VOCAL JAZZ ENSEMBLES

Contact:
Kerry Marsh
Director of Vocal Jazz
California State University, Sacramento
kerry@kerrymarsh.net
916-233-7066

Auditions for Sac State Vocal Jazz groups are held at the beginning of every semester. Sign-up and information sheets will be posted in Capistrano Hall before school begins for the semester. The audition will last about 10 minutes, and will consist of the following:

1. Performance of a prepared song, preferably in the jazz style.
   "Summertime," "Autumn Leaves," "Route 66," and "My Funny Valentine" are some
   examples of appropriate audition songs. If you have questions about this
   requirement, feel free to email Kerry Marsh, and he will help guide you.
   Improvisation is not required in your audition, but it never hurts to try.
   
2. Ear training exercises. First, you will hear a series of three or four
   pitches on the piano, and you'll be asked to sing them back. Then you'll be
   given a starting pitch and asked to sing notes that are certain intervals
   away (up a 5th, down a minor 3rd, etc.)
   
3. Range testing. You'll be asked to sing major and/or minor triads from
   starting pitches, and your comfortable and usable voice range will be
   determined.
   
4. Quick part-learning: You will pick up a short piece of music a few days
   before the audition. The music will be posted for pickup on the jazz info
   board, outside the music recital hall. You will be asked to learn your part,
   and in the audition, you'll sing along with a recording that has your part
   removed. You'll have one trial pass at the recording to become acquainted
   with the tempo and feel.

The meeting times for the three ensembles will be any combination of the following four possible time-slots: MW 11, 12, 1 or 2 with a Friday meeting time and additional 1 hour per week sectional rehearsal to be determined by the schedules of the singers involved. Each auditioning singer will provide his/her class and work schedule at the time of the audition, and group placement will be made based on both skills and availability.

Auditions for Sac State Vocal Jazz groups are held at the beginning of every
semester. Sign-up and information sheets will be posted in Capistrano Hall
before school begins for the semester. The audition will last about 10
minutes, and will consist of the following:

1. Performance of a prepared song, preferably in the jazz style.
"Summertime," "Autumn Leaves," "Route 66," and "My Funny Valentine" are some
examples of appropriate audition songs. If you have questions about this
requirement, feel free to email Kerry Marsh, and he will help guide you.
Improvisation is not required in your audition, but it never hurts to try.

2. Ear training exercises. First, you will hear a series of three or four
pitches on the piano, and you'll be asked to sing them back. Then you'll be
given a starting pitch and asked to sing notes that are certain intervals
away (up a 5th, down a minor 3rd, etc.)

3. Range testing. You'll be asked to sing major and/or minor triads from
starting pitches, and your comfortable and usable voice range will be
determined.

4. Quick part-learning: You will pick up a short piece of music a few days
before the audition. The music will be posted for pickup on the jazz info
board, outside the music recital hall. You will be asked to learn your part,
and in the audition, you'll sing along with a recording that has your part
removed. You'll have one trial pass at the recording to become acquainted
with the tempo and feel.

The meeting times for the three ensembles will be any combination of the
following four possible time-slots: MW 11, 12, 1 or 2 with a Friday meeting
time and additional 1 hour per week sectional rehearsal to be determined by
the schedules of the singers involved. Each auditioning singer will provide
his/her class and work schedule at the time of the audition, and group
placement will be made based on both skills and availability.