78 Honor Band

The 78 Honor Band is open to high school and middle school students who attend a school a school in one of the following school districts:

Escondido Union High School District
Escondido Union Elementary School District
San Marcos Unified School District
Vista Unified School District
Oceanside Unified School District
Carlsbad Unified School District
Valley Center-Pauma Unified School District
Ramona Unified School District
Fallbrook Union High School District
Fallbrook Union Elementary School District
San Dieguito Union High School District

Click on the button below to be directed to the 78 Middle School Honor Band Page.

Middle School

2025-2026 Important Dates

Band	Event	Date	Location
Middle School	Auditions Open	12/01/2025	Online
Middle School	Auditions Close	12/19/2025	Online
Middle School	Students notified of results and music released	01/12/2026	Email
Middle School	Rehearsal #1 & Parent Meeting	02/05/2026	Mission Hills High School
Middle School	Rehearsal #2	02/06/2026	Mission Hills High School
Middle School	Rehearsal # 3	02/07/2026	Mission Hills High School
Middle and High School	2026 78 Honor Bands Concert	02/08/2026	El Camino High School
High School	HS Symphonic Band Sound Check	02/08/2026	El Camino High School
High School	HS Wind Ensemble Sound Check	02/08/2026	El Camino High School
Middle School	MS Symphonic Band Sound Check	02/08/2026	El Camino High School

78 Honor Band Goals & Philosophy

The 78 Honor Bands project is an opportunity for all secondary music programs in the northernmost area of San Diego County to come together to create opportunities for students.

The goals of the project are as follows:

Promote the highest quality possible music making
Give the opportunity to students to perform literature they may not be able to play with their own programs
Give students the opportunity to work with renowned conductors and educators
Provide students at smaller programs the opportunity to perform in ensembles with full instrumentation
Provide students a challenging musical environment which pushes their growth
Give students and directors ideas they may take back to their own programs

Audition Information

Students will submit auditions online. Beginning Monday December 1, 2025 students will be able to access the registration information and submit their auditions online. There is no fee to register, students need only to complete the registration form and upload their audition recording. If accepted to the 78 honor band, there is a participation fee of $60. Our goal is that no student will be excluded because of an inability to pay the fee. If you would like information about financial assistance email your band manager after you receive the acceptance email and they will assist you.

Middle School Students

Click here to be directed to the Middle School Band Page.

High School Students

For high school students there are two sets of excerpts to choose from. The GMEA all state excerpts are slightly easier and the CBDA all state excerpts are slightly harder. Students can audition with either set of excerpts and are eligible for both bands regardless of which excerpts they use. The CBDA all state excerpts will be given more weight in determining chair and band placement.

HS GMEA Excerpts

HS CBDA Excerpts (you will need to order the music on this list)

High school students can register via this form:

High School Registration Form

Band Managers

A dedicated team of music educators serves as the band managers for the 78 honor band. They represent some of the finest music programs across the 78 corridor.