sheet for their instrument. Each scale is non-transposed (i.e., if a trumpet player is asked to perform a C scale, they will be expected to perform a C scale on their instrument, not a C concert scale.) The major scale for each instrument will be posted by the band chairpersons on the morning of live auditions.
  3. Scale examples are provided indicating articulation and range for each scale. Please perform the rhythms as indicated with the metronome setting of quarter note equals MM=60
  4. Sections of the required etudes/solos listed below.
  5. Sight reading
Percussion Statement 2026-27
Percussionist auditioning for the KMEA All-State Ensembles must prepare:

  • The complete mallet excerpts (two excerpts)
  • The complete snare drum excerpts (two excerpts)
  • The auxiliary excerpt (bass drum excerpt)
  • One of the timpani excerpts (director/student choice)

The combined score for these four audition areas will determine the All-State percussionist.
The tie-breakers are the mallet sight-reading score and the snare drum sight-reading score, respectively.
Once auditions results have been officially posted, the chairpersons will use the individual audition scores and the All-State Ensemble conductor’s input during the part assignment for each composition.

Wind & Percussion Excerpts – Cycle 4
Instrument Version Date Posted Download PDF Notes
Piccolo 1 May 1, 2026
kmea_c4_piccolo_v1_20260501.pdf
Flute 1 May 1, 2026
kmea_c4_flute_v1_20260501.pdf
Oboe 1 May 1, 2026
kmea_c4_oboe_v1_20260501.pdf
Bassoon 1 May 1, 2026
kmea_c4_bassoon_v1_20260501.pdf
Clarinet 1 May 1, 2026
kmea_c4_clarinet_v1_20260501.pdf
Bass Clarinet 1 May 1, 2026
kmea_c4_clarinet_bass_contrabass_v1_20260501.pdf
Contrabass Clarinet 1 May 1, 2026
kmea_c4_clarinet_bass_contrabass_v1_20260501.pdf
Alto Saxophone 1 May 1, 2026
kmea_c4_saxophone_alto_v1_20260501.pdf
Tenor Saxophone 1 May 1, 2026
kmea_c4_saxophone_tenor_v1_20260501.pdf
Baritone Saxophone 1 May 1, 2026
kmea_c4_saxophone_bari_v1_20260501.pdf
Trumpet 1 May 1, 2026
kmea_c4_trumpet_v1_20260501.pdf
Horn 1 May 1, 2026
kmea_c4_horn_v1_20260501.pdf
Trombone 1 May 1, 2026
kmea_c4_trombone_v1_20260501.pdf
Euphonium TC 1 May 1, 2026
kmea_c4_euphonium_tc_v1_20260501.pdf
Euphonium BC 1 May 1, 2026
kmea_c4_euphonium_bc_v1_20260501.pdf
Tuba 1 May 1, 2026
kmea_c4_tuba_v1_20260501.pdf
Percussion 1 May 1, 2026
kmea_c4_percussion_v1_20260501.pdf