Jazz Ensembles Auditions

 

Jazz Orchestra/Chamber Jazz Auditions

These auditions are for participation in:

  • JAZZ ORCHESTRAS - 
    MUEN 595 001 - 
    McGill Jazz Orchestra 1

    MUEN 595. Jazz Ensembles.

    Credits: 2
    Offered by: Performance (Schulich School of Music)
    Terms offered: Fall 2025, Winter 2026
    View offerings for Fall 2025 or Winter 2026 in Visual Schedule Builder.

    Description

    Ensemble for jazz - instruments and voice.
    • 3-4 hours
    • Prerequisite: Audition.

    Most students use Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) to organize their schedules. VSB helps you plan class schedules, travel time, and more.

    Launch Visual Schedule Builder
     
    MUEN 595 002 - McGill Jazz Orchestra 2

    MUEN 595. Jazz Ensembles.

    Credits: 2
    Offered by: Performance (Schulich School of Music)
    Terms offered: Fall 2025, Winter 2026
    View offerings for Fall 2025 or Winter 2026 in Visual Schedule Builder.

    Description

    Ensemble for jazz - instruments and voice.
    • 3-4 hours
    • Prerequisite: Audition.

    Most students use Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) to organize their schedules. VSB helps you plan class schedules, travel time, and more.

    Launch Visual Schedule Builder

    MUEN 595 003  Chamber Jazz Ensemble 2

    MUEN 595. Jazz Ensembles.

    Credits: 2
    Offered by: Performance (Schulich School of Music)
    Terms offered: Fall 2025, Winter 2026
    View offerings for Fall 2025 or Winter 2026 in Visual Schedule Builder.

    Description

    Ensemble for jazz - instruments and voice.
    • 3-4 hours
    • Prerequisite: Audition.

    Most students use Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) to organize their schedules. VSB helps you plan class schedules, travel time, and more.

    Launch Visual Schedule Builder

    MUEN 595 004 Chamber Jazz Ensemble 3

    MUEN 595. Jazz Ensembles.

    Credits: 2
    Offered by: Performance (Schulich School of Music)
    Terms offered: Fall 2025, Winter 2026
    View offerings for Fall 2025 or Winter 2026 in Visual Schedule Builder.

    Description

    Ensemble for jazz - instruments and voice.
    • 3-4 hours
    • Prerequisite: Audition.

    Most students use Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) to organize their schedules. VSB helps you plan class schedules, travel time, and more.

    Launch Visual Schedule Builder
  • CHAMBER JAZZ 

    MUEN 592. Chamber Jazz Ensemble.

    Credits: 2
    Offered by: Performance (Schulich School of Music)
    Terms offered: Fall 2025, Winter 2026
    View offerings for Fall 2025 or Winter 2026 in Visual Schedule Builder.

    Description

    This ensemble will deal with the extensive repertoire of music which exists for small jazz orchestra (9-13 instruments).
    • Restriction: Open to Jazz Performance students only.

    Most students use Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) to organize their schedules. VSB helps you plan class schedules, travel time, and more.

    Launch Visual Schedule Builder


Audition Instructions:

  • All jazz majors must audition.
  • Arrive 5 minutes prior to your audition time.

Audition Material:

  • Horns: Sight reading; short improvisation over blues or rhythm changes.
  • Rhythm section: Sight reading; comping; short improvisation over blues or rhythm changes; for drummers, all basic grooves at various tempos.
  • Voice: Sight reading; one selection with a rhythm section accompanying (you will not sing a cappella). You must bring music for the accompanists to read (four copies).

Audition Schedule:

Date and Time:

Rhythm Section Auditions
Wednesday, August 27, 2025 – 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM | Location TBA

Wind Instruments Auditions
Thursday, August 28, 2025 – 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM  | Location TBA

Jazz Ensemble - Voice
TBA (likely will take place on Thursday, August 28, 2025)

 

Jazz Choir Auditions

These auditions are for participation in:

  • Jazz Vocal Workshop -

    MUEN 563. Jazz Vocal Workshop.

    Credits: 2
    Offered by: Performance (Schulich School of Music)
    Terms offered: Fall 2025, Winter 2026
    View offerings for Fall 2025 or Winter 2026 in Visual Schedule Builder.

    Description

    Vocal workshop for jazz musicians.

    Most students use Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) to organize their schedules. VSB helps you plan class schedules, travel time, and more.

    Launch Visual Schedule Builder


Audition Instructions:

  • Arrive 5 minutes prior to your audition time.
  • Sign up for an audition time here (available in mid-August)

Audition Schedule:

Audition Date/Time:

Wednesday, August 27, 2025 – 4:00pm to 7:00pm in Clara Hall (additional date and time to TBA)

Audition Material:

  • An a cappella song of your choice, preferably a jazz standard. A selection from outside of the jazz genre may be chosen as long as it exhibits an interesting melody that highlights your range and rhythmic capabilities.
  • You may also be asked to sight read one or two short, simple melodies in varying ranges of your voice.

 

*Previous jazz vocal interpretation/improvising as well as jazz choir (or other) experience is an asset but not a requirement for this ensemble.

Jazz Combo Auditions

These auditions are for participation in:

  • JAZZ COMBOS –

    MUEN 570. Jazz Combo.

    Credits: 1
    Offered by: Performance (Schulich School of Music)
    Terms offered: Fall 2025, Winter 2026
    View offerings for Fall 2025 or Winter 2026 in Visual Schedule Builder.

    Description

    A Jazz Improvisation Ensemble of approximately 4 to 9 players.
    • 1 hour
    • Prerequisite: Audition.

    Most students use Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) to organize their schedules. VSB helps you plan class schedules, travel time, and more.

    Launch Visual Schedule Builder
    (MUEN 570​*)

Audition Schedule:

Audition Date/Time: Monday, August 25th 7:00-10:00pm in C-304

Audition Material:

  • All the Things You Are
  • Major and Minor Blues
  • Blue Bossa
  • Green Dolphin Street
  • Autumn Leaves
  • Rhythm Changes

* Please note you will be able to register for MUEN 570 once you receive the CRN (Course Registration Number) for the jazz combo you have been assigned to. Once you receive your CRN, you will be able to find the correct jazz combo on Minerva so you can register. You must register for the right CRN jazz combo before the add/drop deadline. 

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