CYSO ALL-COUNTY ORCHESTRA & BAND WORKSHOP
Feel More Prepared for Your All-County Audition
Saturday, October 17, 2026 | 9:00 AM–1:00 PM
New Village Academy | Annapolis Mall
FREE – Registration Required
Preparing for an All-County audition can feel overwhelming. Is the music ready? What will the sight-reading be like? What happens if you make a mistake? And how do you walk into the audition feeling confident that you’ve prepared as well as you can?
You don’t have to figure it all out on your own.
CYSO’s free All-County Orchestra & Band Workshop is designed to help middle and high school musicians prepare with greater confidence.
Students will spend the morning working with experienced music educators on their audition repertoire, sight-reading skills, and the audition process itself. They’ll receive practical feedback, learn strategies they can continue using at home, and gain a better understanding of what to expect when audition day arrives.
COME WITH YOUR MUSIC. LEAVE WITH A PLAN.
During the workshop, students will:
PREPARE
Work with experienced educators on your All-County audition repertoire and identify specific areas to strengthen. Coaches will provide feedback on technique, rhythm, intonation, articulation, musical interpretation, and effective practice strategies.
PERFORM
Practice sight-reading and learn strategies for approaching unfamiliar music under audition conditions. Students will learn what to look for before they begin playing and how to approach sight-reading with greater confidence.
GROW
Learn what to expect on audition day, how to manage nerves, recover from mistakes, and approach the audition with confidence. As staffing and time allow, students may also have an opportunity to participate in a short mock audition and receive constructive feedback.
REGISTER FOR THE FREE WORKSHOP
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
The workshop is open to all interested middle and high school orchestra and band students, particularly those preparing to audition for AACPS All-County Orchestra or All-County Band.
Students do not need to be members of CYSO to participate, and students who are not auditioning for All-County this year are also welcome to attend.
WORKSHOP SCHEDULE
9:00–9:15 AM – Welcome and Introduction
9:15–9:45 AM – Whole-Group Audition Preparation
9:45–10:45 AM – Instrument-Specific Repertoire Coaching
10:45–11:00 AM – Break
11:00–11:45 AM – Sight-Reading Workshops
11:45 AM–12:30 PM – Additional Coaching / Mock Auditions
12:30–12:45 PM – Whole-Group Closing and Practice Strategies
12:45–1:00 PM – Questions and Pickup
The schedule may be adjusted slightly based on registration, instrumentation, and staffing.
WHAT SHOULD STUDENTS BRING?
Students should bring their instrument and any necessary accessories, their current All-County audition music, a music stand, and a pencil.
Additional information, including any instrument-specific instructions, will be sent to registered families before the workshop.
AACPS ALL-COUNTY AUDITION DATES
The CYSO workshop takes place several weeks before the AACPS All-County auditions, giving students time to put the feedback and strategies they receive into practice.
All-County Orchestra – Middle & High School
November 11, 2026
Chesapeake High School
All-County Band – Middle & High School
November 18, 2026
Glen Burnie High School
Please note: Registration for the CYSO All-County Orchestra & Band Workshop does not register a student for the official AACPS All-County audition. Students and families should follow the instructions provided by their school music teacher and AACPS regarding official audition registration and requirements.
REGISTRATION
The workshop is completely free, but advance registration is required and space may be limited.
Advance registration allows CYSO to organize students by instrument and audition level and make sure we have the appropriate coaches available for the students attending.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE WORKSHOP
QUESTIONS?
Dane Krich, Executive Director
Chesapeake Youth Symphony Orchestra
execdir@cysomusic.org
(443) 758-3157