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1)How many auditions are there? Do the Area auditions determine your placement in All State?
2)Are the Region etudes the same as the All State etudes?
3)How are you divided up into a performing group? Do the orchestral players go through a different region/area audition than the concert bands? Or are the 1st and 2nd chairs put into the orchestras?

For tuba:

1) There is an audition at the Region level, then Area, then finally at the All-State audition at TMEA in San Antonio.

2) No. At All-State, the audition music consists of excerpts derived from the band and orchestra pieces to be performed at the All-State concerts. The cuts are chosen by the TMEA Band Chairman or his/her designee. Results at Area have no bearing at the All-State audition.

3)The player listed as first chair gets to choose 1st chair-top band, or Principal- top orchestra. The player listed as 2nd chair is next to choose (depending upon what the 1st chair player chooses). Once the two orchestra placements are made, all other players are placed in bands according to chair order.

I have had the honor of serving on this audition panel since 1994. Sometimes the top players choose orchestra.... sometimes band, depending on the literature and conductors. At this level, those players know about the literature.... and reputation of the conductors.