Auditions for Rollings Middle School of the Arts
Rollings Middle School of the Arts provides outstanding arts education in various disciplines. Our current core offerings are band, dance, piano, strings, theater, visual arts, and vocal music. Fifth-grade students audition in the fall for approximately 280 spots.
Please Note: The registration window for RMSA audition registration is from October 1, 2024 - December 1, 2024 11:59pm. No late applications will be accepted.
AUDITION REGISTRATION FOR ROLLINGS MIDDLE SCHOOL OF THE ARTS
Info Tabs
Select each tab below for more information.
Entry Procedures & Processes
Eligibility
Any 5th grade student currently residing within the Dorchester School District Two Attendance Zone at the time of the audition is eligible, including those students not currently enrolled in a DDTwo school. Students will be required to present proof of residence before their audition results can be processed. They may present this POR at the time of audition registration, via email, or in physical form the day of the audition.
Out of District 6th / 7th Grade Transfer
If a student wishes to transfer from an out of district arts school. The student must be transferring from a school where the audition, and the criteria required for entry is comparable to the requirements for RMSA. The criteria for this audition also must be verifiable by the DD2 Fine Arts staff. Students are not eligible from those arts schools that do not audition and/or magnet schools.
Audition Registration
Access to audition registration for RMSA will be held online via the DDTwo Fine & Performing Arts web page.
Each student may choose 2 core areas for which to audition. They may not choose more than 2. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the RMSA application window will open on October 1 and will close on the first Friday of December each year.
The RMSA application window will close at 11:59pm on the designated date. No applications will be accepted past this date except in the case of military reassignment and proper relocation/deployment paperwork can be presented. A date between the end of registration and the beginning of auditions is required. This must be presented prior to the start of auditions. It will not be accepted post audition date.
For each student registration an automatically generated email will be sent and serve as a receipt and verification of registration for auditions.
Parents will be notified of their child’s audition time via email and postal mail by the beginning of the winter break each year and no later than two weeks post the registration deadline.
Included in the audition packet:
- Audition date and time
- Rubric for each core area for which the student has chosen to audition which will include the criteria to be measured and the point totals for each area
- Any required materials for the audition.
Make-up Auditions
There will be one make up audition date each year. If for some reason a student cannot attend an audition, they must notify the fine arts office before the audition date to be scheduled for a make-up audition.
Audition Results
Student placements will be notified by mail within two weeks of the last audition by mail. The enclosed letter of commitment must be signed and returned before students are officially enrolled in the school.
Each student will be placed according to their indication of priority in the registration process. Students will not be able to choose their core area. Each student not selected to attend RMSA will be placed on a waitlist. Students and parents will be notified immediately if the student becomes eligible to attend RMSA.
Withdrawal
Student withdrawals from RMSA will result in the student needing to enroll in their assigned zoned school. If there is an extenuating circumstance and students would like to be considered for readmission; those will be handled case-by-case.
Students who move into the medical homebound model due to illness will retain their position within RMSA and be allowed to return upon clearance to return to school.
Any student attending Givhans Achievement Academy or expelled will forfeit their position at RMSA and not be allowed to return.
Virtual Academy
Due to scheduling and other factors, students who choose to enroll in the DDTwo Virtual Academy will no longer be considered RMSA students and will be removed from RMSA and enrolled at their designated zoned school.
Level 2 Auditions
Students entering the 7th grade who do not currently attend RMSA may audition in level 2 auditions. The number of open positions will be contingent upon the enrollment numbers for the upcoming academic year. This number will vary and will be posted before the audition date.
All students participating in level 2 auditions will need to be able to demonstrate proficiency in their core area commensurate with the expectations of an RMSA level 2 student. Students will also be required to participate in a written examination within their core area as well.
Audition Rubrics
Piano
Task 1: Prepared Piece (20 Points)
Task 2: Identifying High and Low Pitches (10 Points)
Task 3: Vocally Matching Pitch (10 Points)
Task 4: Vocally Matching Intervals (10 Points)
Task 5: Maintains Steady Beat while Clapping Rhythms with Metronome 2 Examples x 5 Measures (20 points)
Task 6: Echo Clap (10 Points)
Task 7: Tap Foot in Time to a Steady Beat with Music (10 Points)
Task 8: Maintain Steady (Big) Beat while Clapping Small Beat with Metronome (10 points)
Instrumental Music
Task 1 - Prepared Piece (All Students should be prepared to play a piece on a melodic instrument. )
Task 2: Identifying High and Low Pitches (10 Points)
Task 3: Vocally Matching Pitch (10 Points)
Task 4: Vocally Matching Intervals (10 Points)
Task 5: Maintains Steady Beat while Clapping Rhythms with Metronome 2 Examples x 5 Measures (20 points)
Task 6: Echo Clap (10 Points)
Task 7: Tap Foot in Time to a Steady Beat with Music (10 Points)
Task 8: Maintain Steady (Big) Beat while Clapping Small Beat with Metronome (10 points)
Theatre
Each student will be required to perform one of the monologues in the linked document.
In addition - student will be asked to perform a short improvisation on a prompt supplied by our judges at the time of the audition. All students will be asked to perform to the same prompt.
For more information on improvisation. Follow the link below.
Visual Arts
All Visual Arts Students will be asked to draw a still life of several different items.
A still life is a drawing or painting that focuses on still objects. The subject matter is inanimate and never moves, typically with a focus on household objects, flowers, or fruits.
In addition, students will draw a creative drawing that students will transform an object into an animal. For example - a student in four boxes will transform a banana into a dolphin.