Auditions | College of Music |
University of Colorado Boulder
Jazz Studies Audition
Information
Jazz Saxophone
Audition Requirements
Applicants
should be prepared to play at least fifteen minutes of music consisting of
three or more contrasting jazz pieces or parts thereof as requested by the
audition committee, and one short saxophone etude or solo (without
accompaniment). It is expected that the music will be memorized (with exception
of the etude). A rhythm section will be provided for you. Students should pick
pieces that they can play most confidently, musically, and that demonstrate
stylistic understanding in the areas below.
- 12-Bar Blues: Play the melody and improvise over a jazz blues of your choice
such as: Blues for Alice, Au Privave, Blues Walk, Now’s The Time
- Medium Up-Tempo Swing: Play the melody and improvise over a jazz tune of your
choice such as: Green Dolphin Street, All the Things You Are, Have You Met
Miss Jones?, Lady Bird, Autumn Leaves, My Romance, Stella by Starlight,
Days of Wine and Roses
- Bebop: Play
the melody and improvise over a bop tune such as Donna Lee, Confirmation,
Ornithology, Oleo
- Latin/Bossa: Play
the melody and improvise over a Latin of your choice such as: Black
Orpheus, Blue Bossa, Girl From Impanema, Triste, Wave
- Ballad: Play
a ballad of your choice (melody and improvisation) such as: In a
Sentimental Mood, Body and Soul, What’s New?, My One and Only Love, Misty,
My Foolish Heart
- Jazz Waltz: Play
the melody and improvise over a jazz waltz such as: Someday My Prince Will
Come, Up Jumped Spring, All Blues, Bluesette
The
audition will also include sight reading of big band parts and chord changes,
and demonstration of scales (major and all minors, ascending and descending)
through the full range of the instrument.
Live
auditions are strongly preferred. Students who are unable to
travel to Boulder for a live audition may submit a high-quality recorded
audition. Please see the Recorded
Audition Guidelines for information on submitting a recording.
Jazz Trumpet
Audition Requirements
Applicants
should be prepared to play at least fifteen minutes of music consisting of
three or more contrasting pieces or parts thereof as requested by the audition
committee. It is expected that the music will be memorized. A rhythm section
will be provided for you. Students should pick pieces that they can play most
confidently, musically, and that demonstrate stylistic understanding in the
areas below.
- 12-Bar Blues: Play the melody and improvise over a jazz blues of your choice
such as: Blues for Alice, Au Privave, Blues Walk, Now’s The Time
- Medium Up-Tempo Swing: Play the melody and improvise over a jazz tune of your
choice such as: Green Dolphin Street, All the Things You Are, Have You Met
Miss Jones?, Lady Bird, Autumn Leaves, My Romance, Stella by Starlight,
Days of Wine and Roses
- Bebop: Play
the melody and improvise over a bop tune such as Donna Lee, Confirmation,
Ornithology, Oleo
- Latin/Bossa: Play
the melody and improvise over a Latin of your choice such as: Black
Orpheus, Blue Bossa, Girl From Impanema, Triste, Wave
- Ballad: Play
a ballad of your choice (melody and improvisation) such as: In a
Sentimental Mood, Body and Soul, What’s New?, My One and Only Love, Misty,
My Foolish Heart
- Jazz Waltz: Play
the melody and improvise over a jazz waltz such as: Someday My Prince Will
Come, Up Jumped Spring, All Blues, Bluesette
The
audition will also include sight reading of big band parts and chord changes,
and demonstration of scales (major and all minors, ascending and descending)
through your full range.
Live
auditions are strongly preferred. Students who are unable to
travel to Boulder for a live audition may submit a high-quality recorded
audition. Please see the Recorded
Audition Guidelines for information on submitting a recording.
Jazz Trombone
Audition Requirements
Applicants
should be prepared to play three or more contrasting pieces. It is expected
that the music will be memorized. A rhythm section will be provided for you.
Students should pick pieces that they can play most confidently, musically, and
that demonstrate stylistic understanding in the areas below.
- 12-Bar Blues: Play the melody and improvise over a jazz blues of your choice
such as: Blues for Alice, Au Privave, Blues Walk, Now’s The Time
- Medium Up-Tempo Swing: Play the melody and improvise over a jazz tune of your
choice such as: Green Dolphin Street, All the Things You Are, Have You Met
Miss Jones?, Lady Bird, Autumn Leaves, My Romance, Stella by Starlight,
Days of Wine and Roses
- Bebop: Play
the melody and improvise over a bop tune such as Donna Lee, Confirmation,
Ornithology, Oleo
- Latin/Bossa: Play
the melody and improvise over a Latin of your choice such as: Black
Orpheus, Blue Bossa, Girl From Impanema, Triste, Wave
- Ballad: Play
a ballad of your choice (melody and improvisation) such as: In a
Sentimental Mood, Body and Soul, What’s New?, My One and Only Love, Misty,
My Foolish Heart
- Jazz Waltz: Play
the melody and improvise over a jazz waltz such as: Someday My Prince Will
Come, Up Jumped Spring, All Blues, Bluesette
The
audition will also include sight reading of big band parts and chord changes,
and demonstration of scales (major and all minors, ascending and descending)
through your full range.
Live
auditions are strongly preferred. Students who are unable to
travel to Boulder for a live audition may submit a high-quality recorded
audition. Please see the Recorded
Audition Guidelines for information on submitting a recording.
Jazz Piano
Audition Requirements
Applicants
whose major emphasis is jazz piano should be prepared to play at least 15
minutes of music consisting of three or more contrasting pieces or parts
thereof as requested by the audition committee. It is expected that the music
will be memorized. Students should pick pieces that they can play most
confidently and musically, and that demonstrate stylistic understanding in the
areas listed below.
The
following is a list of possible repertoire selections:
- Ballad: In A
Sentimental Mood, Body And Soul, What’s New, My One And Only Love, Misty
- 12 Bar-Blues:
"Blues For Alice, Au Privave, Blues Walk, Now’s The Time
- Medium-Up Tempo Swing: Green Dolphin Street, All The Things You Are, Have You Met Miss
Jones, Lady Bird, Autumn Leaves, My Romance, Stella By Starlight, Days Of
Wine and Roses
- Be Bop: Donna
Lee, Confirmation, Ornithology, Oleo, Joy Spirng
- Latin/Bossa:
Black Orpheus, Blue Bossa, The Girl From Ipanema, Triste, Wave
- Tunes in 3/4: A
Child is Born, Bluesette, Someday My Prince Will Come, Valse
Hot
In
addition to the jazz requirements listed above, jazz piano applicants must also
play one classical excerpt (three minutes in length)
- The classical piece can be of a style
period of your choice (Baroque, Classical, or Romantic for
example). Additionally, please provide a list of any other
classical repertoire you have studied or performed.
Some
suggestions for appropriate audition repertoire include:
- Invention in A minor, No. 13 by J.S. Bach
- Sonatina in C Major, Op. 55, No. 1 by F.
Kuhlau
- "Venetian Gondolier," Op. 19, No.
6 by F. Mendelssohn
- Prelude in E minor, Op. 28, No. 4 by F.
Chopin
- Sonatina Op. 13, No. 1 by D. Kabalevsky
Live
auditions are strongly preferred. Students who are unable to
travel to Boulder for a live audition may submit a high-quality recorded
audition. Please see the Recorded Audition Guidelines for information on
submitting a recording.
For
further information about the jazz piano program, please contact Jeff Jenkins or Andrew Cooperstock.
Jazz Guitar
Preliminary
Recordings
All
applicants must submit a high-quality recording. Recordings must be submitted
via your application checklist page on the CU Boulder Admissions page. Recordings
will not be reviewed until both a CU-Boulder and College of Music application
has been received.
Repertoire
for the preliminary recording is the same as for the live audition (see below).
Live auditions will be granted to applicants chosen from these recordings.
Deadline
to submit application and recording: December 1
Live
Audition Requirements
Applicants
should be prepared to play at least fifteen minutes of music consisting of
three or more contrasting pieces or parts thereof as requested by the audition
committee. It is expected that the music will be memorized. A rhythm section
will be provided for you to play with. Students should pick pieces that they
can play most confidently, musically, and that demonstrate stylistic
understanding in the areas below.
- 12-Bar Blues: Play the melody and demonstrate comping (i.e., chords)
over a jazz blues of your choice such as: Blues for Alice, Au Privave,
Blues Walk, Now’s The Time
- Medium Up-Tempo Swing: Demonstrate guitar comping interspersed with some
single-note jazz phrases over a jazz tunes of your choice such as: Green
Dolphin Street, All the Things You Are, Have You Met Miss Jones?, Lady
Bird, Autumn Leaves, My Romance, Stella by Starlight, Days of Wine and
Roses
- Bebop: Play
the head on a bop tune such as Donna Lee, Confirmation, Ornithology, Oleo
- Latin/Bossa: Play
the chords to a Latin tune (or chord melody arrangement) of your choice
such as: Black Orpheus, Blue Bossa, Girl From Impanema, Triste, Wave
- Ballad: Play
a ballad of your choice in chord melody style, such as: In a Sentimental
Mood, Body and Soul, What’s New?, My One and Only Love, Misty, My Foolish
Heart
- Jazz Waltz: Play
the head and comp on a jazz waltz such as: Someday My Prince Will Come, Up
Jumped Spring, All Blues, Bluesette
Live
auditions are strongly preferred. Students who are unable to
travel to Boulder for a live audition may submit a high-quality recorded
audition. Please see the Recorded
Audition Guidelines for information on submitting a recording.
Jazz Bass
Audition Requirements
Applicants
should be prepared to play music consisting of three or more contrasting jazz
pieces. It is expected that the music will be memorized. A drummer and pianist
will be provided during your audition. Students should pick pieces that they
can play most confidently, musically, and that demonstrate stylistic
understanding in the areas below.
- 12-Bar Blues: Play the melody, walk bass lines, and improvise over a jazz
blues of your choice such as: Blues for Alice, Au Privave, Blues Walk,
Now’s The Time
- Medium Up-Tempo Swing: Play the melody, walk bass lines, and improvise over a
jazz swing tune of your choice such as: Green Dolphin Street, All the
Things You Are, Have You Met Miss Jones?, Lady Bird, Autumn Leaves, My
Romance, Stella by Starlight, Days of Wine and Roses
- Bebop Play
the melody, walk bass lines, and improvise over a bop tune such as Donna
Lee, Confirmation, Ornithology, Oleo
- Latin/Bossa: Play
the melody, walk bass lines, and improvise over a Latin of your choice
such as: Black Orpheus, Blue Bossa, Girl From Impanema, Triste, Wave
- Ballad: Play
a ballad of your choice (w/accompaniment) such as: In a Sentimental Mood,
Body and Soul, What’s New?, My One and Only Love, Misty, My Foolish Heart
- Jazz Waltz: Play
the melody, walk bass lines, and improvise over a jazz waltz such as:
Someday My Prince Will Come, Up Jumped Spring, All Blues, Bluesette
The
audition will also include sight reading and demonstration of scales (major and
all minors, ascending and descending).
Live
auditions are strongly preferred. Students who are unable to
travel to Boulder for a live audition may submit a high-quality recorded
audition. Please see the Recorded
Audition Guidelines for information on submitting a recording.
NOTE: As part of acceptance into the jazz degree program, you must also
complete a classical audition with Dr. Paul Erhard, Professor of Bass.
Jazz Drums
Audition Requirements
Applicants
should prepare and bring (with copies for bass and piano) four pieces of music
(1 tune for each feel) from the jazz repertoire that will demonstrate the
ability to play the following:
- Bright 4/4 Swing (mm=290+): Tunes such as Donna Lee, Confirmation, Ornithology, Oleo,
Have You Met Miss Jones?, Lady Bird, Cherokee
- Latin (Samba, Bossa, or Salsa): Tunes such as: Black Orpheus, Blue Bossa, Girl From
Impanema, Triste, Wave, One Note Samba, Night in Tunisia
- Jazz Waltz: Tunes
such as Someday My Prince Will Come, Up Jumped Spring, All Blues,
Bluesette
- Funk or Hip Hop
- Blues: Play
12 bars of time, then outline the melodic and rhythmic contour of a 12-bar
blues piece. Repeat the previous 24 measures two more times.
- Excerpts: Play a 16-32 measure excerpt of a big band chart that
demonstrates ability to set up ensemble figures. Please bring parts to the
audition for the accompanying bassist and pianist. Also be prepared to
sight read a big band excerpt.
Live
auditions are strongly preferred. Students who are unable to
travel to Boulder for a live audition may submit a high-quality recorded
audition. Please see the Recorded
Audition Guidelines for information on submitting a recording.
Updated on 08/22/2018