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

All students interested in participating in large instrumental ensembles on the UConn Storrs campus during the Fall 2022 - Spring 2023 semesters must complete a brief placement hearing audition. Students will have the option to select which ensembles they would like to be considered for, but ultimately placement will be at the discretion of the directors. Students may be placed in one of the following ensembles:

• The UConn Wind Ensemble
• Symphonic Band
• Symphony Orchestra

These ensembles will select musicians by placement audition. These groups comprise undergraduate and graduate music majors and non-music degree program students.

• Winds/Brass: Prepare (2) two-minute excerpts from two pieces with contrasting styles (lyrical/slow and technical/fast). Please upload a pdf of your music to the google form. If students have already received audition excerpts from their studio professor/private teacher, they should select from the provided list.

• Percussion: Prepare (3) brief excerpts totaling no more than seven minutes on snare drum, marimba or xylophone, and timpani. Percussionists should sign up for two consecutive slots to allow for transition between instruments. 

• All auditionees must complete the UConn Ensemble Placement Hearing/Audition Application and submit your response by Monday, August 29th.

• Students who are unable to audition during any of the listed windows of time should contact Dr. Kim (janetsongkim@uconn.edu) to arrange an alternative time. All auditionees must sign up for an audition time here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1tqpP5hymuzGD2ARhMR-E7U4txGe_cUwcN0opKeP5Xdw/edit?usp=sharing

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

Orchestra Strings

 

Placement auditions for Strings in the UConn Symphony Orchestra will take place on August 29, 30 and 31, 2022.  The in-person auditions will take place in von der Mehden Recital Hall.  All string players hoping to be considered for the Symphony Orchestra, should sign up for an audition at the link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1VbryEX5ATAkcbQiwc5sxK05gbyGraRRzflDI2YHmTUE/edit?usp=sharing

 

For the audition, please prepare two selections in contrasting style (one fast and one slow.) 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. 

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 2021 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. Students are to video record themselves playing:

 

1. A 12-bar blues (or jazz standard of your choosing,) with recorded accompaniment from learnjazzstandards.com.  For your convenience here are direct links to Billie’s Bounce (F blues): https://www.learnjazzstandards.com/jazz-standards/billies-bounce/ and Sonny Moon For Two (Bb): https://www.learnjazzstandards.com/jazz-standards/sonnymoon-for-two/

 

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.

 

 

Please upload your video audition to the following Google drive before 5 PM on Thursday, Sept. 1:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1qAsNrpJsPW7H8PugXCWjyy6ntftrrJo1?usp=sharing

 

Label your video with your name and instrument (John Coltrane – tenor saxophone).