Jazz Drums Audition Information
All undergraduate applicants must apply to the University of Colorado and complete a College of Music Admission Application. Applications may be obtained online through the Admissions section. Undergraduate auditions will not be scheduled until both applications have been received. Graduate students need only complete the graduate application.
For information on applying for our ensembles, visit the Ensembles section.
Audition requirements
In-person live: Students will be asked to play music meeting the rep. requirements listed below.
- Med. swing: metronome marking (mm)=140
- Bright/fast swing: mm=240+
- Samba, Bossa, or salsa groove:听mm=your choice
- Jazz waltz:听尘尘=130
- 12/8 Afro Cuban groove:听尘尘=120
- Funk or hip hop groove:听mm = your choice
- 鈥淪traight No Chaser鈥澨(blues by Thelonious Monk):听尘尘=140
- For this selection, you鈥檒l play the melody 2x; play two 12-bar chorus of time; play two 12-bar choruses of a solo听and finish with one chorus of the melody again for a total of seven continuous 12-bar choruses. When playing the melody, you鈥檒l play the rhythm of the melody along with outlining the melodic shape on the drums as best you can.听(Low notes on lower sounding drums, high听notes on higher sounding drums and cymbals.)
Recorded:
If you choose to submit a recorded audition,听then record an example of all the grooves/styles listed above.听You may submit separate recordings or a single continuous recording.
Note: For accompaniment on your recorded audition, students can record with a live band or use play-along tracks such as iReal Pro, Aebersold recordings听or 鈥淟earn Jazz Standards鈥 on YouTube.鈥
Virtual-live:
Students participating in virtual live jazz auditions can expect to use this as an opportunity to ask/answer questions; jazz auditions will be 15 minutes each. Additionally, students should prepare a jazz etude or transcription 3-5 minutes in length to perform. No accompaniment is needed.
Degree sheets
Jazz drums studio 听 听 听
Graduate (MM) jazz applicant requirements
Options: Jazz bass, jazz drum set, jazz guitar, jazz piano, jazz saxophone, jazz trombone, jazz trumpet and听jazz voice.
Pre-screening recording
A pre-screening recording is required for all graduate jazz performance and pedagogy applicants. Live auditions will be granted to applicants chosen from these recordings. Applicants will be notified of the faculty decision no later than one month prior to any live audition.
Pre-screening recording requirements
- Five different jazz tunes (applicant鈥檚 choice), representing five contrasting styles and tempos. Examples of styles include:听Latin jazz, Blues, Ballads, Bebop, Funk, ECM, Free Jazz, Jazz Standards (Monk, Ellington, Mingus, etc.) and Great American Songbook/Standards (Porter, Gershwin, etc.).听听
- For all instruments, you should record the melody followed by at least one chorus of improvisation. For rhythm section instruments, include an additional chorus of accompaniment (comping, walking bass, etc.).
- Vocalists may sing wordless vocals or compose their own lyrics for songs without lyrics.听
- Applicants can also upload and submit any additional materials (e.g. arrangements, compositions, copies of recitals or other recordings, written articles, etc.) along with their pre-screening recordings online.
Applicants are required to upload their additional materials along with their recordings to the 听产测 顿别肠.听1.听
Graduate degree sheets
Graduate (DMA) jazz applicant requirements
Options: Jazz bass, jazz drum set, jazz guitar, jazz piano, jazz saxophone, jazz trombone, jazz trumpet and听jazz voice.
Pre-screening recording
A pre-screening recording is required for all graduate听jazz studies applicants. Live auditions will be granted to applicants chosen from these recordings. Applicants will be notified of the faculty decision no later than one month prior to any live audition.
Pre-screening recording requirements
- Five different jazz tunes (applicant鈥檚 choice), representing five contrasting styles and tempos.听 Examples of styles include:听 Latin jazz, Blues, Ballads, Bebop, Funk, ECM, Free Jazz, Jazz Standards (Monk, Ellington, Mingus, etc), Great American Songbook/Standards (Porter, Gershwin, etc.).听听
- For all instruments, you should record the melody followed by at least one chorus of improvisation. For rhythm section instruments, include an additional chorus of accompaniment (comping, walking bass, etc.).
- Vocalists may sing wordless vocals or compose their own lyrics for songs without lyrics.
- Applicants can also upload and submit any additional materials (e.g. arrangements, compositions, copies of recitals or other recordings, written articles, etc.) along with their pre-screening recordings online.
Applicants are required to upload their additional materials along with their recordings to the 听产测 顿别肠.听1.听