2024 Audition Excerpt Information

CLICK HERE for the 2024 Vocal Jazz Audition Resources, including resources for the prepared selections, tonal skills and improvisation.

Practice tracks will be made available for your students that have each individual part for Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass, allowing your students to hear and learn their individual part. Copies of the rhythm section only audition track are also available.

All of the music for both tunes are included in these tracks.  One week before the audition window opens, the actual excerpts that will be used for district auditions will be released, three excerpts for each tune.  Along with the excerpts, the state will release the actual cue tracks that will be used in the district audition.  This is to prevent any confusion on the part of the student.

Auditions for one of these two excerpts will be heard a cappella and the other will utilize a rhythm section only track. Your district representative will make that information available.

Audition Details

These audition procedures are provided to help ensure that the methods of evaluating Vocal Jazz Ensemble Selectees are effective and consistent throughout the State. It is important that the District President, Vocal Jazz Ensemble Representative and all Adjudicators are familiar with these procedures.

All grade level students, 9-12 are eligible to participate in their District Jazz Band(s) and are also eligible to be selected in the All-State Ensembles, provided they fully participated in their District Vocal Jazz Ensemble.

The use of supplemental electronic and mechanical devices is not permitted in all ILMEA auditions.  This includes, but is not limited to, metronomes and tuners.

The audition will consist of three parts - Required Selections, Tonal Skills, Improvisation - with 100 Points possible.

The Jazz Division President will select and publish on the state website the measure numbers of three possible excerpts for each of the two selections on September 1, prior to auditions.

Of these six choices, the district vocal jazz representative will independently choose one from each selection for their district auditions. These selections will be posted on the ILMEA website one week prior to the audition submission window opening.

TIE BREAKER CATEGORIES

  • Melodic Accuracy

  • 7th Chord

  • Conceptual Understanding

SCORING

  • Required Selection(s) - (65 points possible)

    • Evaluation of the following elements:  

      • Diction (5 points)

      • melodic accuracy (10 points)

      • rhythmic accuracy (10 points)

      • intonation (10 points)

      • interpretation (10 points)

      • tone quality (20 points)

  • Tonal Skills - (15 points possible)
    Key of Eb for Sopranos and Tenors
    Key of C for Altos and Basses

    • Blues scale (5 points)

    • Chromatic scale (5 points)

    • 1st Chord Arpeggiation (2.5 points)

    • 2nd Chord Arpeggiation (2.5 points)

The student will sing a one octave half step scale, ascending and descending, prompted by the starting pitch of C for all parts. The student may use a neutral vowel sound, solfege syllables, numbers, or letter names.

The student will sing a one octave blues scale, ascending and descending prompted by a starting pitch of C.

  • Improvisation - (20 points possible)

    • Evaluation of the following elements:

      • Conceptual Understanding (10 points)

      • Creativity (10 points)

The student may listen to one chorus of the blues progression to hear the chord progressions before beginning. Neutral syllables or any method of scat singing may be used. Humming is not permitted. Each student should sing two choruses of the blues progression.