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Jazz Studies Audition Information

Undergraduate Audition Requirements

All prospective jazz applicants should be prepared to discuss previous performance experience, teachers, and method books used in study. Please bring your own mp3 or CD accompaniment, and/or we will provide any of the Aebersold play-a-long recordings for all auditions.

BM, BA, BME

Jazz Saxophone, trumpet, trombone, guitar, piano and bass (acoustic preferred)

1. A major or minor blues melody of your choice, such as “Now’s the Time,” “Billie’s Bounce,” “Tenor Madness,” “Straight, No Chaser,” “Stolen Moments,” or a similar piece from the jazz repertoire.

ü  Sax, trumpet, trombone: perform the melody of the piece from memory, play a two or three-chorus improvised solo

ü  Guitar and piano: perform the melody of the piece from memory, play a two or three-chorus improvised solo, and comp for another soloist

ü  Bass: perform the melody of the piece from memory, play a two or three-chorus improvised solo, and play a walking bass line for another soloist

                  A jazz ballad of your choice, such as “But Beautiful,” “Darn That Dream,” “You Don’t Know What Love Is,” or a similar piece from the jazz repertoire.

ü  All instruments, except bass: perform the melody of the piece from memory, play two or more improvised solo choruses

ü  Bass: accompany the melody with an appropriate ballad bass line, play two or more improvised solo choruses (optional, play the melody of the “A” section)

                  One medium-swing piece from this list: “Beautiful Love,” “All The Things You Are,” “Invitation,” “It Could Happen To You,” or “There Will Never Be Another You”

ü  All instruments, except bass: perform the melody of the piece from memory, play two or more improvised solo choruses

ü  Bass: accompany the melody with a jazz bass line, play two or more improvised solo choruses

                  One fully notated piece without improvisation, such as a jazz etude or a solo transcription (bring 3 copies of the music for the audition panel)

                  Demonstrate sight-reading proficiency

Drumset

Auditions consist of the applicant being able to demonstrate their ability to play in the following musical styles:

1. 4/4/ swing at a variety of tempos
2. Funk and rock styles at a variety of tempos
3. Samba and bossa nova
4. Mambo
5. Afro-Cuban 6/8

Additional skills assessed during the Jazz Drumset audition:

1. Brush technique
2. Waltz and odd meter performance
3. Repertoire: transcription or jazz etude

Updated on 09/14/2018