American Wind Band Scholarship Program

American Wind Band Scholarship Audition Information
Scholarship Requirements

One high school finalist will be awarded a $1,700 scholarship. Two 8th-grade finalists will each be awarded a $1,500 scholarship. The scholarship money will be paid to each student’s private teacher for future study on a band instrument or the band camp of the student’s choosing. We will issue the check after we receive a completed W-9 form.

We have a two-step process. Applicants will provide an unaccompanied audio only recordings of their solos for the first round of the competition. Judges will only consider the quality of the recorded performance but not the quality of the media used.

Based upon those recordings, the scholarship committee will select contestants to compete in a live audition. This second round will be held on Saturday, March 25, 2023, at First United Methodist Church, 1032 Maple Avenue, Downers Grove, Illinois.

Requirements:

1. Previous winning soloists cannot audition in a consecutive year.
2. Applicants must be in high school or 8th grade ready to graduate and presently a member of the school
   band. If the applicant’s school does not offer a band program, the applicant must participate similarly in a
   youth band or orchestra or a community band or orchestra on a band instrument.
3. Applicants must submit an audio-only recording of a solo performance on a band instrument along with
   the application form by the deadline, February 24, 2023. The recording may be submitted to the mailing or
   online addresses listed on the application. The application form can be found at
   www.americanwindband.org.
4. The solo must be performed without accompaniment for the recording and the second-round audition.
   (Accompaniment is encouraged for the April 23 concert.)
5. Memorization is not required during the second round and concert performance. Three copies of the music
   will be required for the judges for the second round.
6. Two scales of the student’s choosing will be required for the second round.
7. The length of the 8th grade solo should not exceed 5 minutes, and the length of the high school solo should
   not exceed 10 minutes.

There will not be a formal numerical rating of the audition performance. The judges’ decision will be final. We must receive applications and audio recordings on or before February 24, 2023. Late applications will not be accepted. Email applications to americanwindbandil@gmail.com or mail them to:

American Wind Band
Attn: Scholarship Committee
P.O. Box 605
Downers Grove, IL 60515

Applicants who are selected for the second round will be notified by March 11, 2023. The second round live audition date is set for Saturday, March 25, 2023, from 1-4 pm at Gloria Dei, 1032 Maple Avenue, Downers Grove, Illinois. You may email the committee at americanwindbandil@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Information for Finalists:
The scholarship winners will be notified at the auditions. All runners up will receive a certificate of performance. The winners must perform at the American Wind Band’s Sunday, April 23, 2023 concert in order to receive their award. The concert begins at 3:00 p.m. Finalists will be asked to arrive at 2:00 p.m. Finalists are strongly encouraged to attend at least one rehearsal before the concert. Good luck!

Click here for the Application.