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Auditions are held every year for
entry into the Jazz and Choral Ensemble groups.
This page will provide you with a
schedule of events as well as links to the audition material. The
material has been arranged according to the group to which it relates.
What's
New (Starting in 2008):
- Instrumentation for each
group will be limited to 5 saxes (up to 7 in Bronze), 5 trombones, 5
trumpets, 1 drummer, 1 bass player, 1 piano player and 1 guitar player
- Bronze and Silver Jazz
Bands will not go through the formal Audition process as in previous
years. All musicians interested in playing at the Bronze or Silver Jazz
levels will initially self-sort themselves into the groups they believe
are best suited to their abilities. Groups will have 2 weeks to
rehearse in order for Directors to establish a level of ensemble
effectively and for membership to arrive - this could include some who
move to this level following the Auditions for Gold/Jazz Orchestra
- During
week 3, a placement will take place for all members of both groups
(Bronze Jazz & Silver Jazz) in order to confirm that the
self-placement resulted in members choosing the appropriate group.
There may be recommendations for people to switch groups. Both
ensembles are scheduled for the same evening (Bronze at William
Aberhart, Silver at Lord Beaverbrook on Wednesday nights), so night of
the week is not a consideration. In the event there are too many of any
given instrument who play at the appropriate level, the first criteria
to be used in deciding who can remain in each ensemble will be whether
the player has been with the organization in the past or not. If this
does not resolve the issue, an audition will take place, with an
independent evaluator, to decide who is most appropriate for the
ensemble
.
- Monday Gold Jazz, Wednesday Gold
Jazz and Jazz Orchestra will still go through the audition process. The
dates are below.
Quick Jump
2011
Jazz Audition Schedule
Audition
Materials
Choral Ensemble
Placements
Jazz
Ensembles
Auditions
are held annually for all positions in Westwinds Jazz Ensembles.
As an organization, great
effort has been made to ensure the most fair and equitable system of
positioning existing and new members within the organization and at the
appropriate level. It is imperative that members be placed with other
players of similar skill. It
is not the intent of this process to change the levels of ensembles,
particularly the intermediate ones, but rather to place all players
appropriately. It
is important to note that, assuming appropriateness to the level of
group, existing Westwinds members are given priority in the event that
there are more players than can be accommodated in each group. (5
saxes, 5 trombones, 5 trumpets, drummer, pianist, guitar player, bass
player). It is our intent to create the best possible
Jazz Ensembles each year.
Audition requirements are organized by levels:
Intermediate = Bronze and Silver Jazz Ensembles
Advanced = Gold Jazz Ensembles and the Jazz
Orchestra
All
musicians are encouraged to choose wisely when deciding which level to
audition at. Players
who perform at the “top end” of the Intermediate level as well as
players who are auditioning as Advanced musicians, but are finding the
material to be challenging such that it might not be a confident
performance, are encouraged to prepare the materials for both levels so
that the evaluator can get a clear idea of how you really play.
It is very difficult to
evaluate a performance that is weak because the material is too
challenging. Likewise,
it is difficult to suggest a move up even after a stellar performance
of the intermediate material without the evidence that the player can
perform the advanced material as well.
2011
Jazz Ensemble Audition Schedule
| Date |
Instruments |
| Tuesday, September 13 7:00-8:00
pm |
Rhythm Section - Individual |
| Tuesday, September 13 8:00-9:00
pm |
Rhythm Section
- Group |
|
Wednesday, September 14
7:00-9:00 pm
|
All horns
|
Access
Jazz Ensemble Audition Material & Information [Here]
All Jazz Ensemble Auditions will take
place at William
Aberhart High School, 3009 Morley Trail NW [Map],
starting at 7:00 pm and concluding at approximately 9:00 pm.
Choral Ensemble
Singers interested in joining the Choral
Ensemble must attend a musical interview that will cover the following
criteria:
- A vocalise that demonstrates quality of
singing tone, flexibility, agility, range, and accuracy of pitch.
- A brief sight-singing example and rhythm to clap to demonstrate sight
reading/rhythmic skills and basic theoretical knowledge
- A brief song or melody chosen by the singer that demonstrates
musicality, expression, beauty of tone, and interpretive qualities.
Examples: (from jwpepper.com
: 12 Folk Songs for Singers “A Roving”, mm. 13-24 ;
American Folk Songs for Solo Singers
“How Can I keep From Singing?”, mm. 6-13. Other examples: Amazing
Grace, Oh Shenandoah, Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.
This interview
will take place around the Open House in September..
Please complete the form below to indicate your choice for audition
time. This information will be sent to our office and you will be
contacted closer to September to confirm the time that is available.
These slots will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Choral Ensemble 2011 Audition Request
Placements
Those groups which
do not Audition may participate in a Placement process. The Placement
process is designed to assess the member's musical ability, to assist
in determining whether they are in the right group and to assess their
place within that group.
Placements are
conducted by professional Clinicians.
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