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Do university orchestras usually fill up just with music majors?

A

archcommus

Diamond Member
I really want to try out for my college's orchestra but I have a feeling due to the vast amount of music majors who all get priority there's no way I'd get in.

What do you think, an EE major in the school orchestra? Realistic?
 
usually most of the students at my college orchestra are music majors because that's one of their requirements. but i think some of the students also have different majors. you might have to take maybe just a class so that you can join
 
typically, but not always. someone who has enough skill can still make the cut....but will they have the passion to practice/rehearse enough...

...then again some univs limit their orchestras/jazz bands, etc... to ONLY music majors (never the marching band since most all music majors I knew hated the sh!t outta that)

My school was filled with music majors (Univ Wis - Eau Claire) because they have one of the best music/jazz programs in the country (and probably world). They also have a great education program, so you see lots of Music Ed majors coming outta that school (usually as a backup if they can't find a steady job playing music).
 
Depends on the your school's music program. My school tried to prevent non-music majors from finding out about auditions. My freshman year I could not figure out how to audition for the select chorale. This cost me a free trip to England. When I finally pinned the director down for an audition he said "We could have used you in England!" and I said "I would have gone if I anyone would have told me how to audition!" He said "Yeah, we try to keep audition information strictly inside the music building." "Well you shot yourself in the foot on that one."

But once you figured out HOW to get involved, they worked on merit alone for both choral and instrumental programs.

Bottom line - it can't hurt to audition. If you suck, the worst that happens is you don't get in...and you're not in now, so you've lost nothing but a bit of pride.
 
Depends on your school. At mine, we have lots of REALLY good orchestras that basically only music majors will get into because of the time dedication, ability required, etc. Not trying to brag (well, maybe a little 😉) but part of this may be because we're one of the top music schools in the world. Anyone can audition for any group, though. That said, we also have "All-Campus Ensembles" for non-music majors that are actually pretty good. They're not exactly un-competitive in their own right.

<---Piano Performance major at Indiana University
 
i played in my school's jazz ensemble for 3 years.

edit: graphic arts and computer design major, also trumpet

you will be ok as long as you practice at least once a day and get back in the swing of things.
 
I played in my University's Orchestra. -Yes- it was competing against music Majors, but i dont think all majors have to be in the orchestra every quarter for 4 years so sometimes spaces would open up in more crowded sections. I know I (english) played percussion, and a buddy of mine played Viola (he's CS).

It depends on the school, but if you can find out the audition time : doesn't hurt to try.
 
Depends on the school. Larger schools can usually afford to have more than one orchestra, smaller schools cannot but they don't have enough music majors to fill one. Go talk to the music department secretary.

Good lession to learn early in college is that the department secretary can be your best friend (or worst enemy depending on how you handle things...)

Fall semester freshman year the music director was calling me every week trying to get me to join (I was going to be a bio major but I played the trombone) but it was a 8hr commitment per week and I just didn't have the time.
 
My roommate used to play trombone for the school and not only did he do it after graduating but he was a bio major.
 
I had a buddy that went to a big school that played in the orchestra, graduated with a 3.9 in ChemE. He was also better than most music majors at his instrument(played 1st or 2nd chair)
 
Depends on the school. My large university had a great doctoral program in music but only 5-6 undergrad majors per year so I played in all of the big groups on campus. Other places I've heard have a majors' orch. and a non-majors' group. Practice a few weeks to get your chops back and give it a shot!
 
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