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LAST UPDATED: April 11, 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:
- Friday, August 25 10 a.m. - 12 p.m., 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. | MU 279
- Friday, August 26 10 a.m. - 12 p.m | MU 279
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: 1-4 p.m. | MU 142
- Thursday, August 25: 1-5 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 p.m. - 4 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 p.m. - 5 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:
- TBA - Email Prof. Leali (Brad.Leali@unt.edu) for more information.
There are several different procedures this year so please read the following bullet points. We will be offering an improvisation component to the audition process - see above. Your improvisation will be used to help determine Lab band and/or JCM (Jazz Chamber Music) placements. The audition will consist of two sight-reading examples and one tune for improvisation. You may choose your improvisation from the tunes listed in the Jazz Chamber Music section.
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 a.m. - 3 p.m. | MU 107
- Thursday, August 25: 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. | MU 107
Links:
Fall 2022 UNT Trombone Lab Band Prepared Piece
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
Audition Dates and Location:
- TBA - Email Prof. Dizack (Philip.Dizack@unt.edu) for more information.
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 a.m. - 5 p.m. | MU 263
- Friday, August 26: 10 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:
- Solo Chair Placements for Lab Bands
- 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.
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
5 points available
10 points available
15 points available
20 points available
There Will Never Be Another You
Whisper Not
Along Came Betty
Dolphin Dance
Yardbird Suite
Confirmation
Ornithology
Airegin
***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
Lab
Day
Time
Room
Jazz Strings Ens.
T / Th
11-12:20 pm
Lab West (282)
U-Tubes
M / W
11-11:50 am
263
Latin Jazz Lab Band
M W F
12-12:50 pm
282
Zebras
T / Th
11-12:20 pm
263
UNT Jazz Singers
M
12-12:50
263
T / Th
12:30-1:50pm
262
F
1-1:50pm
282
West End
T / Th
5-6:20 pm
263
Avenue C
M / W
12-12:50 pm
263
F
12-1:50 pm
263
Aurora
M / W
5-6:20 pm
263
Jazz Vocal Techniques
M / W
1-1:50 pm
263
L-5 (Guitar)
M / T / W / Th
5-5:50 pm
262
Super 400 (Guitar)
M / T / W / Th
6-6:50 pm
262
One O'Clock Lab Band
M / T / W / Th
1-1:50 pm
282
Two O'Clock Lab Band
M / T / W / Th
2-2:50 pm
282
Three O'Clock Lab Band
M / T / W / Th
3-3:50 pm
282
Four O'Clock Lab Band
M / T / W / Th
2-2:50 pm
263
Five O'Clock Lab Band
M / T / W / Th
3-3:50 pm
263
Six O'Clock Lab Band
M / T / W / Th
5-5:50 pm
282
Seven O'Clock Lab Band
M / T / W / Th
7-7:50 pm
263