Audition/Registration Information

Auditions for the 2019-20 Columbus Youth Jazz season will take place May 4th and 11th.

Audition Process

• Auditions for the CYJ program are held in the spring each year and students are placed in one of four ensembles which will rehearse and perform from September until May of the 2019-20 school year.
• Any student can join the 8-week CYJ in the spring and fall. An audition is highly encouraged, but not required for participation in the CYJ Lab.

Audition Advice:

We look forward to hearing you play and want you to have a successful audition and experience. As you play through your audition, we will be listening/watching for the following:

• Your sound and tone/touch
• Your ability to read music
• Ability to demonstrate a jazz or swing feel
• Knowledge of basic scales
• Basic knowledge of counting and playing rhythms (16^th notes, triplets. etc.)

Your private music instructor and/or band director can be helpful to you as you prepare for this audition.

Audition Requirements:

1.) Students will be asked to play the ascending and descending B-Flat major scale. (Brass: two octaves if possible).

2.) Choose ONE selection from the following etudes, OR one of the standard jazz songs listed below. Students should be able to play the melody (memorization is preferred), and are encouraged to take an improvised solo. When in doubt, simply restate the melody, utilizing new rhythms and variations!

• Level 1 (for beginning/intermediate instrumentalists)
  • Alto and Baritone Saxophone
  • Tenor Saxophone
  • Trumpet
  • Trombone (Bass Clef instruments)
  • Guitar & Piano 
  • Bass
  • Drums
• Level 2 (for intermediate/advanced instrumentalists)
  • Alto and Baritone Saxophone
  • Tenor Saxophone
  • Trumpet
  • Trombone (Bass Clef instruments)
  • Bass Trombone
  • Guitar & Piano
  • Bass
  • Drums
• Students may choose to play the melody and an improvised solo on a memorized jazz standard from the following list in lieu of (or in addition to) the prepared etudes:
  • Tenor Madness
  • Satin Doll
  • Autumn Leaves
  • Billie’s Bounce
  • Yardbird Suite
  • Anthropology (Thriving on a Riff)
• These pieces are considered to be standards that developing jazz musicians should know. They are listed in order of difficulty. Sheet music with play-a-long audio tracks can be found in the following Jamey Aebersold Play-a-long books: Volume 54 and Volume 6.

3.) You will be asked to perform a sight reading excerpt, to be chosen by the panel based on age/skill level.