Students currently in 8^th Grade (9^th in September 2010) through 11^th Grade (12^th in September 2010) may audition.

Beginning on Wednesday, April 7^th, the nmeaac.org website will be available for High School teachers to nominate students to audition for the 2011 All-County Division IV Jazz Band, Division V Jazz Band, and the Division IV & V Vocal Jazz Ensemble. The nominations for these three ensembles will be from April 7 – May 31, with auditions on Tuesday, June 8^th.

8^th Grade teachers must send the names of the students who will be auditioning to the 9^th Grade teacher to be entered online. This way the students are listed in the correct school if they are chosen. If the student will be attending a school in a different district or private school, please make every effort to find out where it will be and who the teacher is. PLEASE REMEMBER, 8th GRADE TEACHERS SHOULD NOT ENTER NAMES, THE NAMES SHOULD BE SENT TO THE 9th GRADE TEACHERS.

Please encourage all qualified students to audition. Auditions will be held for alto sax, tenor sax, baritone sax, trumpet, trombone, bass trombone, piano, bass (upright or electric), and drum set. If a student doubles, he/she is encouraged to audition on both instruments.

This change is being implemented as a benefit to the students auditioning and the organization. The benefit to the student is that the test of their skills will occur at a time of the school year when their school jazz programs are most productive. Also, students who perform a Jazz Solo at NYSSMA will be in at state of immediate readiness. The benefit to the All County program is that the chairperson and conductor will be better able to select a program with the knowledge of the level of proficiency within each section. In addition, if the adjudicating committee does not agree on the abilities of any of the auditioned candidates to perform the All County Jazz Music on a particular instrument, those students who have already auditioned on a related instrument, will be considered to fill the spot.

Auditions for Division II and III All-County Jazz Ensembles (grades 5 through 8 in September 2010) will take place in the fall, as usual. The nomination period for these groups will be in September as always, with nominations for all other All-County performing groups.  NO ACCEPTED JAZZ STUDENT'S NAMES WILL BE RELEASED BEFORE ALL COUNTY SELECTIONS.

Only students whose names are submitted through the online program will receive an audition date and time. You will receive an e-mail when audition times are available for your students. THERE ARE NO AUTOMATICS FOR ANY JAZZ GROUP. No walk-ins will be permitted to audition. All Jazz candidates MUST audition.

INSTRUMENTAL JAZZ REQUIREMENTS:

1. All applicants are required to perform a solo selected from the Jazz solo section of the current NYSSMA manual and sight-read in the Jazz idiom.

2. Improvisation is not required, but is strongly recommended. Students will improvise on the Concert Bb Blues (CD track #7) or concert F Blues (CD track #8) from Volume 1 of Jamey Aebersold’s “Jazz: How to Play and Improvise”. Students are not required to bring this to the audition. The judges will have this CD selection at the audition.

3. Students recommended for Jazz may also be placed on any other All County application. If accepted to a Jazz group, his/her name will be removed from any other group he/she was nominated for.

4. A drum set, amplifier, and patch cords will be provided at the audition site. Drummers must bring their own sticks and brushes.

VOCAL JAZZ REQUIREMENTS:

1. Students will choose an audition song from the Jazz section of the NYSSMA manual. The song should be sung through twice, with embellishment on the repeat.

2. Students will be asked to sight-read a short diatonic example.

3. Optional blues improvisation may be performed to Jamey Aebersold’s “Nothin’But Blues” Vol. 2 (CD track#5 or CD track #9)