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Listed below are the audition procedures as well as the various audition requirements/repertoire for each degree level.

Prescreening Procedures

• All jazz applicants are required to submit a CD (no minidisks) with the application for prescreening purposes, in order to receive an invitation to a live audition in New York City. It is not required that the format be a professional or studio recording, but the sound quality must be as good as possible.
• Repertoire for the prescreening recording must demonstrate the ability to improvise and play with a rhythm section, using a live band or play-along recording.
  
  1. Required piece (must be first on the recording): the 12-Bar Blues piece, Billie's Bounce in medium tempo (minimum of four improvised choruses).
  2. Perform three other selections (one must be a ballad) in different jazz styles, moods, and tempos (minimum of two improvised choruses for each selection).
  3. Demonstrate at least four choruses of walking bass lines on Billie's Bounce and two choruses of walking bass lines on each stylistic selection.

Audition Procedures

• Applicants who pass the prescreening portion of the audition will be invited for a live audition in New York City.
  
• All auditions are approximately 10 minutes in length. Each applicant chooses his/her first work, and the faculty will choose a second and possibly third work from the audition repertoire list provided by the applicant.
  
• Applicants should audition on either acoustic or electric bass, not both. Please choose the instrument which would be your primary focus at Manhattan School of Music.
  
• Rhythm section, amplifiers, and a drum set (without cymbals) will be provided. Applicants must provide music for the trio. Auditioning students may provide their own rhythm section players if they choose.
  
• Play-along recordings are not acceptable for a live audition.

Undergraduate Audition Requirements

1. Demonstrate ability to improvise and play with a rhythm section.
2. Three different selections (one must be a ballad) in different jazz styles, moods and tempos.
   
3. Sight-reading.
   

Graduate (non-doctoral) Audition Requirements

1. Demonstrate ability to improvise and play with a rhythm section at a graduate level of advancement.
   
2. Ten selections (including two ballads) in different jazz styles, moods, and tempos performed from memory.
   
3. Sight-reading.

Doctoral Jazz Arts Advancement Program Audition Requirements

• For more information about this exciting advanced degree program, click here.