Born in a Portable Classroom: Ethos Opens Fall Auditions Nov. 1
In 1997, a handful of Middle Tennessee musicians decided that the school day was not enough time for a young player to get better. They started an after-school ensemble in a portable classroom, which is about as far from a concert hall as a music program can begin. Nearly three decades later, Ethos Youth Ensembles is still running, still rehearsing close to home in Murfreesboro and Smyrna, and on Sunday, Nov. 1, it opens its doors for another round of auditions.
The audition day, by ensemble
For wind players and jazz musicians, the audition runs from 2 to 8 p.m. at Stewarts Creek High School in Smyrna. It is open to students in grades 8 through 12 and covers the three things any band director will ask for: scales, sight-reading and prepared excerpts, all measured against standards used by Middle Tennessee school band and orchestra directors. That slate feeds the Wind Symphony, which is overseen by Dr. Brian Russell, and the Jazz Ensemble, which recently gained a new conductor in Dr. Frank Zimmerer, a jazz pianist, clinician and band director with decades of experience.
String players audition separately, at First United Methodist Church on West Thompson Lane in Murfreesboro, for the Camerata Orchestra and the Chamber Orchestra. The Chamber Orchestra is directed by Mrs. Cowan, and the Camerata is led by Mrs. Shaw. The announcement did not list a time or an age range for the string auditions, so families should check the program's website before they plan the afternoon.
A way in without an audition
The part of the announcement that matters most for younger families is what does not require an audition. The Ethos Music Academy and the Reading Orchestra take beginners as early as second grade, and they exist for a reason that any parent of a nervous child will recognize: to build confidence before a student steps up to the advanced ensembles. The program welcomes students from public school, private school and homeschool alike, and it draws players from across Middle Tennessee rather than from one county alone.
Why it matters in a growing county
A community ensemble that rehearses outside the school day gives a young player something a school program may not have room for: extra time with a conductor and a group of peers working at the same level. Alumni of the program have gone on to college music programs, community ensembles and professional careers, according to the organization, and the faculty are all local educators.
Ethos has been in the news here before; we covered the launch of its children's choir. For audition requirements and registration, the organization points families to its website, EthosMusic.net. The announcement did not include a phone number or an email address, and it did not mention concert dates, so that is the place to look for both.
Image: illustrative, AI-generated – not the actual location.
