World Music Auditions

We have numerous world music ensembles for students to participate in addition to our steelpan ensembles. There is no audition for many of these ensembles and all students are welcome to register and participate. Please contact Jui-Ching Wang, D.M.A. at jcwang@niu.edu if you have questions.

Banda NIU

Banda NIU is an ensemble in the NIU School of Music that honors the tradition of the great bandas from Mexico and performs styles from across Latin America. Its long and rich history is drawn on collaboration between European immigrants to Mexico in the 1800s and popular Mexican song. The most popular subgenre of regional Mexican music, Banda relies solely on an instrumentation of wind instruments. It is open to all students and anyone in the northern Illinois community. Interested musicians should be able to read music and have considerable performance experience on clarinet, trumpet, trombone, tuba/sousaphone, drums, percussion or voice. Students interested in participating in Banda should contact Christopher Scanlon, D.M.A. at cscanlon1@niu.edu.

Mariachi NIU

Mariachi NIU is the mariachi ensemble of the NIU School of Music, performing traditional music from Mexico. It is open to all students and anyone in the northern Illinois community. Interested musicians should be able to read music and have considerable performance experience with their instrument including violin, guitar, vihuela, guitarrón, trumpet, harp and voice. Students interested in participating in Mariachi should contact Christopher Scanlon, D.M.A. at cscanlon1@niu.edu