Klarinet Archive - Posting 000960.txt from 1995/10

From: Nate <nathan@-----.COM>
Subj: Sound of America details
Date: Thu, 26 Oct 1995 06:44:51 -0400

It looks like a few of us student musicians here are interested in the Sound
of America honor band, so let me tell you all about it.

The organization requires an audition tape with a tongued chromatic scale,
as fast as possible, the first clarinet part to the Stars and Stripes
Forever, and a two-minute solo of your choice. They are very selective of
the individuals they choose; they're looking for cooperative, serious
musicians (non-smokers as well), who they feel will represent their group
and the United States well. To be honest, that's mostly so that the hotels
they stay at will have them back again!

If you're a better-than-average clarinetist, you'll have no problem getting
in. I played last stand, second clarinet at districts last year, and I sat
2nd/2nd in Sound of America. Don't worry about your audition if you choose
to try out!

I'll admit that the music is less than great. There are lots of marches, and
a couple symphonic arrangements, but nothing too tricky: easy keys, easy
articulations and everything.

So admittedly SOA won't be the best band you'll play in. But that's only
downside of the entire trip. The rest is all great!!!

You'll stay in great hotels -- all air conditioned! Other student tours
often times put you up in other people's houses which would really suck.
Imagine having to stay overnight in some foreign family's home! I think that
would be really weird.

The countries you'll visit, and the cultures you experience, truly make the
trip worthwhile. There are tour guides on the buses so you can understand
the history of some of the places you'll go. And everywhere you do go is
packed with exciting things to do. In Switzerland we could go on a cable car
ride to the top of a mountain, ride the train to a different mountain, or
just shop around in the town. We stayed three days in Paris, and had an
entire day free to ourselves! In Austria we saw Mozart's birthplace, which
was pretty cool. If I were to tell you every exciting thing we did, though,
I'd get yelled at even more for the length of this post.

The tour costs around $3000, which pays for the airfare, great hotels,
buses, and tour guides through all five countries (Germany, Austria, Italy,
Switzerland, and France). Even though there are less expensive tours, I
think you really get a lot for your money from this one. It's 28 days long,
too, which beats some others.

It costs $45 to audition, I think (I could be wrong), and with your
audition materials you'll receive a demo tape and lots of other SOA
information. If you get in (and you probably will), you will get TONS of
helpful information in planning your trip. They'll help you out with buying
foreign currency, applying for your passport, and choosing what to pack.
They really take you by the hand before you leave, so that you'll be all set
when you arrive in Pennsylvania for orientation. But once you're in Europe,
you really do have tons of free time... often times w/o chaperones!!!!

I can't say enough good things about SOA. If you want a chance to see Europe
and perform for its really great audiences (2,500 people at one last
summer), then definitely consider auditioning for SOA. It's an experience
you'll NEVER forget!!

If you have other questions, I'd love to answer them. Here is the address to
write in order to get a brochure. You can even tell them clarinetist Nate
Burk sent you (yep -- even with 200 of us, they knew our names even before
we arrived, and remembered them for the entire month!)

The Sound of America
P.O. Box 603
Carlisle, PA 17013

--Nate

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