Jazz Arts

Step 1: Prescreen

Jazz bass applicants are required to submit a video recording for either acoustic or electric bass to be considered for an invitation to a live audition. Applicants wishing to be considered for both acoustic and electric should submit two applications and submit separate recordings for each.

Undergraduate: Bachelor of Music (BM)

On all tunes we want to hear you play the melody, walk (or “tune/style appropriate” accompaniment”), and solo. End your solo with the last few bars of the melody so it feels like a complete piece of music.

• Billie’s Bounce
  • Quarter Note = 145–160
• Three additional selections in different jazz styles, moods, keys, and tempos (minimum of two improvised choruses for each selection).
  • One of the additional selections must be a ballad. One improvised chorus will be sufficient for the ballad. Two choruses of appropriate bass lines on each selection.
  • You are welcome to use the Graduate requirements for tune suggestions.

Master of Music (MM)

On all tunes we want to hear you play the melody, walk (or “tune/style appropriate” accompaniment”), and solo. End your solo with the last few bars of the melody so it feels like a complete piece of music.

• Billie’s Bounce
  • Quarter Note = 145-160
• Choose Between:
  • Stablemates (Preferred)
    • Quarter Note = 160-184
  • Invitation
    • Quarter Note = 160-184
  • Along Came Betty
    • Quarter Note = 160-184
• Choose Between:
  • Old Folks (Preferred)
    • Quarter Note = 70-80
  • Body and Soul
    • Quarter Note = 70-80

Doctoral Jazz Arts Advancement Program (DMA) 

Click here for more information 

Step 2: Audition

Undergraduate: Bachelor of Music (BM):

On all tunes we want to hear you play the melody, walk (or “tune/style appropriate” accompaniment”), and solo. End your solo with the last few bars of the melody so it feels like a complete piece of music.

• Three different selections (one must be a ballad) in different jazz styles, moods, meters, and tempos. 
  • On all selections, play the melody, walk (or “style appropriate accompaniment”) and solo. End your solo with the last few bars of the melody to close out the piece.  
  • Applicants are encouraged to submit a diverse repertoire including but not limited to works by people from historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, genders, and/or cultures. Choosing works that represent the applicant’s own cultural background are also welcomed. 
• Demonstrate ability to improvise and play with a rhythm section. 
• Sight-reading. 

Master of Music (MM):

On all tunes we want to hear you play the melody, walk (or “tune/style appropriate” accompaniment”), and solo. End your solo with the last few bars of the melody so it feels like a complete piece of music.  

• Stablemates
  • Key of Db
  • Quarter Note = 176
• Misterioso
  • Key of Bb
  • Quarter Note = 60-80
• Alone Together
  • Medium Swing

Doctoral Jazz Arts Advancement Program (DMA) 

Click here for more information 

Step 1: Prescreen

Master of Music (MM):

Composition Review Requirements

Jazz composition applicants must submit a portfolio of transposed scores and edited recordings of at least four compositions for large ensembles.

• Three of the compositions must be written for full big band. (4 trumpet, 4 trombone, 5 saxes and rhythm section)
• At least one of these selections should be for studio orchestra or an ensemble of no less than 10 members.
• At least one of the four pieces must include a vocal part (lyrics or vocalese or both) or a vocal ensemble section. Live recordings are preferred, but if they are not available, MIDI-realized recordings are acceptable.
• Only one piece from the pre-screening is allowed to be resubmitted should the student move to an in-person auditions.

A single 10- to 12-minute edited audio file containing recordings of the works included in the portfolio should be uploaded to the application. The recordings should include only the written (composed) portions of the work: if improvised sections are included in the recording, they should feature composed background information. PDF files for each of the scores represented should also be uploaded to the application. You may submit other scores as well.

Performance Review Requirements
Jazz composition applicants must also upload a video of their playing to their application including the following:

• Billie’s Bounce by Charlie Parker in medium tempo (minimum of four improvised choruses).
• Two additional pieces in contrasting styles, feels, tempos, and keys.

Step 2: Audition

The audition consists of an exam and an interview. There is no performance component of the live audition.

Exam
Composition applicants will take a written entrance examination on various theoretical and practical matters pertaining to musical composition.

Interview
An interview will be scheduled following the written examination. Applicants should be prepared to present their composition assignment from the written exam as well as a selection of their compositions. These selections may be the same pieces submitted for prescreening. All scores should be presented in hard copy. Recordings of the selected compositions should be presented alongside the scores using either a CD or a device that can be patched into a stereo system (iPhone, MP3 player, laptop, etc.).

Step 1: Prescreen

Undergraduate: Bachelor of Music (BM) & Master of Music (MM):

• Required piece: 12-Bar Blues piece, Billie’s Bounce by Charlie Parker in medium tempo (no slower than quarter Note = 175). Minimum of four improvised choruses.  
• Three other selections (one must be a ballad) in different jazz styles, moods, keys, and tempos (minimum of two improvised choruses for each selection). For the ballad, one full chorus of melody, half a chorus of solo, melody out. 
• Repertoire for the prescreening recording must demonstrate the ability to improvise and play with a rhythm section using a live band. 

Doctoral Jazz Arts Advancement Program (DMA) 

Click here for more information 

Step 2: Audition

Undergraduate: Bachelor of Music (BM):

• Three different selections (one must be a ballad) in different jazz styles, moods, meters, keys, and tempos.
  • Applicants are encouraged to submit a diverse repertoire including but not limited to works by people from historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, genders, and/or cultures. Works that represent the applicant’s own cultural background are also welcomed. 
• OPTIONAL: Original compositions may be included as an additional submission, but they may not replace other requirements
• Etude Requirement: 48 Famous Studies for Oboe and Saxophone by W. Ferling. Please prepare both:
  • #23
  • #24
• Demonstrate ability to improvise and play with a rhythm section.
• Sight-reading (material will be provided)

Master of Music (MM):

• Two required pieces to be performed by all: Invitation and Body and Soul 
  • Choose contrasting tempos and feels
• Three other varied selections in contrasting jazz styles, moods, meters, keys, and tempos. 
  • Applicants are encouraged to submit a diverse repertoire including but not limited to works by people from historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, genders, and/or cultures. Works that represent the applicant’s own cultural background are also welcomed. 
• OPTIONAL: Original compositions may be included as an additional submission, but they may not replace other requirements.
• Etude Requirement: Twenty-Five Caprices by Sigfrid Karg-Elert. Please prepare:
  • Preambolo
• Demonstrate ability to improvise and play with a rhythm section.
• Sight-reading (material will be provided)

Doctoral Jazz Arts Advancement Program (DMA) 

Click here for more information 

Step 1: Prescreen

Undergraduate: Bachelor of Music (BM) & Master of Music (MM):

• Required piece: 12-Bar Blues piece, Billie’s Bounce by Charlie Parker in medium tempo (no slower than quarter Note = 175). Minimum of four improvised choruses.  
• Three other selections (one must be a ballad) in different jazz styles, moods, keys, and tempos (minimum of two improvised choruses for each selection). For the ballad, one full chorus of melody, half a chorus of solo, melody out. 
• Repertoire for the prescreening recording must demonstrate the ability to improvise and play with a rhythm section using a live band. 

Doctoral Jazz Arts Advancement Program (DMA) 

Click here for more information 

Step 2: Audition

Undergraduate: Bachelor of Music (BM):

• Three different selections (one must be a ballad) in different jazz styles, moods, meters, keys, and tempos.
  • Applicants are encouraged to submit a diverse repertoire including but not limited to works by people from historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, genders, and/or cultures. Works that represent the applicant’s own cultural background are also welcomed. 
• OPTIONAL: Original compositions may be included as an additional submission, but they may not replace other requirements
• Demonstrate ability to improvise and play with a rhythm section.
• Sight-reading (material will be provided)

Master of Music (MM):

• Two required pieces to be performed by all: Invitation and Body and Soul 
  • Choose contrasting tempos and feels
• Three other varied selections in contrasting jazz styles, moods, meters, keys, and tempos. 
  • Applicants are encouraged to submit a diverse repertoire including but not limited to works by people from historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, genders, and/or cultures. Works that represent the applicant’s own cultural background are also welcomed. 
• OPTIONAL: Original compositions may be included as an additional submission, but they may not replace other requirements.
• Demonstrate ability to improvise and play with a rhythm section.
• Sight-reading (material will be provided)

Doctoral Jazz Arts Advancement Program (DMA) 

Click here for more information 

Step 1: Prescreen

Undergraduate: Bachelor of Music (BM) & Master of Music (MM)

• Required piece (must be first on the recording): the 12-Bar Blues piece, Billie’s Bounce by Charlie Parker in medium tempo, no slower than Quarter Note = 175. Must include playing time for at least four choruses behind a soloist and at least two choruses of drum solo. 
• A medium tempo selection or a ballad demonstrating ability to perform with brushes. 
• Two additional selections in different jazz styles, moods, and tempos. Each selection must include at least three choruses of playing time behind a soloist and at least two choruses of trading fours, eights, and/or soloing. 

Doctoral Jazz Arts Advancement Program (DMA) 

Click here for more information 

Step 2: Audition

Auditions are approximately 15 minutes in length. You will choose a first work and the faculty will choose a second and possibly third work from the repertoire you have prepared.

Drum set (without cymbals) will be provided for the auditions. Applicants must bring their own cymbals, drumsticks, and hi-hat clutch. Rhythm section players will be provided to accompany the live audition. Applicants must provide music for the bass and piano players. Play-along recordings are not acceptable for the live auditions.

Undergraduate: Bachelor of Music (BM)

• Three different selections (one must be a ballad) in different jazz styles, moods, meters, and tempos.
  • Applicants are encouraged to submit a diverse repertoire including but not limited to works by people from historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, genders, and/or cultures. Works that represent the applicant’s own cultural background are also welcomed. 
• Demonstrate ability to improvise and play with a rhythm section.
• Sight-reading (material will be provided)

Master of Music (MM)

• Two required pieces to be performed by all: Invitation and Body and Soul 
  • Choose contrasting tempos and feels
• Eight selections (including two ballads) in different jazz styles, moods, meters, and tempos performed from memory.
  • Applicants are encouraged to submit a diverse repertoire including but not limited to works by people from historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, genders, and/or cultures. Works that represent the applicant’s own cultural background are also welcomed. 
• Demonstrate ability to improvise and play with a rhythm section at a graduate level of advancement.
• Sight-reading (material will be provided)

Doctoral Jazz Arts Advancement Program (DMA) 

Click here for more information 

Step 1: Prescreen

Undergraduate: Bachelor of Music (BM) & Master of Music (MM)

• Billie’s Bounce by Charlie Parker in medium tempo including the following:
  • Two choruses of comping.
  • Two improvised choruses.
• Two additional selections (one must be a ballad) in different jazz styles, feels, keys, and tempos (minimum of two improvised choruses for each medium and up tempo selection, one improvised chorus on the ballad will suffice).

Doctoral Jazz Arts Advancement Program (DMA) 

Click here for more information 

Step 2: Audition

Undergraduate: Bachelor of Music (BM):

• Three different selections (one must be a ballad) in different jazz styles, moods, meters, keys, and tempos.
  • Applicants are encouraged to submit a diverse repertoire including but not limited to works by people from historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, genders, and/or cultures. Works that represent the applicant’s own cultural background are also welcomed. 
• OPTIONAL: Original compositions may be included as an additional submission, but they may not replace other requirements
• Demonstrate ability to improvise and play with a rhythm section.
• Sight-reading (material will be provided)

Master of Music (MM):

• Two required pieces to be performed by all: Invitation and Body and Soul 
  • Choose contrasting tempos and feels
• Three other varied selections in contrasting jazz styles, moods, meters, keys, and tempos.
  • Applicants are encouraged to submit a diverse repertoire including but not limited to works by people from historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, genders, and/or cultures. Works that represent the applicant’s own cultural background are also welcomed. 
• OPTIONAL: Original compositions may be included as an additional submission, but they may not replace other requirements. 
• Demonstrate ability to improvise and play with a rhythm section.  
• Sight-reading (material will be provided)

Doctoral Jazz Arts Advancement Program (DMA) 

Click here for more information 

Step 1: Prescreen

Undergraduate: Bachelor of Music (BM) & Master of Music (MM):

• Billie’s Bounce by Charlie Parker in medium tempo including the following:
  • Two choruses of comping.
  • Two improvised choruses.
• Two additional selections (one must be a ballad) in different jazz styles, feels, keys, and tempos (minimum of two improvised choruses for each medium and up tempo selection, one improvised chorus on the ballad will suffice).
• One recording without a band or play-along track of a creative arrangement of a standard or original composition of your choice in the jazz piano style.

Doctoral Jazz Arts Advancement Program (DMA) 

Click here for more information 

Step 2: Audition

Undergraduate: Bachelor of Music (BM):

• Three different selections (one must be a ballad) in different jazz styles, moods, meters, keys, and tempos. 
  • Applicants are encouraged to submit diverse repertoire including but not limited to works by people from historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, genders, and/or cultures. Works that represent the applicant’s own cultural background are also welcomed.
• OPTIONAL: Original compositions may be included as an additional submission, but they may not replace other requirements
• Demonstrate ability to improvise and play with a rhythm section.
• Sight-reading (material will be provided)

Master of Music (MM):

• Two required pieces to be performed by all: Invitation and Body and Soul 
  • Choose contrasting tempos and feels
• Three additional selections in different jazz styles, moods, meters, keys, and tempos.  
  • Applicants are encouraged to submit diverse repertoire including but not limited to works by people from historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, genders, and/or cultures. Works that represent the applicant’s own cultural background are also welcomed. 

• OPTIONAL: Original compositions may be included as an additional submission, but they may not replace other requirements. 
• Demonstrate ability to improvise and play with a rhythm section.  
• Sight-reading (material will be provided)

Doctoral Jazz Arts Advancement Program (DMA) 

Click here for more information 

Jazz Voice is offered at the Graduate level.

Step 1: Prescreen

Master of Music (MM):

• Three Scales
  • Diatonic major scale
  • Harmonic minor scale
  • Whole tone scale
• One standard ballad; first eight bars sung a cappella, then in a ballad tempo (accompanied)
• One jazz standard (medium or up tempo); perform two choruses, with the first eight bars of the second chorus to be improvised, using either scat syllables or altering the melody by choosing notes that demonstrate an awareness of the harmony (standards should be selected from the songbooks of composers such as Gershwin, Ellington, Fields, Strayhorn, Arlen, Rodgers & Hart, Kern, Berlin, etc.)
• One contemporary jazz composition from 1970 – today, sung without lyrics (can be an original)
• One original composition and/or lyric by the applicant (this could also be a vocalese)

Doctoral Jazz Arts Advancement Program (DMA) 

Click here for more information 

Step 2: Audition

Master of Music (MM)

• Prepare 10 songs of different styles, tempi, keys and origin. Six selections must be from the traditional Jazz Repertoire. Two selections must be ballads from memory. Please include:
  • One standard ballad
    • At least 8 bars of a cappella somewhere in the arrangement
  • One jazz standard (medium or up tempo)
    • Perform two choruses, with the first eight bars of the second chorus to be improvised, using either scat syllables or altering the melody by choosing notes that demonstrate an awareness of the harmony (standards should be selected from the songbooks of composers such as Gershwin, Ellington, Fields, Strayhorn, Arlen, Rodgers & Hart, Kern, Berlin, etc.)
  • Eight additional works of contrasting nature
    • Aside from the traditional jazz repertoire, you can also choose:
      • Original material (self-accompaniment on a piece is encouraged and welcomed)
      • A contemporary modern jazz composition with or without lyrics from 1970 – today
      • A creatively personal arrangement of a composition that lies outside the jazz idiom (such as a pop, classical or world music piece)
• An improvisation over rhythm changes
• Sight-reading

Doctoral Jazz Arts Advancement Program (DMA) 

Click here for more information