Following is a step-by-step guide to the information you need to become a member of the 2013 Colts!

1)  Request Information. This will add you to our formal mailing list. After submitting your contact information, you will receive all necessary membership information and materials in one helpful packet. CLICK HERE for a PDF of our 2013 Membership Information.

2)  Sign up for our email list, and encourage your parents to do the same. After your initial membership mailing, all other communication is done through our email distribution list, unless you let us know on your RSVP that you would rather receive paper mailings at your address.

3)  Make plans to audition! RSVP (preferably a week or two in advance) to let us know that you will be attending. We can help you find a ride or with other special arrangements through your comments on the RSVP form. We provide ground transportation from the Dubuque Regional Airport (DBQ) as well as Quad Cities International Airport (MLI). We can sometimes accommodate flights into surrounding airports (Madison, Rockford or Cedar Rapids) but you MUST notify the office prior to booking a flight into anywhere other than Dubuque or the Quad Cities. We expect all interested Colts to RSVP monthly in advance of each camp. This allows us to prepare for your attendance.

4)  Fill out a 2013 Application in advance of your attendance. Submitting the application in advance will save you considerable time at check-in during the weekend audition camps.

5)  Prepare for your audition. Brass players CLICK HERE for specific exercises and audition information. Percussion exercises will be available soon. In the meantime, the 2012 are still on our website and AVAILABLE HERE. All students are evaluated individually and with the ensemble. Please check back regularly to see if there are any new or updated exercises for your section!

6)  Attend rehearsal! Always check the home page at www.colts.org within a few hours of leaving for camp. Any updates or changes will always be posted here first. Specific monthly rehearsal information is released a week or so prior to each rehearsal. Camps are held monthly at a middle school in Dubuque, or at the Five Flags Civic Center in downtown Dubuque. Click here for detailed directions.

7)  Become familiar with our calendar. Our preseason schedule is limited, so attendance is important. Attending part of the camp is better than not at all. If you have conflicts, talk to us, we will work with you! COMMUNICATION IS CRITICAL.

Membership in the Colts is an amazing experience for you and your entire family, and one that takes tremendous dedication, hard work and personal responsibility. Our audition process includes evaluation of your talent and experience, but we also consider your commitment, attitude, financial and personal responsibility, and attendance, as well as parental support and participation.

THERE IS NO OBLIGATION TO BECOME A MEMBER BY ATTENDING REHEARSAL OR BY RETURNING ANY MATERIALS. Find out what we are all about. Even if you don’t become a Colt, you will learn a great deal. You will participate all weekend and perform on Sunday as a member of the Colts. In the process, we will assess your skills, answer your questions, and you will be more comfortable with our program and our family.

The cost for your first rehearsal is $150 (or $100 for returning members) which includes all audition and application fees. Pay the fees for your first camp in advance and SAVE $25. PAY ONLINE HERE Deadline for the November camp is Tues., Nov. 20 at 11:00 p.m. Each subsequent weekend you attend is $50. This fee covers the cost of these rehearsals and does not apply toward your summer tuition.

Following your first rehearsal, you will receive a letter from us that will be: 1) an offer of membership, 2) a recall for a second and final audition, or 3) a suggestion that you come back again next year.

Try at least one weekend before deciding anything about the Colts. A life-changing summer of travel, achievement and success awaits you. Being here will make that happen. It can’t happen if you don’t try!