The PVA Teachers are always excited to meet our new applicants and we want you to know that our auditions and interviews are supportive and friendly environments. We want you to feel at home when you enter our school and classrooms. Feeling excited and nervous for this process is normal! We see that you made a decision to challenge yourself in high school and we believe that creativity takes courage, and commend you for starting that journey with us.
Successful PVA Students are…
- Open-minded & Knowledgeable
- Creative Risk-takers & Original Thinkers
- Communicators & Reflective
- Balanced & Organized
- Students who want to grow, stretch, and invest in their learning potential
Your learning with us begins in the audition and/or interview with PVA teachers. Arriving prepared and ready to showcase who you truly are and what you want from this specialized program is the first learning curve of many. Please ensure that you take a good amount of time to prepare for your audition and/or interview. We do not invite students into the program solely based on their skillset or talent. We believe in the whole person, which means that how you speak about what you hope to learn, what you hope to contribute to our community, and why you love learning in your area of the arts is equally as important to us as what you showcase.
Preparation
PVA Music: Band applicants will be required to sign up for one (1) Audition/Interview time.
Applicants Parents/Guardians are not expected to attend the audition portion, but are welcome to sit outside during the audition and review materials related to our school and program while they wait.
For your audition, please see attached sheet music and prepare:
- Concert Bb, Eb, F, Ab Major Scale – at least one of those 2 octaves
- One of the 4 “Variations” (8 measures) from the sheet music link below.
- A solo (or portion of a larger piece) that is approximately 1 minute in length that highlights your strengths as a musician. You may use the provided example pieces if you like, but may not use a portion of an ensemble piece you are currently working on in your band class.
Band Ensembles
PVA Music Band students will be expected to enrol in a full year timetabled music course for band musicians.
Outside of this requirement, Band students can also audition in September for PVA Jazz Band which practices outside of the timetabled schedule, before or after school, and is a credited course for 5 credits at the 15-25-35 level.
AP Music Theory is an additional course that PVA Music students can take outside of the timetabled schedule for 1 of their 3 years with us in high school.