Hudson Valley
Youth Jazz Orchestra
directed by
Dan Shaut
HVYJO Auditions
We are still looking for more musicians for our 2023-2024 season. Please contact us if you are interested.
Eligibility
Students must be either enrolled in school grades 8-12 or be 18 years old or younger.
Instrumentation
As the region's premiere youth jazz orchestra we will adhere to traditional jazz instrumentation. Our ensemble will include; 2 alto saxophones, 2 tenor saxophones and 1 bari saxophone, 4-5 trumpets, 4 trombones, guitar, piano, bass and drums. We may also include vibraphone, vocalist, clarinet.
Tuition
HVYJO tuition for the 2022-2023 season is $250 per semester or $450 per year if paid in advance. There is also a $25 audition fee.
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Please contact us in advance if there is any difficulty paying tuition.
We will provide financial aid to ALL students who need it.
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Audition Materials for Horns (Saxophone, Trumpets, Trombones)
1) Transcription - Perform a transcription or etude that you can perform very well. It may be an etude from a book (i.e. Jim Snidero Jazz Conceptions) or a written transcription (i.e. Charlie Parker Omnibook) or it can be a solo you have transcribed yourself from a recording. You may perform with a play-a-long but it is not required.
2) Improvisation (Optional)- Perform a jazz standard or blues along with a play-a-long. You should play the head, improvise 2-4 choruses and then play the head again. Please remember that more is not always better. Although Improvisation is optional, students who improvise will be given an advantage when selecting the roster. Students must improvise to be considered for a scholarship.
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3) Sight Reading - We will provide sight reading.
If you need help selecting materials please email us. We are more than happy to help select appropriate audition materials.
Audition Materials for Rhythm Section (Guitar, Piano, Vibraphone, and Bass)
1) Transcription - Perform a transcription or etude that you can perform very well. It may be an etude from a book (i.e. Jim Snidero Jazz Conceptions) or a written transcription (i.e. Charlie Parker Omnibook) or it can be a solo you have transcribed yourself from a recording.
2) Walking or Comping - Perform a jazz standard
3) Improvisation (Optional) Perform a jazz standard or blues along with a play-a-long. You should play the head, improvise 2-4 choruses and then play the head again. Please remember that more is not always better. Although Improvisation is optional, Students who improvise will be given an advantage when selecting the roster. Students must improvise to be considered for a scholarship.
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4) Sight Reading - We will provide sight reading.
Audition Materials for Drums
1) Transcription - Perform a transcription or etude that you can perform very well. It may be an etude from a book (i.e. Contemporary Drum set Solos) or a written transcription or it can be a solo you have transcribed yourself from a recording.
2) Jazz Styles/Grooves- Demonstrate each style at temp. 8 measures of time followed by 8 measures of solo and ending on beat one of measure 17.
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Up-tempo Swing 208bpm
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Jazz Waltz 176 bpm
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Jazz Ballad with brushes (64 bpm)
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Shuffle (152 bpm)
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Bossa Nova (96 bpm)
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Samba ( half note 96 bpm)
3) Sight Reading - We will provide sight reading.
Audition Materials for Vocals
1) Songbook- Demonstrate 3 songs of varied styles (i.e. ballad, bossa nova, blues, up-tempo swing) from the "American Songbook." Only sing the melody one time through. (Most songs will be 32 measures long. Most blues tunes will be 12 measures long.) You may improvise, scat for an additional chorus. The improvisation is optional. It is very highly encouraged that you perform with a backing track or accompanist. Please contact us if you need help securing a backing track.
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2) Transcription - Perform a transcription of a vocalist or instrumentalist soloing in jazz style. 16-32 bars. If transcribing an instrumentalist use standard scat syllables. Please contact us if you need help selecting a piece.
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3) Sight Reading - There will be no sight-reading component for vocalists.
Rehearsals
Rehearsals are generally on the second, fourth and fifth Sundays of each month in the late afternoon/early evening. An exact schedule will come out by the audition date. Rehearsals will be in Kingston, NY.
Covid 19
We will adhere to all safety precautions set forth by the CDC and other necessary health guidelines. We will be using information set forth and adapted by NAfME to help us establish a safe way to rehearse music (including the aerosol study currently being conducted). The safety and well being of all participants is our primary concern.
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