School Term Jazz Auditions 2022-23
Auditions for the 2022-23 season will take place on Friday, August 26th and Saturday, August 27th at Peace Church (1777 West Chatham St., Cary).

Click Here for Online Registration

Click here to apply for financial aid to cover the audition fee.  Financial aid forms for tuition will be made available after auditions.

There are four levels of jazz ensemble available through the Philharmonic Association during the school term:

• The Triangle Youth Jazz Ensemble is an award winning advanced group for predominantly high school players. The ensemble participates in the national Essentially Ellington competition through Jazz at Lincoln Center as well as the regional festival at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
• The Triangle Youth Jazz Orchestra is also for predominantly high school players and participates in the regional Essentially Ellington festival.
• The Triangle Youth Jazz Band is for players with less experience or who are in middle school.
• The Triangle Youth Jazz Lab provides beginning jazz ensemble training for musicians 4th grade and above with the goal of eventual transition to the Triangle Youth Jazz Band or Triangle Youth Jazz Orchestra. This ensemble is non-auditioned.  Click here to read more about our non-auditioned ensembles.

Jazz Auditions General Requirements

1. Scales: Musicians who only wish to be considered for TYJB should prepare a one or two octave major scale of their choice and be prepared to play a scale requested by the judges in one of the following keys: C, F, Bb, Eb, G, D, A. Those who wish to be considered for TYJO or TYJE should prepare a two octave major scale or a full range major scale and be prepared for the judges to request a major scale of any key.  All scales must be played from memory. When the Judges ask you to play a scale you will play the scale they ask for. You do not have to transpose the scale. For example if the judges ask for the G scale, you play the G scale and start on the note G no matter what key your instrument is in.
2. Excerpts: All students should prepare the basic excerpts. Students who want to be considered for TYJO and/or TYJE should also prepare the advanced excerpts. You will only be considered for TYJB if you play only the basic excerpts. Students should learn the entire assigned excerpt, but judges will ask for only specific sections during the audition.
3. Improvisation: To be considered for TYJE or TYJO, students must improvise to the pre-recorded backing track provided below. For the audition, the student will play along with the backing track through a speaker which will be provided.
4. Sight-reading: There will be a short sight-reading piece for all applicants.

2022 Audition Materials

Basic Excerpts: Required for ALL auditions

• Saxophones: Click here for alto sax part. Click here for tenor sax part. Click here for baritone sax part. For guidance, view this recording. If you cannot play the part at the tempo of the recording, you can play the part slower.
• Trumpet: Prepare up to letter i, and the judge will choose smaller sections within that section for you to play.  For guidance, view this recording. If you cannot play the part at the tempo of the recording, you can play the part slower.
• Trombone: Prepare up to letter i, and the judge will choose smaller sections within that section for you to play.  For guidance, view this recording. If you cannot play the part at the tempo of the recording, you can play the part slower.
• Piano: Follow these instructions. Note that the pianist should play the chords and NOT the vocal part.
• Bass: Follow these instructions.
• Guitar: Follow these instructions.
• Drums: Prepare Drum Set Excerpt (play along with this recording) and Drum Set Skills Sheet
• Vibes (start at Bar 9): Follow these instructions. Note that the vibraphonist should play the chords and NOT the vocal part.
• Vocals – All vocalists will be asked to sing one tune accompanied by one of the judges on piano. Please choose the tune below that best fits your range:
  • Orange Colored Sky – Click here for sample recording
  • Fly Me To The Moon – Click here for sample recording
  • Get Happy – Click here for sample recording
  • Almost Like Being in Love – Click here for sample recording

Advanced Excerpts: Required for TYJO and TYJE auditions

• Clarinet: Play from Solo at Letter I to the end. *Students may audition with clarinet as their secondary instrument, not as their primary instrument. A scale is not required for a clarinet audition. The student’s clarinet audition will take place during the same window of time as their primary instrument audition; a separate audition will not be scheduled. Note that auditioning with clarinet as a secondary instrument may boost a student’s overall audition score since the clarinet is very important in the Ellington repertoire and a clarinetist with good playing ability is highly valued. 
• Flute: View this recording for guidance. The judge will ask you to play some sections of the part.*Students may audition with flute as their secondary instrument, not as their primary instrument. A scale is not required for a flute audition.  The student’s flute audition will take place during the same window of time as their primary instrument audition; a separate audition will not be scheduled. Note that auditioning with flute as a secondary instrument may boost a student’s overall audition score since the flute is very important in the Ellington repertoire and a flautist with good playing ability is highly valued.
• Saxophone:
  • Alto Saxophone: Play both Excerpt 1 and Excerpt 2. The judge will ask you to play some sections of the part. For guidance, view this recording of Excerpt 1 and this recording of Excerpt 2.
  • Tenor Saxophone: Play both Excerpt 1 and Excerpt 2. The judge will ask you to play some sections of the part. For guidance, view this recording of Excerpt 1 and this recording of Excerpt 2.
  • Baritone Saxophone: Play both Excerpt 1 and Excerpt 2. The judge will ask you to play some sections of the part. For guidance, view this recording of Excerpt 1 and this recording of Excerpt 2.
• Trumpet: Play both Excerpt 1 (play the Soli only–from pickups to H to one bar before the DS al Coda) and Excerpt 2 ( from Letter C with pickups to Letter E). The judge will ask you to play some sections of the part. For guidance, view this recording of Excerpt 1 and this recording of Excerpt 2.
• Trombone: Play both Excerpt 1 (from beginning through letter D) and Excerpt 2 (from Letter F with pickups to Letter H). The judge will ask you to play some sections of the part. For guidance, view this recording of Excerpt 1 and this recording of Excerpt 2.
• Piano: Follow these instructions.
• Bass: Follow these instructions.
• Guitar: Follow these instructions.
• Drums: Play along with this recording.
• Vibes: Follow these instructions.

Improvisation: Play the melody and improvise two choruses. Play with this track and use this recording as a sample.

• C Treble Instruments (Piano, Guitar, Vibes)
• B-flat Instruments (Tenor, Trumpet, Clarinet)
• E-flat instruments (Alto and Bari)
• Bass clef instruments (Trombone and Bass)

*Drummers will not be asked to improvise to the background track.

Audition Fee

The $20 audition fee may be paid by check or using Paypal at the time of registration. Click here to apply for financial aid to cover the audition fee. Financial aid forms for tuition will be made available after auditions take place.

Audition fees should be mailed to:
Auditions Coordinator
Philharmonic Association, Inc.
P. O. Box 782
Cary, North Carolina 27512-0782

Click Here for Online Registration

Registrations are open until the auditions for your instrument have taken place. You will be notified of your specific audition time prior to auditions. Placement into one of the Philharmonic Association jazz ensembles (TYJE, TYJO or TYJB) is at the discretion of the adjudicators. Their decisions are final and are not open for review.