2023 Video Auditions are $50 plus a reduced $25 registration fee (waived for Veteran members of the corps).
Auditions for the 2023 season are here! While the live audition events are the primary method of achieving membership, a video evaluation is your way to get in the mix NOW. Here are your guidelines to get going on that process.
- Register online ($25 Registration fee reduced for a limited time) and pay for the Video Audition fee ($50). Upon registering you will receive the audition materials and instructions on how to prepare your video, as well as provide the administration accurate and complete contact information for you.
- Prepare the material for which you wish to submit to the staff for review. Use the suggestions given as a guideline for your material. Avoid making the video too long.
- Upload your video to YouTube. If you do not have a YouTube account, you can create one free of charge by clicking the following link: www.youtube.com/signup. For more information on creating an account or uploading your video, click on the YouTube logo to go directly to their Help page.
- Submit an email to us directly with the link to your video included in the message. Make certain that your video is not designated as private, so the staff can view the video when they click on the link. Simply go to the YouTube web page that shows your video, copy the complete URL as it appears in the browser Address Bar, and paste the link into an e-mail addressed to: email@arizonaacademy.org (type “2023 Academy Audition Video” in the subject line).

Drum Major Video Guidelines – (No longer accepting videos for Drum Major)
Drum Major applicants should follow the same instructions as our other participants when you submit your audition video, but include the following:
- Introduce yourself and answer the following question: Why do you want to be an Academy Drum Major? (2 minutes or less)
- Record yourself conducting one piece of your choosing in 3 minutes or less. This can be a video from your marching band/concert season or a video of you conducting to a recording.
Once your video is received, it will be reviewed and we will notify you regarding the results. Thanks again for your interest in The Academy, and we look forward to seeing your video!
Guard Video Guidelines
Academy Color Guard Video Audition Instructions
Thank you for your interest in the Academy Color Guard. You are taking the first steps in an incredible journey! There are three components to the video audition, a personal interview, technical component, and choreographic component. Please follow the instructions below carefully to make sure that you complete all steps of the process.
- Personal Interview – This is the component where the guard staff gets to know you, your experience and your personality. Please discuss the following topics.
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- Who are you? Where are you from?
- What is you color guard experience? Do you have additional performance experience?
- Why do you want to do drum corps?
- Conclude by sharing some interesting facts about yourself!
- Technical Component – This is the component where we get to see where you are at with your skill set. All video candidates are required to demonstrate flag and movement skills. Weapon skills are not mandatory.
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- Flag Skills (***Do three repetitions of each skill with no break in between. For example, three singles on the right would be need to recorded in one take. You would then stop recording and continue to three reps of your next toss.***)
- Standard Singles, Single and a Halves, and Doubles on the left and right.
- Standard 45s, Single rotation and Single and a Half rotation on the right. https://youtu.be/2IXyRvwdq28
- Cradle 45s, Single rotation and Single and a Half rotation. https://youtu.be/0yEXV9DSPRw
- Flag Skills (***Do three repetitions of each skill with no break in between. For example, three singles on the right would be need to recorded in one take. You would then stop recording and continue to three reps of your next toss.***)
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- Movement Skills
- Jumps across the floor, right and left sides. https://youtu.be/bYNDH7n9l8M
- Movement Skills
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- Weapon Skills (optional)
- Please work your way up the ladder, starting with singles, and demonstrate tosses all the way up to a 5. Do three repetitions of each toss. Same procedure for the flag technique mentioned above.
You may use your own technique that you have used up to this point to demonstrate tosses.
- Please work your way up the ladder, starting with singles, and demonstrate tosses all the way up to a 5. Do three repetitions of each toss. Same procedure for the flag technique mentioned above.
- Weapon Skills (optional)
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- Rifle, singles, doubles, triples, quads, and fives
- Sabre, hilt singles, doubles, triples, quads, and fives
- Sabre, blade singles, doubles, triples, and quads.
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- Choreography Component – For the section, please provide 50-60 seconds of choreography. Dance and Movement choreography are required, weapon is not. Think of the skills that you used in the technical component and incorporate those in as well.
Choreography can come from a past fall or winter show, or you can create a phrase. The point is to highlight your abilities so keep that in mind. You will not be evaluated for the design of your choreography, but rather the skills presented.
Do not let your choreography segments go longer than one minute for each category.
Once you have recorded all of these components, edit them together and send it to audition@arizonaacademy.org! Please don’t hesitate to reach out to Alex Bolender with any questions at abolender@arizonaacademy.org .


Brass Video Guidelines
Brass applicants should demonstrate both visual and musical skills in the video. Here are some suggestions:
- A short introduction of yourself that includes your past performance experience (less than 1 minute)
- Musical – Perform an etude/solo of your own choosing demonstrating technical facility. (1-2 minutes)
- Musical – Perform an etude/solo of your own choosing in a lyrical style. (1-2 minutes)
- Musical/Visual Excerpt 1- Perform a lip slur exercise of your choosing while performing a box drill at 142 BPM (or similar marching drill)
- Musical/Visual Excerpt 2 – Perform a 7-count long tone while performing a box drill at 180 BPM.
Front Ensemble Video Guidelines
(still accepting new registration for synth players)
Front Ensemble applicants should submit a video demonstrating some of the recommendations below. All technique excerpts should be played along with a metronome that can be heard on the video.
Mallet & keyboard players: (No longer accepting new registrations for Mallets)
- A short introduction of yourself that includes your past performance experience (less than 1 minute)
- Two-Mallet Technique – Selection of your choice.
- Four-mallet technique exercises – Selection of your choice.
- Optional – If you currently do not have access to an instrument, you can submit a past performance video that can give the staff an example of your skills and experience.
Drumset players: (No longer accepting new videos for drumset)
The Academy will most likely be incorporating a drum set performer in the 2023 season. Submit a video of you performing in one or more of these scenarios:
- A short introduction of yourself that includes your past performance experience (less than 1 minute)
- Footage of you behind the drumset playing various material of your choosing, and/or
- Footage of you playing with a band such as jazz, stage, rock, etc.
- Footage of you playing in a winter drumline setting or marching band setting where you have played drum set before.


Drumline Video Guidelines
Drumline applicants should submit a video demonstrating some of the recommendations below. All excerpts should be played along with a metronome that can clearly be heard on the video. It is preferred to see excerpts from Academy’s technique program from our current packet, which will be available upon registering. However, other material can be performed that demonstrates some of the same skills and ability level that the staff is looking for.
- A short introduction of yourself that includes your past performance experience (less than 1 minute)
- A few technique exercises of varying difficulty (2-3 minutes)
- Some music excerpts from a book recently performed (1-2 minutes)
- Optional – an excerpt of you performing on your instrument within another drumline (1-2 minutes)