Instructions for BHS Jazz Auditions 2017 - WOODWINDS

Hello and welcome! Thank you for deciding to audition for the BHS Jazz Lab II band and/or the BHS Jazz Ensemble for the 2017 – 2018 school year.

You can register for an audition slot right here at bhsjazz.org – please make sure you do! You’ll find the link on our home page.

Your audition will take place in the “A” building at BHS, and will take 10 - 12 minutes. Sometimes we get behind in our schedule, so we ask for your patience ahead of time.

Please arrive 20 minutes early to warm up. The audition schedule for this year is as follows: audition slots begin at 2:45 p.m. on May 23rd

If you are wondering about your chances of landing a spot in one of our groups, here is the final instrumentation the classes can accommodate:

Jazz Ensemble: 5 trumpets, 4-5 trombones, 5-6 saxophones, 1- 2 pianos, 1-2 guitars, 0-1 vibes players, 1-2 basses, 1-2 drummers, 1 percussionist

Jazz Lab II (2 sections): 4 – 6 trumpets, 4 – 5 trombones, 5 – 8 saxophones, 2 pianos, 2 guitars, 1 vibraphonist, 2 basses, 2 drummers, 1 percussionist EACH

Jazz Lab I (audition required for rhythm section players, high school or middle school music teacher recommendation required for brass and woodwinds players): 5 – 8 saxophones, 0 – 2 flutes, 0 – 2 violins/violas/cellos, 0 – 2 clarinets, 4 – 6 trumpets, 3 – 6 trombones, 2 pianos, 2 guitars, 2 basses, 0-2 vibes players, 2 drummers, 1 percussionist INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARING FOR YOUR AUDITION

You’ll need to practice a few scales, work on the piece provided, work on soloing, and get ready to sight read. Instructions below.

SUGGESTIONS FOR PRACTICING FOR YOUR AUDITION

• For scales: practice slowly and make sure you focus on sound quality and intonation. Only when you can play with great sound and intonation should you begin to practice at a faster tempo!  • For the prepared piece: try for a great jazz feel, pay attention to dynamics and articulation marks as you prepare. In almost all cases the prepared piece is a swing tune. You might consider listening to some great big bands playing swing tunes (for example, the Count Basie or Duke Ellington bands) and try to play your piece the way you imagine they might play it.  • For sight reading: see if you can get your hands on some music to sight read. If you are not good at reading rhythms, find some music and go s l o w l y until you are sure you are playing the rhythms correctly. Make sure you pay close attention to the key signature! Try to look through a tune before you start playing it, to anticipate difficult spots.  • For soloing, practice playing along with the sound file provided at bhsjazz.org. You get to play with ONE of the TWO sound files provided – choose the one you sound better soloing on, NOT the one you think is harder! The 2 songs are “Afternoon in Paris” and “C Minor Blues”.

Listen to great jazz masters playing solos on the same tune -- or over a blues in the same key. Learn their solos, if you can! Not so you can copy them note for note, but so that you learn some of the jazz vocabulary they are using, and let them influence you in some way. Ultimately, jazz musicians sound like a mixture of all the musicians they have listened to very closely – plus a little bit of their own magic mixed in. Use this audition as an opportunity to get started on this great, life-long project. 

WHAT TO EXPECT AT YOUR AUDITION 

Your audition will be heard by a friendly local professional musician who plays your instrument, along with Ms. Cline. You will hear us, but will not see us – we’ll be seated behind a screen. This is to help us hear you without any biases invading our brain space. A friendly proctor will accompany you into the audition to help you – if you have any questions, whisper them to the proctor, and s/he will make sure they are answered.

You will start with scales, then play the piece provided at this website for your to prepare. You’ll move on to a short sight reading excerpt, and then you’ll get a chance to solo with the same sound file background you prepared with. Auditions can be nervous making – it’s important to remember that your auditioners wants you to play your best! Take a few deep breaths and have confidence in yourself. If you’ve practiced thoroughly, your skill and creativity will shine through.

AUDITION RESULTS

Audition results will be posted on our website at bhsjazz.org on Saturday, June 10th

Good Luck! I know that auditions can be stressful. You can avoid some of that stress by preparing thoroughly!

Sarah Cline Jazz Program Director Berkeley High School

BHS Jazz 2017-2018 WOODWIND Auditions

IMPORTANT NOTE: SAX PLAYERS please audition on the saxophone with which you are most comfortable. Each band needs at least 2 altos, 2 tenors and one bari, and I will place you in the highest band for which you qualify on the instrument we need you to play. It is essential that all sax players understand that although you are playing your audition on your preferred saxophone, for example tenor, you may be placed on ANY saxophone – alto, tenor, or bari. As in the world of professional music, reeds players are expected to play all saxophones. If you don’t own the type of saxophone you are placed on, the school district will provide you with one.

Jazz Ensemble Auditions

• SCALES * 2 octaves concert Bb major (tenors) or Eb major (altos and baris) * chromatic scale beginning on your lowest note and going to your highest note  • PREPARED PIECE Provided in this folder, use the one entitled “jazz ensemble” for the instrument you will audition on (either alto sax, tenor sax, bari sax, clarinet or flute).  • SIGHT READING the sight reading excerpt will be provided  • IMPROVISATION Choose one of the tunes included here to play for the audition if you would like to show us you can solo: 

o Afternoon in Paris o C Minor Blues 

The lead sheet in your instrument’s key and clef is provided, as is a sound file for you to practice with. In the audition you will play your solo along with this same sound file. 

Jazz Lab II auditions 

• SCALES Same as above  • PREPARED PIECE Provided in this folder, use the one entitled “jazz lab II” for the instrument you will audition on (either alto, tenor, bari, clarinet or flute) • SIGHT READING Same as above, but if you audition for jazz lab II only your sight reading excerpt will be easier  • IMPROVISATION Same as above 

If you would like to be considered for BOTH the jazz ensemble and Jazz Lab II band, please audition for the jazz ensemble. 