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Audition requirements

In-person live: Prepare at least 3 selections of your choice from the styles and recommended songs listed below.

• 12-bar blues: Play the melody and then improvise over the form 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 then improvise over the form of a jazz “standard” 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 the form on a bop tune such as Donna Lee, Confirmation, Ornithology, Oleo
• Latin/Bossa: Play the melody and improvise over the form on a tune such as: Black Orpheus, Blue Bossa, Girl From Impanema, Triste, Wave
• Ballad: Play the melody and improvise over the form on a tune 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 the form on a tune such as: Someday My Prince Will Come, Up Jumped Spring, All Blues, Bluesette

Recorded:
If you choose to submit a recorded audition, then record at least 3 selections of your choice from the styles listed below. You can submit more than 3 if you like. You may submit separate recordings or a single continuous recording.

Note: For accompaniment on your recorded audition, students can record with a live band or use play-along tracks such as iReal Pro, Aebersold recordings or “Learn Jazz Standards” on YouTube.​

Virtual-live:
Students participating in virtual live jazz auditions can expect to use this as an opportunity to ask/answer questions; jazz auditions will be 15 minutes each. Additionally, students should prepare a jazz etude or transcription 3-5 minutes in length to perform. No accompaniment is needed.

Degree sheets

Jazz trumpet studio      

Graduate (MM) jazz applicant requirements

Options: Jazz bass, jazz drum set, jazz guitar, jazz piano, jazz saxophone, jazz trombone, jazz trumpet and jazz voice.

Pre-screening recording

A pre-screening recording is required for all graduate jazz performance and pedagogy applicants. Live auditions will be granted to applicants chosen from these recordings. Applicants will be notified of the faculty decision no later than one month prior to any live audition.

Pre-screening recording requirements

• Five different jazz tunes (applicant’s choice), representing five contrasting styles and tempos. Examples of styles include: Latin jazz, Blues, Ballads, Bebop, Funk, ECM, Free Jazz, Jazz Standards (Monk, Ellington, Mingus, etc.) and Great American Songbook/Standards (Porter, Gershwin, etc.).  
  • For all instruments, you should record the melody followed by at least one chorus of improvisation. For rhythm section instruments, include an additional chorus of accompaniment (comping, walking bass, etc.).
  • Vocalists may sing wordless vocals or compose their own lyrics for songs without lyrics. 
• Applicants can also upload and submit any additional materials (e.g. arrangements, compositions, copies of recitals or other recordings, written articles, etc.) along with their pre-screening recordings online.

Applicants are required to upload their additional materials along with their recordings to the  by Dec. 1. 

Graduate degree sheets

• MM jazz performance + pedagogy

Thompson Jazz Studies Program     

Graduate (DMA) jazz applicant requirements

Options: Jazz bass, jazz drum set, jazz guitar, jazz piano, jazz saxophone, jazz trombone, jazz trumpet and jazz voice.

Pre-screening recording

A pre-screening recording is required for all graduate jazz studies applicants. Live auditions will be granted to applicants chosen from these recordings. Applicants will be notified of the faculty decision no later than one month prior to any live audition.

Pre-screening recording requirements

• Five different jazz tunes (applicant’s choice), representing five contrasting styles and tempos.  Examples of styles include:  Latin jazz, Blues, Ballads, Bebop, Funk, ECM, Free Jazz, Jazz Standards (Monk, Ellington, Mingus, etc), Great American Songbook/Standards (Porter, Gershwin, etc.).  
  • For all instruments, you should record the melody followed by at least one chorus of improvisation. For rhythm section instruments, include an additional chorus of accompaniment (comping, walking bass, etc.).
  • Vocalists may sing wordless vocals or compose their own lyrics for songs without lyrics.
• Applicants can also upload and submit any additional materials (e.g. arrangements, compositions, copies of recitals or other recordings, written articles, etc.) along with their pre-screening recordings online.

Applicants are required to upload their additional materials along with their recordings to the  by Dec. 1. 

Graduate degree sheets 

• DMA jazz performance

Thompson Jazz Studies Program  

For information about the Artist Diploma in jazz studies, please contact John Gunther.