2025-26 instrumental jazz ensemble auditions will be live, in person. The live auditions will be held on Sunday, August 24 (confirmation of this date and times still TBD). To be fair to all, auditions will be done “blind”, behind a screen, so that the ensemble directors will not know who is playing. Be sure not to speak to the directors to maintain anonymity. If you have any questions after reading the instructions below, contact jazz director Mike Titlebaum at mtitlebaum@ithaca.edu.
Everyone will have a sheet music PDF to download and will have a play-along mp3 to play with at the audition. In addition to the prepared music, there will be a short sight-reading excerpt. There is also an additional MP3 with Mike playing the melody so you can hear the type of time feel and style we’re going for in the jazz bands. For your own preparation, practice playing along with that version, too.
ALL NECESSARY DOWNLOADS, INCLUDING PDFs of SHEET MUSIC AND PLAY-ALONGS YOU WILL USE FOR THE AUDITIONS ARE AVAILABLE HERE:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/yo7l4ma6h9cvslvfmvx1h/AAAXC1hauAngdOxtijn8e7Y?rlkey=we1tak8xqs41w7qio3dyvampl&dl=0
NOTES FOR EACH INSTRUMENT:
For drummers: Download the PDF "Drums - Krankier.pdf." For your audition, play the chart by yourself, imagining the big band you'd be playing with. Please play the excerpt as if you were playing drums for this song in the jazz ensemble--include fills, setups, kicks, comping, and everything else as appropriate. After that, I'll ask you to play a few more things, such as trading 4's between you and an imaginary sax soloist, demonstrating a few additional common styles like bossa nova, samba, fast bebop, or maybe others.
For all horns (wind/brass players): Download the sheet music PDF transposed for your instrument (PDFs of several transpositions are available), and the play-along called “Feelin' Kranky PLAYALONG TRACK.mp3.” ). If you are comfortable improvising, restart the track and improvise a solo over the chords instead of playing the written melody. The chord progression is the same as the standard tune "Doxy" by Sonny Rollins, with a little tag at the end. If you do not yet improvise, you can stop after the melody.
Additional note for saxophone/woodwind doublers: If you play flute or clarinet, download the transposed PDF versions of "Kranker" for those instruments. During the audition, you’ll restart the play-along for each instrument you play. There is no need to improvise solos on more than one instrument – just play the melody on your doubles.
Additional note for trumpet and trombone players: In jazz, players who play the lead part (1st) need to be comfortable strongly playing somewhat higher notes. However, we never have people "screaming" gratuitously, and we might choose to rotate who plays lead to save chops and give more people experience in lead playing. So we can hear who might be good candidates to play lead, I will also ask you to choose a key for a slow, one-octave, ascending major scale ending with the highest note you'd feel comfortable playing on a concert/gig. Please notice the word comfortable. Don't try to play up to an uncomfortably high note.
Additional note for bass trombonists: I will also ask you to choose a key for a slow, one-octave, descending major scale ending with the lowest note you'd feel comfortable playing on a gig. Please notice the word comfortable . Don't try to play down to an uncomfortably low note.
For guitarists/pianists/vibes players: Download the sheet music PDF “Feelin' Kranky - Guitar Piano or Flute” and the play-along called "Feelin' Kranky PLAYALONG TRACK.mp3." Start up the and play the melody along with it, then re-start the track and improvise along with the rhythm section over these changes, which are the same as Sonny Rollins' "Doxy" with little extra tag at the end. After that, I want to hear you "comp" on the changes, which you can do by yourself or with the track, your preference.
For bassists: Download the sheet music PDF “Feelin' Kranky - Bass” and ""Feelin' Kranky PLAYALONG TRACK.mp3." For your audition, start up the PLAYALONG TRACK and improvise a bassline along with the track. At the beginning, play with a "2" feel. At 17, start walking with a "4" feel. If you improvise, re-start the track afterwards and improvise a solo over the rhythm section with these changes, which are the same as Sonny Rollins' "Doxy" with a little extra tag at the end.
Best of luck to everyone!