ROUND ONE: VIDEO AUDITION

The first step towards the Boston Crusaders begins with a video! Follow the steps below to prepare, film, and submit your video audition for the Boston Crusaders brass, percussion, and color guard. Video auditions are due by November 1st.

Step 1:

Film your video according to your section guides below.

Brass Requirements

  1. Exercise 4 (Found in the 2023 audition packet). Please be prepared to play this exercise at Quarter Note = 172. Tubas are NOT required to play exercise 4.
  2. A 1 to 2.5 minute technical solo, etude, or characteristic study of your choosing.
  3. Demonstration of your marching abilities. The marching portion should include a basic marching exercise demonstrating your forward, backward, forward slide and backward slide techniques. This marching exercise should be performed at quarter note equals 80 beats per minute and 180 beats per minute.

Percussion Requirements

BATTERY

Please demonstrate McNutt Basics, Rudiment Sheet, Two Height Rolls. Please demonstrate two different tempos. A medium tempo and a fast tempo would be the recommended approach. There is room for you to determine exactly what tempo will best to show your playing and performance ability. Please pick tempos that will best reflect your experience as a performer.

In addition, please be prepared to perform a 20-30 second solo that best shows your experience and talents. This could be anything you are comfortable playing that can show us how you perform.

No visual/marching required.

PIT

In your video, please perform the following exercises from the 2024 Front Ensemble Audition Packet, plus a solo of your choice:

  • Perform IHOP 1+3 (with inside mallets at 160bpm) and Ex. 271 (players choice bpm) from “Moyer Basics” exercises
  • Perform “Mixtape” (124bpm) and “Boston Independent Strokes” (112bpm)
  • Perform an excerpt of a solo of your choice (marimba, vibraphone, timpani, or piano).

Color Guard Requirements

WHAT TO INCLUDE:

  1. An introduction of yourself (name, age, where you’re from, where you have marched, and past experience)
  2. Movement choreography that will be posted in the Facebook Interest Group
  3. Flag and weapon choreography that will be posted the Facebook Interest Group
  4. Please include any special tricks or skills that you have in movement (tumbling, aerials, flexibility, etc)

There is no time limit for the video audition, but make it a video that stands out and highlights your highest abilities. We want you to highlight your best skills.

Step 2:

Upload to Youtube as an unlisted video.

Step 3:

Submit your audition and payment using the form below. The video audition fee is $150.

SUBMIT

After Submitting:

After submitting, a staff member will contact you with your results by mid-November via email. If you are invited to callbacks, you will receive a link to register for the callback camps.