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As a major component of a balanced curriculum of music performance, applied music, music history, music theory, and music education, the School of Music offers a wide range of performing ensembles. These ensembles are open to all students at the university, regardless of major, and, in some cases, to community members.
On this page:
Band Registration Fall 2020 Form
Any student interested in playing in one or more of the bands at Wright State University, please complete the following Registration Form
Due to COVID-19 concerns, band auditions will not be held face-to-face this fall.
MUSIC MAJORS & MINORS; Your studio teacher will be in touch with you to determine your placement in either Wind Symphony or Concert/Symphonic Band.
NON-MUSIC MAJORS (Wright State bands are open to membership to any student regardless of college major.)
If you are NOT a music major but interested in performing in one or more of our bands, please contact shelley.jagow@wright.edu
The school's premier wind band, this ensemble performs original compositions and transcriptions for band and wind ensembles. Audition required.
The Wright State University Wind Symphony (MUE 2690/4690/6690)
Shelley Jagow, Ph.D., director
shelley.jagow@wright.edu
The Wright State University Wind Symphony is the university’s most elite symphonic band organization. Its student members, typically comprised of approximately 50 students, are chosen annually by competitive audition. Representing Wright State as the university’s premier wind band, the Wind Symphony performs the finest in symphonic wind repertoire, ranging from transcriptions to state-of-the-art original compositions.
Over the past decade, the Wright State Wind Symphony has become recognized across Ohio and the Midwest as one the region’s most outstanding collegiate band organizations. In 2000, the Wind Symphony conducted its first-ever international performance tour to Matsusaka, Japan, and Seoul, Korea, and returned for a second tour to Japan in June 2004.
In addition to annual tours, the ensemble performs for various conferences and events, including state conferences of the Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA).
Over the past five years, the Wind Symphony has performed under several internationally renowned guest conductors, including Timothy Foley, John Bourgeois, H. Robert Reynolds, Mallory Thompson, Frank Battisti, William Wakefield, and Frederick Fennell.
The ensemble, and its satellite organization, the Wright State Chamber Players, perform at professional conferences and conventions across the country and abroad.
Performs band music of all styles. Open to all students without an audition.
The Wright State University Symphonic (Concert) Band (MUE 2660/4660/6660 section 01)
Shelley Jagow, Ph.D., director
shelley.jagow@wright.edu
The Wright State University Symphonic Band is a performing wind band open to all Wright State students from a wide variety of fields of study within the university. The band rehearses on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2-3:20 p.m. in Room 190 in the Creative Arts Center. The band performs at least one concert each semester with musical repertory ranging from pop concerts to wind band classics and contemporary compositions. In addition, a one-day off-campus tour performance is often organized at a high school within the greater Dayton area.
Simply register for MUE 2660 (if you are a FR or SO), or MUE 4660 (if you are a JR or SR), or MUE 6660 (graduate students).
Yes. If you have a class until 2 p.m., please ask your advisor to still register you for band. Many students have class until 2 p.m. and simply arrive a little late and enter rehearsals quietly. Your grade is not affected by late arrival from another class.
No problem. If you need an instrument in order to perform in one of the bands, you simply need to contact the director of the ensemble and they will help you in acquiring an instrument. There is no rental fee for WSU students using instruments in a WSU ensemble.
YES. At any time you can join the band!
Performs jazz, rock, and contemporary music at all home basketball games and for other campus activities. Audition required (contact the director for details).
Varsity Pep Band (MUE 2670/4670/6670)
Matthew Weaver
937-775-2346
weaver.154@wright.edu
The Wright State University Raider Pep Band provides musical entertainment and spirit at home men’s and women’s basketball games, as well as other select events around campus and the community. The ensemble, comprised of Wright State students, performs traditional rock, high energy contemporary music, and cheers to help excite the crowd and drive the Raiders to another Horizon League championship and NCAA tournament berth. Members of the band receive free admission to all games performed, plus the opportunity to receive scholarship money. The band travels to the Horizon League tournament and select members of the band have traveled with the men’s basketball team to NCAA tournament games.
The band splits into green and gold bands of equal instrumentation to cover all the events and is made up of flutes, clarinets, saxes, mellophones (F horn), trumpets, trombones, tubas, electric bass, and drum set. Membership is open to all Wright State students, and is limited only by instrumentation, so sign up early to ensure a seat!
A jazz performance-oriented group. Students learn elements of ensemble execution, professionalism, jazz history, jazz styles, and jazz improvisation. Audition required (to access the Jazz audition excerpts, click on the appropriate links below).
Jazz Ensemble (MUE 2680/4680/6680)
David Diamond, D.M.A., director
david.diamond@wright.edu
937-775-2346
The Wright State University Jazz Ensemble is a 15-20 piece large ensemble open to all Wright State students by audition. The group performs music ranging from early Duke Ellington through the most modern composers such as Gordon Goodwin and Jon Fedchock. The band performs multiple times each semester on campus. While the ability to improvise is strongly encouraged, the band is always looking for solid section players to contribute to the ensemble. Auditions are held each fall and subsequently when slots open up each semester. The instrumentation is five saxes, five trumpets, four trombones (one bass), tuba (if needed), the rhythm section made up of piano, bass, guitar and drum set, and a vocalist. If you are interested in joining the Jazz Ensemble, please contact David Diamond.
All full-time undergraduate degree-track music majors, and first- or second-year Bachelor of Arts music majors (whose major instrument is a woodwind, brass, or percussion instrument) are required to prepare and perform the Fall Band/Wind Ensemble placement audition. After the audition, the director of bands, in consultation with your studio teacher, will determine the ensemble to which you will be assigned, Wind Symphony or Symphonic Band, as your required primary ensemble for the fall semester. If you are assigned to Wind Symphony, but also wish to play in Symphonic Band as an elective choice, you are entirely welcome and encouraged to do so. Download and print the audition music for your instrument.
YES. If you’re a full-time undergraduate music major (woodwind, brass, or percussion), you must audition. Please carefully RE-READ the participation information for undergraduate music majors.
Yes, of course!
Yes, but also you MUST play an audition on your major instrument. If you wish to be considered for another instrument, then sign up for an additional audition time slot appropriate for that instrument.
It is VERY strongly recommended that you audition on both flute and piccolo, especially if you wish to be seriously considered for Wind Symphony. At the audition, you MUST play flute (you can’t just play piccolo and not flute also). If you don’t own your own piccolo, please borrow or rent one.
No. However, we will announce any spring semester “open spots” for Wind Symphony toward the end of fall semester, and then fill those positions on an “as-needed” basis. Presently, the Fall Band/Wind Ensemble Placement Audition is the only “open” band audition planned for this academic year. [Note: If necessary, the WS director reserves the right to re-audition an entire WS section, thus “opening” all chairs as available within that section for the following semester.]
This group is a smaller chamber wind ensemble that performs music by composers such as Mozart, Beethoven, and many others. CP members are nearly always chosen from within the WS ranks. The CP typically plays pieces for 8 to 13 players, and instrumentation changes each concert cycle and each semester. Rehearsals are MWF, 1:25–2:20 pm (the hour just before WS), and our first rehearsal will be on Wednesday, September 5. If you wish to be considered for CP, you can express your interest during your fall wind ens/band audition. Note: The fall wind ens/band audition also serves as the audition for Chamber Players.
If you are a graduate music student and wish to play in Wind Symphony, (meets MWF, 2:30-4 p.m., rehearsals begin on the first Friday meeting of Fall Semester classes annually), you are encouraged to perform the Fall Band/Wind Ensemble placement audition. If you are a graduate performance major, please be aware that playing in either Wind Symphony or Chamber Orchestra can fulfill the ensemble requirement on your Master of Music degree checklist. Ideally, grad performance majors should participate in the ensemble(s) recommended by their studio teacher. It is not uncommon for grad performance majors to electively play in both Wind Symphony and Chamber Orchestra out of an interest to gain substantive and diverse ensemble experience. Regardless, all grad music students are welcome to audition for Wind Symphony, a very musically rewarding, high-caliber ensemble. Download and print the audition music for your instrument.
Wright State students who are music minors, part-time students, or non-music majors (students from other majors from across campus) are welcome and invited to join one of our bands. If you wish to play in Wind Symphony (rehearsals begin on the first Friday meeting of Fall Semester classes annually), you will need to perform the Fall Band/Wind Ensemble Placement Audition. However, you can play in Symphonic Band without having to play this particular audition—just enroll in MUE 2660, and attend the first regularly-scheduled fall semester class meeting on Tuesday afternoon, where you will be asked to play a short, easy musical passage, which will be used to determine part assignments in Symphonic Band. Important: Non-music majors who are advanced players, and who would prefer the higher intensity and challenge level of Wind Symphony, are welcome and encouraged to register for the Fall Band/Wind Ensemble Placement audition. If that’s you, simply follow the same instructions listed above for the music majors.
Technically, no … Just register for MUE 2660 and attend the first class meeting with your instrument. There, you’ll be asked to play a few short, easy passages to determine part assignments best suited for you. If you have any further questions about participation in SB, please contact our SB director, Dr. Shelley Jagow, at shelley.jagow@wright.edu.
The Symphonic Band meets Tuesdays & Thursdays, 2:00–3:30 pm, in the CAC building, Room 190.
Yes, but you must be selected via the same audition as the music majors, the Fall Band/Wind Ensemble Placement Audition. Players are chosen based on playing ability, not by their major. If you are interested, please know you are very welcome to audition! Just follow the same instructions for the music majors.
Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays, 2:30–4:00, in CAC, Rm. 190 (rehearsals begin on the first Friday of Fall Semester classes annually).
Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays, 1:25–2:20, in CAC, Rm. 190.
Here, on the Bands webpage, please find and choose the appropriate link for your instrument, then download, print, and prepare your audition music. Please bring your own audition music with you to your live audition.
Finding the right college means finding the right fit. See all that the College of Liberal Arts has to offer by visiting campus.