Audition Information | New England Conservatory

Jazz Studies Audition Information

Prescreening portfolios are required of:

• All Composition and Jazz Composition applicants

Prescreening video recordings are required of:

• All Artist Diploma and DMA applicants, regardless of major
• All undergraduate, MM, and GD applicants to:

Jazz Studies Performance Prescreen Requirements;

1. Choose one of the following pieces: Hot House (Tadd Dameron), Confirmation (Charlie Parker), Donna Lee (Charlie Parker/Miles Davis), Anthropology (Dizzy Gillespie/Charlie Parker), Groovin’ High (Dizzy Gillespie), Ornithology (Charlie Parker/Benny Harris), Moose the Mooche (Charlie Parker), or Four in One (Thelonious Monk). Play the melody, unaccompanied and without improvising, once through at a medium swing tempo without the aid of a metronome or click track. Be sure to demonstrate your sound, rhythmic precision, swing feel, and technical facility. Drummers should communicate the rhythm and pitch contour of the melody as clearly as possible. Pianists may play the melody in octaves or as a single line (without chordal accompaniment).
2. Perform one additional piece of your choice with live rhythm section. The additional piece should demonstrate your improvisational ability.

Jazz Studies Vocal Prescreen Requirements;

1. An unaccompanied performance of the melody of any jazz standard (not a twelve-bar blues) in a medium swing tempo. The melody should be performed without the aid of a metronome, click track, or other accompaniment. Sing one chorus of the melody only. Songs with lyrics should be sung in English; instrumental compositions may be sung using scat syllables. You are welcome to add your own melodic and rhythmic interpretation to the song.
2. Perform one piece of your choice with live rhythm section.
3. Optional (and encouraged for graduate applicants): Perform one of the following pieces: Hot House (Tadd Dameron), Confirmation (Charlie Parker), Donna Lee(Charlie Parker/Miles Davis), Anthropology (Dizzy Gillespie/Charlie Parker), Groovin’ High (Dizzy Gillespie), Ornithology (Charlie Parker/Benny Harris), Moose the Mooche (Charlie Parker), or Four in One (Thelonious Monk). Scat the melody, unaccompanied, once through at a medium swing tempo without the aid of a metronome or click track.

Jazz Studies Performance Audition Requirements;

Live auditions are required of all Jazz applicants residing in North America. Applicants should be prepared to perform from memory and improvise on the following:

1. Two jazz standards, contrasting in tempo
2. One additional piece of your choice

Pieces performed for the live audition should differ from those included on the prescreening recording. A rhythm section including piano, bass, and drums will be provided for live auditions. Applicants must provide 3 lead sheets for the musicians. You will also be asked to identify chords, sing and play back melodic phrases, and sight-read.

Live Audition Dates 2019

Bass: Sunday, February 3
Drums: Sunday, February 17
Guitar: Sunday, February 3
Piano: Saturday, February 16
Saxophone: Monday, February 18
Trumpet and Trombone: Sunday, February 10
Voice: Tuesday, February 19

Jazz Composition Portfolio Requirements;

Applicants should submit their portfolio and accompanying recordings as a part of their online application. Portfolio scores can be uploaded in the form of PDF files. Recordings may be uploaded in several file formats.

Submit three or four scores, with accompanying audio recording if possible. While original compositions are preferred, one arrangement or recomposition may be included. In addition, applicants to the Jazz Composition major should submit a prescreening recording following the Jazz Performance guidelines above.

After review, qualified jazz composition applicants residing in North America are required to attend an live interview/audition at NEC. In addition to reviewing scores and discussing goals for future study, jazz composition applicants should be prepared to play from memory and improvise on one jazz standard or original composition. The piece performed at the live audition should differ from those included on the prescreening recording. A rhythm section including piano, bass, and drums will be provided for live auditions. Applicants should supply 3 lead sheets for the musicians, and will be asked to identify chords, to sing and play back melodic phrases, and to sight-read.

Live Audition Dates 2019

Composition: Saturday, February 16

Updated on 10/02/2018