Woodwind, Brass, Keyboard, & Percussion. Strings, please see the section below.

All students interested in participating in the following large instrumental ensembles on the UConn Storrs campus during the Fall 2024 - Spring 2025 semesters must complete a brief placement hearing audition and fill out this information form.

Placement in each of the following ensembles will be at the discretion of the directors. Students may be placed in one of the following ensembles listed below. These ensembles comprise undergraduate and graduate music majors as well as non-music degree program student.

• Symphonic Wind Ensemble
• Symphonic Band
• Symphony Orchestra

Placement Hearing Audition Requirements

• Winds/Brass: Please sign up for one time slot for your audition and prepare the excerpts listed in this OneDrive folder: Audition Excerpts (Saxophones: please choose 3 contrasting excerpts out of the 5 that have been provided for you)
• Percussionists: Please sign up for two consecutive slots to allow for transition between instruments and prepare the excerpts listed in this OneDrive folder: Audition Excerpts
• Pianists: Please prepare two contrasting excerpts (one lyrical, one technical).
• All auditionees must complete the UConn Audition Information Form 
• You MUST be logged into your UConn assigned email address to access the form and the excerpts!

Important Dates

If you are not looking to be considered for these ensembles but would still like to participate, you may enroll in Concert Band. Those that are interested in joining Concert Band will be asked to simply register for the Spring Semester and partake in a small placement hearing upon enrolling in the course.

Orchestra Strings

Placement auditions for Strings in the UConn Symphony Orchestra will take place on Wednesday, August 28th from 7-9 P.M. in von der Mehden Recital Hall, Thursday, August 29th from 3-6 P.M. in Music Building Room 122, and Friday, August 30th from 6:30-8:30 P.M. in von der Mehden Recital Hall. All string players hoping to be considered for the Symphony Orchestra, should fill out a UConn Ensemble Placement Audition Application.  You will receive an email to sign up for an audition time as long as you have filled out the application form by the above deadline.

Prepare (2) two-minute excerpts from two pieces with contrasting styles (lyrical/slow and technical/fast). These selections can be all or part of a larger work, for example, an etude, concerto movement, sonata movements or any excerpt from a lesson book.  The duration of the audition will be five minutes total.

If you have any semester-long course enrollment conflicts (i.e. overlap, class conflicts, account hold, etc.) please send an email to Dr. McShee (paul.mcshee@uconn.edu) describing your conflict in detail.

Current singers come from all majors and disciplines across campus, undergraduate and graduate. We have a thriving group of music majors who are the core of Concert Choir but our choirs are filled with engineers, chemists, Pre-Med students, varsity athletes, English majors, and more. If you like to sing, we encourage you to be a part of the joy in musical excellence with UConn Choirs.  “No-stress Placement Hearings” will be held at the beginning of the Fall semester in August and you can sign up for a hearing below. Please contact Dr. Spillane in the UConn Choral Office at UConnChoirs@uconn.edu if you have any questions.

For more information about UConn Choirs please see the information below.

For Information about Choral Placement Hearings and contact information- click here!

To schedule a Choral Placement Hearing – Click here!

Auditions for placement in the UConn Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Lab Band and jazz combos will be submitted electronically. Please complete the UConn Jazz Ensembles Placement Audition Application before submitting. Students are to video record themselves playing:

1. A 12-bar blues (or jazz standard of your choosing) with recorded accompaniment.  For your convenience, here are direct links to Billie’s Bounce (F blues): https://youtu.be/Ttn7D-WB9R0?si=FJlwy_LjfKE_cCTZ and Sonny Moon For Two (Bb):  https://youtu.be/7rpI71NuRHs?si=GPLqH7BqbgxM4FAy

Ideally, we would like you to play the head twice, followed by 3 choruses of improvisation, and then the head once again.

Pianists and guitarists: please “comp” for two choruses prior to playing the out-head.

Bassists: In addition to demonstrating your improvisation skills with a play-a-long track, please record 2 choruses of bassline walking on a 12-bar blues in F, at a metronome marking of quarter note = 144.

2. Any song (jazz or otherwise) which will serve as a representation of your musicianship (demonstrating sound, accuracy, rhythmic interpretation, facility, etc.) A prepared jazz transcription or etude would be preferable, but a classical excerpt would also be acceptable.

Drummers: in lieu of the above, demonstrate the following “feels,” playing each sample for approximately 30 seconds.

• • • Medium swing
    • Bossa Nova
    • Samba
    • ¾ jazz waltz
    • 12/8 afro Cuban
    • Up-tempo swing
    • Brushes at a ballad tempo
    • Swing brushes on the snare at a medium-up tempo

Finally, to demonstrate your soloing, trade 4-measure phrases with yourself, alternating swing time-keeping and soloing.

3. Brass – range and lead demonstration:

Brass players have the option of demonstrating their upper register by playing a lead ensemble part of your choosing, a chromatic scale upwards to your highest note, or a simple melody in the upper register.

Please upload your video audition to this folder. Video submissions must be uploaded to the Google Drive by Thursday, August 29th at 5:00 P.M. Please label the folder with your name and instrument. Ensemble rosters will be posted on the jazz bulletin board, in the main hallway of the Music Building, prior to the first big band rehearsals on Tuesday, September 3rd. Permission numbers for enrollment will be issued at the first rehearsal.