Undergraduate Auditions

1. Saxophone, trumpet, trombone, piano, guitar, string bass/electric bass, drum set 
   1. Two contrasting jazz standards* (including melody & improvisation) 
   2. An étude or solo transcription 
   3. A notated “classical” selection (from any period) 
   4. Sight reading may be required at the discretion of the faculty 

   *Suggested standards: Billie’s Bounce, Oleo, Solar, All the Things You Are, Body and Soul, Blue Bossa, Beautiful Love, Out of Nowhere, Doxy, Summertime. 

   Instrument-specific Additional Requirements: 

   Drummers: 

   1. Various styles & tempos (swing, shuffle, Afro-Cuban, samba, ballad, funk, etc.) 
   2. Proficiency with brushes 
   3. Select an étude from “Portraits in Rhythm” by Anthony J. Cirone 
   4. A prepared mallet solo to demonstrate proficiency in reading pitched notation.

   Guitarists: 

   1. Comping on the jazz selections 
   2. Major scales and minor pentatonic scales in two octaves 
   3. Chord forms with the root on 6th and 5th strings: Maj7, dom7, mi7, half-dim7, dim7 

   Pianists: 

   1. Comping and improvising on the jazz selections 

   String Bass/Electric Bass: 

   1. Improvised walking bass lines on the selected jazz standards  
   2. Two scales in two or three octaves. Choose one major and one minor (natural, harmonic or melodic) 

Graduate Pre-Screening

1. Three to five performances with a rhythm section. Include a variety of tempos and styles. 

If invited for a live audition, it is not necessary that the repertoire prepared for the audition be identical to the pre-screening materials.

Graduate Auditions

1. If invited for a live audition, prepare: 
   1. A medium tempo jazz standard (not a blues or rhythm changes piece) 
   2. An up-tempo rhythm changes piece 
   3. An original composition or a modern jazz piece composed after 1960. 
   4. A ballad 

   Perform the melody and several choruses of improvisation. Additionally, rhythm section players should be prepared to demonstrate their characteristic accompanying roles. 

   Play-a-long recorded accompaniment may be utilized if a UConn student rhythm section is unavailable for the audition. The applicant is responsible for providing lead sheets and audio tracks.