Become A Member
Introduction & Basics
The Frederick Regional Youth Orchestra welcomes young musicians with a dedicated interest in orchestral music and ensemble playing. Membership in FRYO is open to students in the upper elementary grades through high school who have played their instrument for at least one year. Students must audition to become members.
FRYO offers students the opportunity to play a varied musical repertoire in five performance groups: advanced full orchestra, intermediate full orchestra, jazz ensemble, and beginning wind and string ensembles. Master classes, sectional coaching and chamber ensembles are part of our program.
Tuition for the 2022-2023 Season is $430/student in Philharmonic, Symphonia, or FRYO Jazz, and $350/student in Wind Ensemble or Concert Strings. There are multi-child and multi-ensemble discounts available. To sustain the financial requirements of the organization and keep the tuition low, families are expected to volunteer and required to participate in fundraising activities.
Frederick Regional Youth Orchestra is a non-profit, 501c3 organization supported in part by the Frederick Arts Council and the Maryland State Arts Council.
Seating Auditions
Seating Auditions for the 2022-2023 season for both returning and aspiring members of FRYO will be as follows:
Auditions will be held Saturday Aug 27 2022 and Monday Aug 29 2022 at West Frederick Middle School, 515 West Patrick Street, Frederick, MD 21701. Please contact Kim Peltzer at auditions@fryo.org or call 240-347-FRYO(3796) to schedule an audition.
There is a $10.00 audition fee for new members.
Additional auditions for new members are held by appointment during the school year with the permission of the instructors. Contact Mrs. Peltzer at the above email or phone number for more information.
FRYO is always looking for new members interested in expanding their musical horizons!
Rehearsals
Frederick Regional Youth Orchestra Rehearsals will be held at West Frederick Middle School, 515 West Patrick Street, Frederick, 21701. Rehearsals are on Monday evenings.
Times are as follows:
| FRYO Jazz | 4:45 to 6:00 p.m. |
| Concert Strings | 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. |
| Wind Ensemble | 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. |
| Symphonia | 6:15 to 8:15 p.m. |
| Philharmonic | 6:30 to 8:20 p.m. |
Audition Requirements
The audition requirements for each ensemble are listed in the box below. Pick an ensemble from the tabs to view the requirements.
Each of the four ensembles has a different set of requirements which are relative to the level of the ensemble. If an ensemble's requirements look too difficult, look at the other groups to find one that suits your abilities.
Audition Scale Chart
Scales are a vital part of musicianship. Most pieces of music are based off of one scale or another. As a part of your audition for FRYO, you will be required to play certain scales. Here is a link to a helpful scale chart for scales you will need to play to audition for the Philharmonic and Symphonia orchestras.
TIP: Practice them slowly with a metronome and increase the tempo each day. This method takes time, but every expert knows that it works!
Audition Requirements
Philharmonic
The Philharmonic has full instrumentation and is intended to give the student an advanced experience in ensemble playing. The Philharmonic performs complex music in a variety of genres. During the audition for the Philharmonic, students will be asked to perform the following:
Winds and Brass
See Audition Scale Chart for scale requirements unique to your instrument
Each musician should prepare at least six minutes of solo music of his or her choosing. This may be a single work with two contrasting sections, or two contrasting works. The student may be asked not to play each piece in its entirety. Please select solos carefully with guidance from your private teacher. Solo music should demonstrate your current level of musical and technical development. There is no advantage to choosing a work that is too difficult or elementary.
Musicians may also be asked to sight-read an instrumental selection selected by the conductor.
This should demonstrate the student's ability to subdivide into eighth-notes, and to move steadily through each of these. Musicians may also be asked to sight-read an instrumental selection selected by the conductor.
Strings
See Audition Scale Chart for scale requirements unique to your instrument.
The musician should be able to perform each scale:
Eighth notes at quarter note = 100 or faster, slurring four notes per bow, Half notes at quarter note = 60, one bow per note, with vibrato.
A rhythmic exercise and a sight-reading piece:
- Students will be asked to clap out a short rhythmic exercise. This should demonstrate the student's ability to subdivide into eighth-notes, and to move steadily through each of these.
- Musicians may also be asked to sight-read an instrumental selection selected by the conductor.
Each musician should prepare at least six minutes of solo music of his or her choosing. This may be a single work with two contrasting sections, or two contrasting works. The student may be asked not to play each piece in its entirety. Please select solos carefully with guidance from your private teacher. Solo music should demonstrate your current level of musical and technical development. There is no advantage to choosing a work that is too difficult or elementary.
Percussion Instruments
Snare solo required, as well as timpani and mallets.
Demonstrate familiarity with timpani tuning and ability with bass drum and cymbals.
Symphonia
The Symphonia has full orchestral instrumentation. The program is designed to enhance performers' understanding of ensemble playing and build on their basic playing skills. Generally, students will have played their instrument for a minimum of two years to join the Symphonia. Please download the appropriate Scale Chart:
Strings
Scales:
- Two Major Scales at 80 BPM (beats per minute). Consult the Scale Chart
Prepared Solo: Each musician should prepare one solo piece 3-5 minutes in length of his or her choosing. The solo should be out of Suzuki Book 3 or 4, or a solo piece of equivalent difficulty. It should accurately demonstrate the student’s current level of musical and technical development. Please select your solo carefully. The successful student will choose a solo that they can play well and that showcases their abilities, rather than one that is too difficult or particularly easy
Sight-reading: one short sight-reading piece provided by the conductor.
Winds, Brass, and Percussion
The audition will include three components: solo, scales, sightreading.
Scales:
- Two Major Scales at 80 BPM (beats per minute). Consult the Scale Chart
Prepared Solo: Each musician should prepare one solo piece 3-5 minutes in length of his or her choosing. It should accurately demonstrate the student’s current level of musical and technical development. Please select your solo carefully. The successful student will choose a solo that they can play well and that showcases their abilities, rather than one that is too difficult or particularly easy.
Sight-reading: one short sight-reading piece provided by the conductor.
Concert Strings
The Concert Strings is designed to cater to young musicians who possess one year of experience or more on their instrument (consult conductor if less than one year). Enrollment in this ensemble will help to reinforce your child's basic skills as well as build upon their prior training. Use the Concert Strings Audition Guide below:
During the audition, students will be asked to perform the following:
1. C, G, D, A major scales
2. One prepared solo work* (suggestions listed below)
3. A sight-reading selection.
*Prepared solo suggestions:
Suzuki Book 1: Gossec Gavotte
Suzuki Book 2: Chorus from Judas Maccabaeus, Bouree, Gavotte from Mignon
Suzuki Book 3: Martini Gavotte
Wind Ensemble
The Wind Ensemble is designed to cater to young musicians who possess one year of experience or more on their instrument (consult conductor if less than one year). Enrollment in this ensemble will help to reinforce your child's basic skills as well as build upon their prior training. Use the Wind Ensemble Audition Guide below:
During the audition, you will be asked to perform scales and a solo piece. The solo piece will most likely come from the books you work on in band class or in private lessons.
Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon, French Horn, Trombone and Tuba
1 Octave Chromatic Scale
Bb, Eb, F, G and C Major Scale 1 Octave
Download audition part from this folder
Saxophone
1 Octave Chromatic Scale
G, D, A and E Major Scale 1 Octave
Download audition part from this folder
Trumpet
1 Octave Chromatic Scale
C, F, G and D Major Scale 1 Octave
Download audition part from this folder
Percussion Instruments
Long roll
Scale on mallet instrument
A short sight-reading piece to be provided by the conductor
Download audition part from this folder
The ensemble will be comprised of saxes (who may be asked to play a little flute or clarinet as well), trumpets, trombones, electric guitar and bass, piano, and drums.
All interested candidates will be asked to perform the following:
Winds, brass, guitar, bass, piano:
- One of the following scales played from memory: C, G, D, F, Bb, Eb, and a Bb blues scale. The scales shall be played ascending and descending without repeating the top note, once as quarters and once as “swung” eighth notes at 98 bpm.
- Trumpets who wish to be considered for 1 st parts must play a C scale from 3 rd space C to C two ledger lines above the staff.
- All saxes will be asked to play a chromatic scale from the lowest note on the instrument to the highest note on the instrument.
- The prepared excerpts provided.
- A brief sight-reading excerpt.
- Piano and Bass must play audition parts #1 and #3.
- If you wish to play lead parts in your section, you should be prepared to play an improvised solo over a 12 bar B-flat blues pattern.
Drums:
- A swing time pattern, a funk time pattern, a rock time pattern, and a Latin jazz time pattern.
- The prepared passage provided below (Jazz Audition Piece)
- A brief sight-reading excerpt.