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The audition is one of the prerequisites for acceptance into the music program. Only those students who have already been accepted by the UNCA Office of Admissions by the audition date will be accepted. Auditions are held twice a year (once each semester) in the Department of Music located on the bottom floor of Lipinsky Hall. Prospective students may arrange an audition by submitting the "Application for Audition" form by the appropriate deadline (check the music web page for audition dates and deadlines www.unca.edu/music). If distance precludes the possibility of an in-person audition, the student should consult the department for other arrangements. (In some cases, a cassette tape or compact disc may be submitted in lieu of an in-person audition.)
Placement Tests
Theory, aural skills, and keyboard proficiency placement tests are administered on the day of the audition in order to determine entry levels to the respective courses. If you have had previous keyboard experience, please bring a piece that best demonstrates your level of proficiency. In the special case of auditions presented on CD, these placement and proficiency tests must be taken prior to registration. Please contact the Department of Music for details.
Material
Approximately ten minutes of material should be prepared for performance on the student’s principal instrument. These materials should include the following:
Scales/Modes: Major, minor (natural, harmonic, "jazz melodic minor" ["raised" 6th and 7th degree ascending and descending]; chromatic; major and minor pentatonic.
Chords: Basic Seventh chords (major, minor, dominant, diminished 7th, half-diminished) [for chordal instruments only]
Repertoire: one ballad, one swing, and one Latin or jazz rock tune from the standard jazz repertoire. The following tunes are examples of acceptable standards, but auditionees may choose other similar compositions if desired.
Appropriate Swing Tunes: Blues (C Jam Blues, Sonny Moon for Two, Tenor Madness, etc.), Rhythm Changes (I Got Rhythm, Oleo, Cottontail, etc.), All the Things You Are, All of Me, Autumn Leaves, The Days of Wine and Roses, Don't Get Around Much Anymore, Four, How High the Moon, Impressions, Just Friends, My Romance, Out of Nowhere, Satin Doll, Sugar, Stella By Starlight, Take the A Train, There Will Never Be Another You.
Appropriate Latin/Rock Tunes: Black Orpheus, Blue Bossa, Chameleon, Desafinado, The Girl From Ipanema, Green Dolphin Street, How Insensitive, Nica's Dream, Recordame, Red Clay, Song For My Father, Tough Talk.
Appropriate Ballads: Body and Soul, Don't Blame Me, Here's That Rainy Day, I Can't Get Started, In a Sentimental Mood, Lament, Misty, My Funny Valentine.
This list should be considered just suggestions. Virtually any tune chosen from a Jamey Aebersold play-a-long would be appropriate. If you would like to perform a tune that you're not certain would fit, please email Dr. Wilken, Coordinator of Jazz Studies.
Performance of one tune as an unaccompanied solo is optional for guitarists, pianists, and mallet instrument players. Sight reading/singing selected by the faculty may also be required. The auditionee should be able to perform the melody and improvise over the chosen repertoire, although it may not be necessary to hear improvised solos on each composition.
Instrumental/Voice Considerations
Piano/Guitar: Pianists and guitarists should be prepared to "comp" on each composition chosen for the audition.
Bass: Bassists should be prepared to walk a bass line on each composition chosen for the audition.
Percussion: Percussionists will be expected to demonstrate a knowledge of basic rudiments on snare drum, and/or a familiarity with keyboard or mallet instruments, and, in the case of set players, a knowledge of several different rhythm patterns including Latin, ballad and swing. Mallot players should be able to perform the above noted scales.
Brass: Demonstration of upper and lower register proficiency and tone production.
Woodwind: Demonstration of tone production.
Vocal: Demonstration of vocal technique and voice type (soprano, alto, tenor, bass, etc.). Chosen repertoire may be transposed from the original key in order to make the melody fit the vocal range of the auditionee.
Accompaniment
It is not necessary for auditionees to have some sort of accompaniment prepared for their audition. If desired, you may bring either your own accompanists or a recorded play-along (such as a Jamey Aebersold tape or CD). A CD/tape player will be provided with advance notice. In some cases it may be possible for a UNCA faculty member or student to accompany the auditionee, but arrangements should be made in advance of the audition to ensure availability.
For More Information
For more information or questions about the audition process for the Jazz Studies program at UNCA please visit the Department of Music web site, or contact Dr. Wilken by email or by calling (828) 251-6447.