Additional Opportunities

Proficient instrumentalists are encouraged to prepare and audition for the District 7 ILMEA Honor Band, Orchestra, or Jazz Band. Students who are selected for the festival will rehearse and perform under the direction of specialists in their field. Each ensemble represents the finest middle school instrumentalists in the District, and is a wonderful and enriching opportunity for students.

The audition is difficult and competitive and takes many months to prepare. Instructors receive the audition material for these ensembles in the spring each year, and students are encouraged to begin preparing the audition material over the summer. The cost of the audition is $10.

The video auditions for the ILMEA District 7 Ensembles must be recorded, formatted and uploaded by Wednesday, October 2, 2024.

The rehearsal and performance dates are:

• ILMEA Concert Band and Orchestra
  • Saturday, November 2, 2024 at a TBD location
• ILMEA Jazz Band
  • Saturday, November 16, 2024 at a TBD location

AIJB is a capstone opportunity for middle school band students in 7th and 8th grade. Students register for AIJB through their band director in September while working on the audition material. Audio auditions are recorded and uploaded on-line to the AIJB website by November 1, 2024. The cost to audition is $12.

Students selected for the AIJB will attend the AIJB Festival weekend on January 17 and 18, 2025. at The University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. Festival participation (if selected) is $60, and parents are responsible for travel, supervision, hotel accommodations, and meals during the festival weekend.

The Northfield Solo/Ensemble Festival is organized by a consortium of 5 schools who coordinate the yearly solo/ensemble festival to enhance the music learning of their students. Students may perform in up to two events ranging from accompanied solo to small ensembles. Students do not compete against each other, but rather for ratings that demonstrate the quality of their performance. The cost to participate is $10.00 per event, and student soloists are responsible for the $35 piano accompanying fee.

This year, the Northfield Solo/Ensemble contest will be held on Saturday, February 8, 2025 at Wood Oaks. Students must indicate their intent to perform in October, and must have parent permission.

The individual attention and specific expertise offered by a trained professional (who is an expert on that instrument) is a tremendous resource for developing musicianship. Visit the link on our Canvas pages for a current list of recommended teachers along with their contact information.