Thank you for your interest! Attached below are the audition packets for our PIA ensemble, “Fruitport Independent Percussion”. Audition dates are as follows:
Oct 15th - Clinic
Nov 12th - Audition 1
Nov 19th - Audition 2
All clinics and auditions will be from 10:00am - 5:00pm, with registration opening up at 9:30am. All FIP clinics, auditions, and rehearsals will be held at Fruitport High School, located at 357 N 6th Ave, Fruitport, MI 49415. There will be no cost to attend any of our auditions, and prospective members only have to attend one audition (but we would love to see you at both to get a proper gauge of your talent).
Frequently Asked Questions About Auditions:
I’m new to this, what the heck am I getting myself into?
Indoor competitive percussion and colorguard is the highest level of competition for the marching arts. There are two classes (Scholastic - All members come from one school and Independent - members can come from anywhere). Fruitport Independent Percussion competes at the Independent A Class level and was a World Finalist last season. Our students range in age from 14-22 years old. They rehearse on weekends, practice throughout the week, and are instructed by some of the finest percussion and movement educators in the country. Competitions are on weekends (Feb - April) and are judged by the biggest names in percussion, and they truly compete on a world stage.
Why should I audition for Fruitport Independent?
Fruitport Independent believes our first mission to to make members fall in love with marching and playing. To rejoice in the process of making ourselves and our group better. We teach leadership and development and use this activity as a vehicle. We make several promises to students:
You will learn. We push our students hard. Every weekend, until the last beat of World Finals, we will work with students to improve their ability to not only march and play. But grow as musicians and leaders.
We will prepare you. Whether you're looking to audition for a university marching band or wind ensemble, you’re preparing for your next year in high school, you’d like to move on to a drum corp, an open Class or World Class group, and yes, even students that just love performing and want to build a new level of confidence. We will prepare you.
You will have fun. It is not lost on the staff that this is supposed to be a FUN activity. We like to emphasize that. Even though we work hard, our music and drill is challenging, and you will be absolutely exhausted after every weekend, you will never find an activity more exciting, or fun to be a part of.
If that all sounds good, we’d love for you to join us.
Is there a cost?
Auditions are free. Once you make the ensemble there are costs associated. You will receive exact costs, payment plans, and fundraising opportunities with a member contract. Please note that we NEVER want cost to be a barrier for participation. We have scholarships available, many members fundraise and pay significantly less out of pocket and some march for free. We also have multiple payment options.
Do I need to be at both auditions weekends?
No. You only need to be at one audition to be considered for membership. However, we do take into consideration improvement from week to week and attitude, so the more the staff gets to see you, the better your chances are.
Can I audition on more than one instrument?
Yes. You will be able to move from one instrument to another auditioning on multiple instruments. We do encourage you to narrow it down to 2 instruments. The staff needs adequate time to gauge your ability to learn on an instrument and trying for more than 2 makes it very difficult to get enough time on each.
What will the ensemble instrumentation be?
In the Front Ensemble we will take a maximum of 14 players. 3 Marimbas, 2 Vibes, 1 Xylophone/Bells, 1-2 Rack percussion (Auxiliary percussion), 1 Timpani, 1 Drumset, 1-2 Synth/Piano, and 1-2 Guitar/Bass Guitar.
In the Battery we will take a maximum of 22 players. 6-7 Snare, 3-4 Tenors, 5 Bass, and 4-6 Cymbals.
In the visual ensemble we will take no more than 6 members.
What does the season schedule look like? What is the time commitment if I make it?
We rehearse weekends, generally Saturdays from 9am until between 6pm and 9pm. We rehearse sundays from 1pm to 5pm. Competitions happen on weekends and we will travel to no less than 3 MAPA (Michigan Alliance for the Performing Arts) competitions in state, 1 WGI (Winter Guard International) Regional Qualifying competitions, 1 Community show and MAPA Finals (Eastern Michigan University) and WGI Finals (Dayton, Ohio). Members will have Thanksgiving weekend, Christmas, New Years, and Easter Weekends off. All members are required to be at ALL competitions and performances. Rehearsal is required but with prior approval from staff can be missed for preplanned and unforeseen events.
What should I expect at auditions?
Registration will begin 30 min prior to our start time. All auditionees will need to complete an audition form and get a name tag. We will gather for introductions to the staff, announcement of the show and a brief of what to expect for the day. The Battery, Visual Ensemble and Front Ensemble will go to their respective rooms with their respective staff members. You will then go through exercises from our audition packet as a group and receive feedback from staff while they evaluate you. You’ll get a lunch break and several smaller water breaks. All members auditioning for a “Floor Spot” (Battery and Visual) will have a visual and movement audition after lunch. Then you will return to your music room to complete the day.
Contracts will be offered to those auditionees who staff feels would be an excellent addition to the ensemble. Staff will also pull auditionees aside to provide feedback and occasionally recommendations for instrument choice.
We will repeat the process of the second weekend. At the end of the second weekend you will be notified by the director that you have either, received a contract and we’d like you to join us for the 2024 season, received some feedback and we’d like you to continue practicing and come back for the 2025 season, or be asked to come back to a rehearsal weekend as there are a few things staff would like to see more of before making a decision. By Dec. 1 ALL contracts will be in the hands of the members and we will have set the ensemble.