Top of the Nation High School Honor Band

Application Deadline – Friday, November 20, 2026

for all applications to be fully considered for membership in either the auditioned Symphonic Winds ensemble or the director-recommended Concert Winds ensemble.

• Audition Information
• Registration
  

  Recorded Audition Procedures and Information for Band Directors

  If submitting an audition for the Wind Symphony ensemble, please follow these guidelines:

  1. All auditions must be uploaded and submitted by November 20, 2026
  2.  Recordings must be in one of the following formats:
     a. mp3
     b. mp4
     c. wav
     d. maximum file size is 10 MB (10,000KB)
  3. State your name, instrument, and identify which portion of the audition material the student is performing (i.e. A-flat Major Scale, Excerpt #1, etc.).
  4. Include the student’s name and instrument in the file name that you upload.
  5. Record each student’s audition in a practice room, with a minimal amount of activity happening outside of the practice room to avoid “sound bleed”.
  6. Audition material should be recorded and uploaded in the following order:
     a. Major scale
     b. Harmonic minor scale
     c. Full range chromatic scale
     d. Excerpt 1
     e. Excerpt 2 (if a second excerpt is listed)
  7. Audition results will be emailed to directors by Tuesday, December 15, 2026. Festival music will be emailed to directors by Monday, February 8, 2027.

   

While there is NOT a fee for registration and submitting auditions, there is a $40 non-refundable fee for all students who are accepted to the festival.  Please check to make sure that all students are available during the dates of the Honor Band festival.  Payments must be received by Friday, February 13, 2026.  You may mail your payments to:

Adams State University
Music Department
c/o Dr. James Lind
208 Edgemont Blvd
Alamosa, CO 81101

Guest Conductor of the Symphonic Winds

 Mr. André Wilkins

André Wilkins is the current music and theatre director at Salida High School in Salida, CO. He earned his B.A. in Music Education from Western Colorado University in 2007 and his M.M. in Music Education from Adams State University in 2014. André has been a Colorado public school music teacher for the past 18 years in Salida and on the Western Slope. He has been invited to guest conduct honor bands and choirs all over the state as well as clinic a variety of performance ensembles. He has served four terms on the CMEA board as the district 6 representative and has presented at CMEA several times. He also hosts a podcast with friend and colleague Katie Oglesby “The Rural Music Teacher.” When André isn’t teaching he enjoys spending time with his wife Cailey and daughter Dílse. He also enjoys disc golfing, mountain biking, snowboarding, and fly fishing (well getting on the river in general).

 Guest Conductor of the Concert Winds

Dr. Lisa Tatum