Vocal Ensemble Auditions Fall 2020

Auditions are open to all students, not only jazz studies majors. In addition to vocalists, students who are primarily instrumentalists are welcome to audition. If you are interested in exploring jazz and other styles, we hope you will audition.

Audition Submission Checklist •read detailed info on this sheet •download audition materials at https://bit.ly/2ZOvkYU •record the Prepared Piece #1 •record the Prepared Piece #2 (optional) •record the Vocal Warm-up #1 •record the Vocal Warm-up #2 •record the Bb scat solo (optional) •go to https://bit.ly/32JVei7 to complete the audition submission form where you will upload your audio files.

Our auditions this year will be done via audio recording. The audio quality of submissions will not affect evaluation, and any simple recording device (even your phone) will suffice.

Submissions will be accepted August 10-19, and we appreciate early submissions, since we need extra time this year to organize groups. If this timeframe is not possible for you for any reason, please contact [email protected] or any other jazz faculty member and we will try to work with you!

Vocal jazz ensembles this fall will be remote/virtual (at least much of the time). While it might be helpful, no special audio equipment is required in order to participate. We are hoping that these groups will provide some “studio-singing” type of experience this year.

Audition submissions will be automatically assigned a number, and the initial evaluations will be done in a “behind-the-screen” fashion where the evaluators have no identifying information. No video recordings, and please do not speak or identify yourself during your audition recordings.

If you have any questions about the audition components, submission, or etc. or have any problems completing or submitting the audition, please feel free to reach out to [email protected] or to any other jazz faculty member.

All audition materials can be found at: https://bit.ly/2ZOvkYU

Components of the audition: 1) Prepared Piece #1 (required) Our Love is Here to Stay - Pickup to Letter B (m. 24) to top of page 5 (m. 42).

Record yourself singing along with the audio track, then sing the excerpt A Cappella (record back-to-back on one audio track).

2) Prepared Piece #2 (optional, but recommended) Strasbourg St. Denis - Letter G and H (mm. 45-60). Record yourself singing along with the audio track, then sing the excerpt A Cappella (record back-to-back on one audio track).

3) Vocal Warm-up #1 (required) Record yourself singing along with the backing track.

4) Vocal Warm-up #2 (required) Record yourself singing along with the backing track.

5) Improv (optional) Using the backing track provided (or one of your own- iRealPro, etc.) record yourself singing a few choruses of a scat solo.

Please record the components as separate audio tracks.

Once you have finished, complete the Audition Submission Form (where you can upload your audio tracks): https://bit.ly/32JVei7