Audition Requirements

Follow the links to view audition requirements in the following disciplines:

The following requirements apply to all pitched instruments: jazz guitar, double bass, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, and piano. (See below for Drummers.)

• Major scales and modes, harmonic minor scales, and melodic minor scales in twelve keys and two octaves; chromatic scale full range.
• Arpeggios: major, minor, augmented, and diminished triads; major 7th, dominant 7th, minor 7th, minor 7th b5, diminished 7th chords; all in root position, twelve keys, two octaves.
• Sight-reading skills will be tested.
• Aural recognition of triads and basic intervals, 7th chords, and rhythms
• Two songs, one each from lists A and B below, both memorized (melody and chords). Play the melody (acoustic bass players must play melody arco), comp one chorus (guitar and piano only), walk one chorus (bass only), improvise one chorus, and play the melody again.

Jazz Trumpet

• One technical study or étude
• One transcribed solo (memorized) from Kent Sloan's 29 Modern Jazz trumpet Solos or Chet Baker's Tangerine

Jazz Trombone

• One Rochut etude
• J.J. Johnson's solo "Bloozineff" from The J.J. Johnson Collection by Scott Whitfield (Hal Leonard), memorized
• Lead trombone: 88 Basie Street by Sammy Nestico
• Bass trombone: Intermission Riff by Ray Wetzel (Stan Kenton)

Jazz Saxophone

• One étude from Ferling 48 Studies

Jazz Drumset

• Perform the following time feels: swing in 4/4 and 3/4 (slow, medium, and up-tempo, with sticks and brushes), bossa nova, samba, shuffle, and Afro-Cuban
• Sight read basic figures in swing style while keeping time. Play intermediate-level rudimental and orchestral snare drum solos
• Improvise 4-bar, 8-bar, and full-chorus drum solos within the context of a standard jazz form
• 26 standard N.A.R.D. rudiments
• Aural recognition of triads and basic intervals, 7th chords, and rhythms

Jazz Applicants applying to the Music Education Option:

If you wish to apply for the Music Education Option, K-12, and study a jazz instrument you will be required to do a 'modified' classical ensemble audition for the classical area faculty, Symphony Band Director, or Choir Director on the audition day. Requirements for the classical ensemble auditions are noted below. This is in addition to the jazz audition.

In addition, Jazz drum and jazz guitar applicants are now eligible for the Music Education Option. Since we do not use classical guitar in any of our ensembles, jazz guitarists will need to perform on another instrument for the classical ensemble audition if you plan to do the instrumental track or audition for a choir if you wish to do the choral track.

Admission will be based on the jazz audition and studio space. If admitted, you will study your jazz instrument with a member of the Jazz Faculty, perform in one of the Jazz Ensembles, and one of the classical groups as assigned by the Department each semester. You will not receive a lesson in the classical instrument.

You may also select the Music Education Option AND the Jazz Option. It will take five years to complete this program but you will be very marketable upon graduation. You would need to complete all of the Music Education requirements and all of the Jazz requirements. Go to Music Student Handbook, click on the program of interest and review the information. You would audition on the jazz instrument, classical instrument, and perform the classical ensemble audition. Jazz Drum and Guitar applicants would need to come out on two different audition days as indicated on the Audition Questionnaire Form.

Ensemble Audition Requirements

• Winds and Strings
  Two shorts excerpts from an etude book or classical solo for your instrument.  One should demonstrate technique, the other tone and phrase.
  

• Percussion
  You may choose to do any TWO of the following (A, B or C):
  
  1. Two short excerpts (one to demonstrate technique, one to demonstrate musical phrasing) for two mallet or four mallet solo on marimba, from any etude or marimba solo.
  2. A short excerpt of a classical etude for the snare drum (Delecluse, Peters, Cirone, etc.) and a short excerpt of a rudimental snare solo.
  3. A short etude or orchestral excerpt for timpani
• Choral Audition
  Students will vocalize, sing some scales and do simple pitch matching exercises.