* AUDITIONS CLOSED FOR FALL SEMESTER *
Welcome back everyone! We are excited to announce that Penn Jazz auditions will occur on Tuesday, September 2nd from 5:30pm - 9:30pm in the Platt Student Performing Arts House, Room 177. Platt is the building around the corner from the Five Guys on Spruce Street. Room 177 is accessible by going down the stairs, walking through the double doors across the lobby, and looking for the second room on the right.
We are looking for the following positions in the band: horns (saxophones, clarinets, trumpets, trombones), rhythm section (piano, guitar, bass, drums), and vocalists. We are especially looking for trombones. Undergraduate students and graduate students are all welcome to try out.
More info on the requirements for specific positions can be found here:
More Audition General Information
Please answer all of the questions below and add your name to a time slot on the attached Google Sheet. Time slots are first come, first served and we encourage you to fill early spots before late ones. Please be sure not to edit/delete others' additions to the Google Sheet as the revision history can be monitored. Each audition will last about 10 minutes. Please do not be late for your audition (5 minutes early preferred!) as we have a lot of them to get through. When you audition, please come prepared with your instrument already assembled and sheet music for the jazz piece of your choosing (no longer than 3-4 minutes) that you believe best showcases your musical ability. You can warm up quietly in the hallway outside of Room 177. If you are looking for inspiration for a piece to perform, we suggest choosing one of the following "Real Book" standards: Autumn Leaves, Billie's Bounce, There Will Never Be Another You, Lady Bird, Blue Bossa, Have You Met Miss Jones. Do not fret about the specific piece too much and instead focus your attention on playing something that you are comfortable with. We may also ask you to play a scale of your choosing, sight read, and/or improvise depending on time (we will provide a backing track with a speaker).
Please keep in mind that space in the band is limited, and do not be discouraged if you are not selected to join us this fall. We sometimes hold auditions again in the spring depending on the needs of the band and invite people to audition again in future semesters/years. Additionally, the Penn Jazz Combos run through Penn's Music Department (under the direction of Dan Paul) are another great way to get involved with jazz at Penn if we are not able to take you into the big band at this time.
*Note that you may be asked to have your audition held on the evening of Wednesday, September 3 if slots fill up for the 2nd.
Feel free to send an email to info.pennjazz@gmail.com with any questions you may have.
