Jazz Piano Audition Requirements
Undergraduate requirements (BM, BME)
• Display abilities to comp with voicing and rhythms idiomatic to jazz.
• Play the melody, comp, and improvise over a blues in the key of F (five to six choruses) at mm. 160-180.
• Play the melody, comp, and improvise over a non-blues piece of your choice from the standard jazz repertoire (Autumn Leaves, Satin Doll, My Romance, etc.).
• Perform a prepared piece of your choosing or a transcription. This can be a solo piece, a jazz audition étude, or a jazz ensemble part.
• Applicants may also be asked to sight-read during the audition.
On-campus audition dates can be found here. It is highly recommended that all undergraduate candidates attend an on-campus audition. If you are unable to audition on-campus, please select the “recorded” audition format preference on your supplemental music form. Undergraduate applicants who would like to submit a recorded audition should follow the steps outlined here.
Graduate requirements (MM, DMA)
• One blues head (in F or Bb). Students will be asked to play the melody, then comp (piano and guitar only), and finally improvise on the changes.
• One jazz standard any style. Students will be asked to play the melody, then comp (piano and guitar only), and finally improvise on the changes.
• One rhythm changes tune. Students will be asked to play the melody, then comp (piano and guitar only), and finally improvise on the changes.
• Demonstrate major, jazz melodic minor, harmonic minor and harmonic major scales, diminished, tritone, and augmented scales. Demonstrate all major modes in all keys and blues scales in all keys.
It is highly recommended that all graduate candidates attend an on-campus audition. If an applicant is unable to travel to campus for a live audition, the faculty will accept a recorded audition, and a virtual interview may occur. Graduate applicants who would like to submit a recorded audition should upload the audition directly to their Graduate College application.