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LAST UPDATED: August 2nd, 2022
Registrar's registration guide for Fall 2022: https://registrar.unt.edu/registration/fall-registration-guide

Jazz Private Lessons
Jazz private lesson sections for Fall 2022, including secondary lessons.

Jazz Lab Band, Vocal Jazz Ensemble, and Chamber Music Auditions
These auditions serve as placement mechanisms for the Lab Bands, Vocal Jazz Ensembles and Jazz Chamber Music small groups.
All students who plan to play in a jazz lab band must register for the Jazz Lab Band holding section:
MULB 1808.500 (UGRD) / 5174.500 (GRAD)
All students who plan to sing in a vocal jazz ensemble must register for the holding section:
MULB 1820.5­00 (UGRD) / 5174.522 (GRAD)
All students who plan to play in a jazz small group must register for the Jazz Chamber Music holding section:
MUCM 3550.500 (UGRD) / 5550.500 (GRAD)

Note: for Sign-Up sheets on OneDrive, you may need to log in with your UNT Email address to access.

INSTRUMENTS

Bass

Audition Dates and Location: 

• Thursday, August 25: 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.  | MU 279
• Friday, August 26 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m | MU 279

Links:

• Audition Information Sheet
• Audition Sign-Up Page

Jazz lab auditions take place each semester the week prior to the start of classes. They consist of sight-reading typical big band charts: reading notes, walking bass lines and soloing. Bring both acoustic and electric basses if you play both. Please be prepared to play (instruments out of the case and tuned) ten minutes before your scheduled audition time.

Drumset

Audition Dates and Locations:

• Wednesday, August 24: 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. | MU 142 

• Thursday, August 25: 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. | MU 282 (Lab West) 

To be eligible for jazz ensemble auditions, drummers must have the ability to sight-read and interpret representative drum charts unaccompanied in a sight-reading screening. This screening will be held before lab band auditions to determine the strongest sight-readers. 

Guitar

Audition Dates and Location:

• Friday, August 26: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. | MU 277 

Guitarists will perform a live audition before classes begin for ensemble and lesson or master class placement. This will focus on sight reading of both lines and chord changes and improvising. 

Piano

Audition Dates and Location:

• Friday, August 26: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. | MU 272 

Students must sign up for an audition time at MU272 and arrive at least 10 minutes early to their scheduled time. Auditioning students should be prepared to play and improvise over a jazz standard or original composition of their choosing. 

Saxophone

Audition Dates and Location:

• Sunday, August 28th: 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. | MU 330

Link:

• Audition Sign-Up Page

There are several changes this year so please read the following information.
The audition will consist of sight-reading different Jazz styles, tempos, time signatures, etc. Students auditioning for JCM will additionally sight-read one Jazz standard for improvisation. During the audition, those improvising will be given an option of three different Jazz standards of varying levels of difficulty to choose from. These will help to determine JCM group placement.

Strings

Audition Dates and Location:

• TBA - Email Prof. Tixier (Scott.Tixier@unt.edu) for more information.

Trombone

Audition Dates and Location:

• Wednesday, August 24: 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. | MU 107 

• Thursday, August 25: 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. | MU 107 

Links:

• Fall 2022 UNT Trombone Lab Band Prepared Piece
• Sign-Up Sheet

Auditions will consist of:

• Prepared piece
• Sight reading
• Optional improvisation on a tune of your choice
• For the improvisation segment, Students should select from the list of Jazz Chamber Music Audition Tunes listed above. Improvisation is required for those enrolling in Jazz Chamber Music and those who wish to be considered for a "jazz chair" in an upper lab band. Please arrive with enough time to fill out the Lab Band/JCM Audition sheet.
• Jazz majors: This will also be your JCM audition.

Trumpet

• Review the UNT Jazz Trumpet Placement Audition Information and Checklist and follow the instructions there to sign up.

Auditions will consist of Sight Reading, Improvisation, and a prepared excerpt for lead players. You may perform along with the recording at full speed, at 90% speed or at 80% speed. Please be prepared to play all choruses, if possible. It is HIGHLY recommended (necessary) to practice along with the recording. The sheet music alone does not convey the proper emphasis and feel you will observe by listening to the jazz master. For the improvisation segment, Students should select from the list of Jazz Chamber Music Audition Tunes listed at the link. Improvisation is required for those enrolling in Jazz Chamber Music and those who wish to be considered for a "jazz chair" in an upper lab band. Please arrive with enough time to fill out the Lab Band/JCM Audition sheet.

Voice

Audition Dates and Location:

• Thursday, August 25: 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. | MU 263 

• Friday, August 26: 10:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. | MU 263 

Rhythm auditions will be by recommendation and placement from studio professors.

ENSEMBLES

Latin Jazz Lab

Audition Information: All students wishing to participate in Latin Lab auditions must complete the regular audition process with their major professor. Rhythm auditions will be by recommendation and placement from studio professors. Horn challenge auditions will be heard by José Aponte with approval from studio professors. Please contact Jose.Aponte@unt.edu for complete audition info.

Zebras Contemporary Ensembles

Audition Materials: Audition tunes will be chosen approximately one week prior to the audition.

Instructions:

• This audition will include keys, bass, drums, and vocalists only. Horns will be assigned based on lab band auditions. 
• This will be an all-play audition, meaning everyone will get together and play as a group. There are no individual auditions, and this process will last approximately two hours.

Guide to Jazz Labs:

The following jazz labs count toward the 8 semester credit hours of music laboratory for undergraduates:

• MULB 1808 - Jazz Lab Band
• MULB 1817 - Jazz Guitar Laboratory
• MULB 1819 - Zebras Contemporary Ensemble (Jazz Keyboard Laboratory)
• MULB 1820 - Jazz Singers Laboratory
• MULB 1821 -  Latin Jazz Lab
• MULB 1821 - Jazz Strings Ensemble

JAZZ CHAMBER MUSIC

This process does not apply to jazz bassists or drummers who will be placed based upon regular audition.

Instrumentalist Placement Audition Guidelines & Form // Vocalist Placement Audition Guidelines & Form 

At the discretion of each professor, improvisation assessments will be made based on a 50-point system, similar to the one below. The final score will affect the following outcomes:

1. Solo Chair Placements for Lab Bands
2. Jazz Chamber Music (JCM) Placements

Higher scores will result in higher Lab Band and JCM placements. 

If you want to be considered for the higher placements, it is recommended that you choose a tune from Level 4 (see below). Be sure you are well prepared.

This process does not apply to jazz bassists or drummers who will be placed based upon regular audition.

There are four categories that will be considered: AGAIN, This process does not apply to jazz bassists or drummers who will be placed based upon regular audition.
1. Sound / Tone | 2. Feel & Time | 3. Harmonic Accuracy | 4. Overall Performance

Categories 1, 2 and 3 will each be rated from 1-10 (a total of 30 points). Category 4 will be on a sliding scale (up to 20 points) based on the difficulty of song selected.
Level 1 songs have a score range from 1-5
Level 3 songs have a score range from 1-15
Level 2 songs have a score range from 1-10
Level 4 songs have a score range from 1-20

Choose only ONE of the following songs. Backing tracks and sheet music available here. Saxophone sheet music is here. 

***A higher level song does not guarantee a higher score. It is recommended that you choose the appropriate level song that highlights your current strengths and abilities.

Ensemble Meeting Schedule