Audition Excerpts

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KMEA All-State Jazz Band
2024-25 Audition Excerpts

Participation Eligibility Requirements

There are three requirements for a student to be eligible to audition for KMEA All-State Jazz Band membership:

  1. The student must first be a performing member of their District’s 2024-25 KMEA Band, Jazz Ensemble, or Orchestra.
  2. The student’s director must be a member of KMEA, will register each audition online, and send the Audition Invoice with appropriate payment to the KMEA All-State Payment Manager. These must be completed by the deadline established by KMEA.
  3. The student must be deemed an eligible freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior in good standing in their high school.
All etudes and the scale are played without the metronome sounding. The metronome only establishes the tempo at the beginning of the etude or scale, then is turned off.
Horns (Alto Sax, Tenor Sax, Bari Sax, Trumpet, Trombone)
  • Full Range Chromatic Scale: Quarter Note = 120 BPM. In quarter notes play the full range chromatic scale. Slur ascending and tongue descending. Play the full and practical range for your instrument. A metronome will be sounded (8 clicks) to establish the tempo. Playing the correct tempo is part of your score.
  • Etude #1 – Play the entire etude. A metronome will be sounded (8 clicks) to establish the tempo. Playing the correct tempo is part of your score.
  • Etude #2 – Improvise to the chord changes then play the etude as written. This etude and improvised section will use a backing track. 8 clicks will sound to establish the tempo. Etude #2 is transcribed in C, Eb and Bb in order to align with the backing track.
  • Etude #3 – Play the entire etude. A metronome will be sounded (8 clicks) to establish the tempo. Playing the correct tempo is part of your score.
  • Sight Reading – Players will be given 30 seconds to look over an excerpt in the big band style. Then they will play the short excerpt.
Optional Lead Trumpet – Perform the optional lead trumpet excerpt at the end of Etude #3.
Optional Bass Trombone – Perform the optional bass trombone excerpt at the end of Etude #3.
Backing Tracks: All Horns (mp3) (v2)
Judging Rubric: Horns
Rhythm (Piano, Guitar, Bass)
  • Etude #1 – Play the entire etude. A metronome will be sounded (8 clicks) to establish the tempo. Playing the correct tempo is part of your score.
  • Etude #2 – Improvise to the chord changes then play the etude as written. This etude and improvised section will use a backing track. 8 clicks will sound to establish the tempo.
  • Etude #3 – Play the entire etude. A metronome will be sounded (8 clicks) to establish the tempo. Playing the correct tempo is part of your score.
  • Sight Reading – Players will be given 30 seconds to look over an excerpt in the big band style. Then they will play the short excerpt.
PDF Etudes:

Judging Rubric: Rhythm
Improv Builders: Piano & Guitar Bass Improv Tips
Drums
  • Etude #1 thru Etude #4 – Play the entire etude. A metronome will be sounded (8 clicks) to establish the tempo. Playing the correct tempo is part of your score.
  • Sight Reading – Players will be given 30 seconds to look over an excerpt for the drum set in a big band style. Then they will play the short excerpt.
Judging Rubric: Drums