Wind Ensemble

Hello, all! We hope that you are excited for a great year of fantastic performances here at Miami University. Please be sure that you have filled out the Fall 2026 Instrumental Ensembles Audition Google Form. Auditions for this fall will take place in video format, so please follow the instructions below. Video auditions are due no later than Friday, Aug. 14, so that Daniel Farr, DMA, and Ricardo Averbach, DMA, have time to listen to and evaluate every student. We are hopeful that this process will reduce student stress at the start of the new year and will allow both the Wind Ensemble and Orchestra to begin making music together as soon as possible.

Video Audition Instructions

Excerpts comprise a mixture of wind band and orchestral music. Once you have prepared your excerpts, students should record themselves and submit the video to Dr. Farr and Dr. Averbach, as well as to your studio faculty. All audition materials can be found below.

Recording Instructions

Students may decide to capture their video audition with their phone, tablet, computer, or digital camera. You may choose either to record all excerpts back-to-back or to edit your video with short breaks between each excerpt. The preference is for all excerpts to be contained within one video, but if you need to separate them into different files, please be sure to label them clearly (Excerpt 1-Smith, Excerpt 2-Smith, etc). Either way, please ensure that each excerpt is performed uninterrupted (no cutting from one performance to another during an excerpt) and that your video is in a common format (such as MP4 or MOV). Once you are ready to upload your video, choose one of the following options and share it with Dr. Farr and Dr. Averbach.

1. Current Miami Students can upload to their Google Drive and share the link.
2. Upload a video to YouTube and share the link. Students may choose the “unlisted” Option if they do
   not want others to see their video.

Remember, all video auditions and forms are due to Dr. Farr, Dr. Averbach, and your studio faculty by Friday, Aug. 14.

Send a functional link to your video audition to:

• Daniel Farr, DMA, Director of Bands: farrd@MiamiOH.edu
• Ricardo Averbach, DMA, Director of Orchestra Studies: averbach@MiamiOH.edu

Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions regarding the excerpts or the uploading process.

Happy practicing, and we’ll see you soon!

Daniel Farr, DMA, is Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Music at Miami University. He studied conducting with Russel Mikkelson, Patrick Dunnigan, and Alex Jimenez, and clarinet with Deborah Bish. Prior to his doctoral studies at The Ohio State University, Farr taught for ten years as a high school band director in Florida, where his ensembles consistently earned Superior ratings at marching, concert, and solo and ensemble music performance assessments.

His research interests include commissioning new works for wind band, advancing performances of music by underrepresented composers, exploring best practices for secondary school bands, and promoting mental health awareness among music educators. A sought-after clinician and clarinet pedagogue, Farr is an active member of Phi Beta Mu International Bandmasters Fraternity, the College Band Directors National Association, the Ohio Music Educators Association, the Florida Music Educators Association, and NAfME: The National Association for Music Education.