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2024-2025 Senior Festival Jazz Audition Information

Contact Patrick Kennedy with any jazz audition questions
   Email: p.kennedy@schoolsofwestfield.org

**Due to recent changes required by the MMEA State Board, note these modifications to jazz auditions:**

1) playing the rhythm section comping sheet will no longer be a part of the audition

2) drums will demonstrate Medium Swing, Latin/Bossa Nova, Jazz Waltz, Funk/Rock, and Fast Swing with trading fours 

3) improvisation over the chord changes of the audition piece will be required of all other instruments in the audition.

**Due to these required changes, the score sheet has changed, as is true for all other MMEA-WD auditions**

Audition Pieces

Jazz Saxophones/Brass/Piano/Guitar/Bass/Vibes

"Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise," pp. 20-21, Approaching the Standards, Vol. 3, Dr. Willie Hill

 

Audition MP3s:

Full track (for study)

Audition track

Jazz Drums    

“Philly,” pp. 12-13. Contemporary Drum Set Solos, Murray Houliff. Must also demonstrate Medium Swing, Latin/Bossa Nova, Jazz Waltz, Funk/Rock, and Fast Swing with trading fours

Woodwind, Brass, Piano, Vibes, and Guitar will play the melody WITH THE CD and the example improvisation WITH OR WITHOUT THE CD. 

 

For the improvisation, adjustments can be made as needed to facilitate ease of range issues, technique issues, tempo issues, etc. It is more important that the player play stylistically correct with adjustments as needed. Use the example improvisation as a guide. Students may transpose any portion of the example either up or down one octave to accommodate range.

All auditions (except drum set) could be performed in this manner:

One option with the backing track

  • play the melody first time through

  • play the sample improvisation second time (this is where you can make adjustments as needed if too high/low)

  • improvise a solo third time

  • play the melody and go to the ending on the fourth time through (not necessary but makes for a nice full presentation)

Another option

  • play the melody first time through

  • improvise second time through

  • play the sample improvisation without recording (if tempo is too fast for the student)

Scales

All students will play two major scales in keeping with the scales required for their instrument, and a two octave chromatic scale.

Scales for brass and woodwinds are prescribed on MMEA-WD website 

guitar - C, G, D, E, A, F, Bb, Eb, Ab (two octaves)
piano/vibes - C, D, A, E, F, Bb, Eb, Ab (two octaves)
bass - C, D, A, Bb, Eb (one octave) G, F, Ab (two octaves)

Equipment

Percussionists may use the drum set provided by WSU or bring their own 4 or 5 piece set.

**Guitar and Bass amplifiers ARE NOT available at WSU. Please bring your own for auditions.**

Vibes may use the vibraphone provided by WSU or bring their own vibraphone.

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