Ten Tips for a Successful All-State Jazz Ensemble Audition

by Barb Shinaver, California Alliance for Jazz

Help guide your students to a successful audition for the All-State Vocal and Big Band Jazz Ensembles

The California Alliance for Jazz is here to help all music educators teach the language and performance of jazz to their students. Join CAJ today! https://www.cajazz.org/join

1. Begin preparing for the audition as soon as possible. The materials and instructions are posted NOW on the CAJ website https://www.cajazz.org/honor-groups. 2. Make sure both you and your students know what is expected by thoroughly reading the directions for individual instruments. Rhythm section requirements are fairly independent from the horns. Certain chairs have specialized etudes, such as high school bass trombone or lead trumpet. 3. Encourage your students to listen to many different versions of the standard for the current cycle so they can begin to learn the tune. Jazz standards are best learned by transcribing the melody by ear from a professional recording. Starting in the summer allows for plenty of time to complete this process, and also to research the tune to become familiar with multiple recordings and approaches. While the standard performance of the required tune is acceptable to submit (i.e., Aebersold tracks), listening to how different artists play the melody will positively enhance your student’s approach to the tune. 4. Encourage your students to dive into the chord changes so that their improvisation can communicate their understanding of the harmonic rhythm. Often, it is quite obvious when listening to solos whether the performer truly “knows” the tune. There are many resources online that can show you various approaches on how to learn the melody, know the root motion, spell various patterns over chords, build vocabulary, transcribing professional recordings, or to begin jazz improvisation. Here is an excellent article by Maria Schneider: "How to Improvise When You Lack Confidence." 5. Check in with your student at least monthly to monitor their progress on the etudes and standard. There are many details (articulation, stylistic considerations in rhythm, execution, dynamics, etc.) to demonstrate mastery of the material. Playing with good time and feeling the “space” with good time in the rests are two of the biggest indicators as to whether or not the student is prepared. 6. Make sure your students can perform the chromatic scale in a way that demonstrates proficiency throughout the range of the instrument. Make sure your student takes the scale just as seriously as the rest of the audition material as ultimately it is a reflection on the student’s command of their instrument. 7. Aid your student in discovering multiple approaches to practicing. An excellent technique is for the musician to record themselves throughout the preparation process so that the final recording session is not the first recording of this content.

Determine what the final recording setup might be and produce mock recordings months in advance. 8. Encourage your students to seek feedback from you, but also from private instructors or professionals in your area as well. If your student doesn’t currently take private lessons, it is possible to produce a successful audition recording, but connecting them with someone who will further assist in preparing their audition in a specialized manner may inspire your student to pursue further studies. 9. Schedule your final recording session at least two weeks prior to the December deadline. Murphy’s Law says “Whatever can go wrong, WILL go wrong” and this is especially true in recording sessions. 10. These guidelines and suggestions also apply to All-State Vocal

Jazz Ensemble auditionees. Be sure to read instructions, begin preparations early, identify the elements needed for your audition and seek help from qualified private voice coaches for frequent feedback.

Please share these suggestions with your students, as ultimately the choice is theirs as to whether or not they will prepare to the level necessary to best set themselves up for success. In my experience, I have found that most students learn the best lessons on preparation when they start early and do more than they normally would have otherwise done. Typically, the results will work out in their favor and in the very least improve their personal musicianship and sense of responsibility in preparing ANYTHING by reading instructions carefully, starting early, revising and seeking guidance on their performance, and following through to a successful completion.