2015 NAfME All-Northwest Honor Groups Spokane, Washington

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "2015 NAfME All-Northwest Honor Groups Spokane, Washington"

Jacob Benson
6 years ago
Views:

2015 NAfME All-Northwest Honor Groups Spokane, Washington Program overview All-Northwest honor groups include Band, Wind Symphony, Orchestra, Mixed Choir, Treble Choir, Jazz Band and Jazz Choir.

1 2015 NAfME All-Northwest Honor Groups Spokane, Washington Program overview All-Northwest honor groups include Band, Wind Symphony, Orchestra, Mixed Choir, Treble Choir, Jazz Band and Jazz Choir. The entire application and audition process must be completed online by October 2 and includes a screening at the state level and ultimately the Northwest level for placement in the groups. Direct technical assistance for teachers is available throughout the process. Specific contact information for your state s technician can be found on your online recording page. Conductors for our 2015 NAfME All-Northwest honor groups: Linda Moorhouse, University of Illinois, Band / Nancy Ditmer, College of Wooster, Wind Symphony / Allen Tinkham, Chicago Youth Symphonies, Orchestra / Christopher Aspaas, St. Olaf College, Mixed Choir / Barbara Geer, North Carolina, retired, Treble Choir / Dan Gailey, University of Kansas, Jazz Band / Jeremy Fox, Miami, Jazz Choir. Eligibility Teacher Honor Groups are organized expressly for students of classroom NAfME member educators only. Teachers must maintain current membership from the time of application through honor group performances. By using our online application/ audition system, teachers attest that: 1. they are the NAfME member teacher of the applicant, and have the student under their direction in a performing group corresponding with the honor group for which the student is applying; 2. that a NAfME member teacher from the applicant s school was present at the time the audition recording was made. Refer to for complete policy guidelines. Eligibility Students Students must be in grades 9-12 and regularly participating members in the school music performing group, offered for credit, corresponding with the honor group for which they are applying. Please refer to AllNorthwestPolicy.pdf?SecID=938 for complete eligibility definitions. Regular participation in that school music group must continue through the honor group performance. Students interested in applying in more than one category will need to submit a separate application, payment and recorded audition for each area. By applying, all students, parents and teachers agree that if selected, students are required to attend all rehearsals, and remain with their honor group from check-in through the concert. Placement: Female singers chosen for All-NW will be assigned by management to either Mixed Choir or Treble Choir. Those selected in winds and percussion will be assigned to band or orchestra. Those accepted on a jazz rhythm section instrument will be assigned to jazz band or jazz choir. We will occasionally place a string bassist in one of the bands. The only way to be considered for the Wind Symphony is to audition using the Wind Symphony audition materials. Expense and transportation Application Fee: Participation Fee: Transportation: $20.00 due with application. All audition payments must be made by credit card and instructions are provided within the online application process. $ due immediately after notification of acceptance. Participation fee covers all housing, meals, evening events, on-site event transportation and administrative costs. Payment of this fee must be processed through the student s school or school district. Each school, in cooperation and understanding of students parents/guardians, will arrange transportation to and from Spokane. Students are not permitted to drive to, from or during the NW experience.

2 Critical Dates Monday, September 1 Thursday, October 2 Thursday, November 13 Thursday, December 11 Monday, January 5 Online application and audition window opens Online application and audition window closes (11:59 PM) Notification of acceptance/registration info ed to teachers Postmark deadline for registration forms and all fees ($10 late processing fee per student after this date.) This deadline cannot be extended for any reason, including inclement weather. Mailing of music to teachers/schools begins Thursday, February 12 NW Jazz group members arrive in Spokane, rehearsals begin 1:00 Friday, February 13 All-NW large group members arrive, rehearsals begin 1:00 Saturday, February 14 Sunday, February 15 All-Northwest Jazz Band and Jazz Choir concert All-NW large group concerts Audition/Application Checklist And Reminders for Teachers Ensure your NAfME membership is current and will remain current through February Teachers cannot access online application forms, nor submit applications/auditions unless membership is current. Check your online access early and often! Warning NAfME does not finalize renewal of membership until checks have cleared, credit cards approved or purchase orders paid by the school/district. Renewal can be done online ( by phone ( ), or mail. Distribute the Student Application Worksheet and audition materials to qualified students. The worksheet is for your use only--please do not mail to WMEA. Complete/submit the online application and upload recordings at Deadline is October 2. Detailed instructions found online within the application/recording pages. Audition payments will be done online via credit card as part of the audition process. For additional information regarding the All-Northwest Honor Group program, contact: Bruce Gutgesell, NAfME-NW Student Events Coordinator, WMEA or bruceg@wmea.org Technical questions should be directed to your state tech support person. That person s contact information can be found on your application page. The National Association of Secondary School Principals has placed this program on the NASSP National Advisory List of Contests and Activities for

3 Student Application Worksheet All-Northwest Applicants: Please provide all information asked for below, completely and accurately. Return this form to your teacher. Teachers: This worksheet is for your use only. Please do not mail to WMEA. Provide the following information, return to your teacher: Name (first, last): T-Shirt Size: ( S, M, L, XL, XXL) Gender: Male Female Home Street Address: Parent/Guardian Name: Home City/State/Zip: Grade in School: 9 th 10 th 11 th 12 th Home Area Code/Phone: Instrument or Voice Category (ies) of Audition(s): Parent Required Parent Signature: By signing this form, I grant permission for my daughter/son to audition for, and should they be selected, participate in a 2015 All-NW honor group. I also understand that auditioning for this honor represents a commitment to participate, should she/he be assigned to an All-NW group.

4 RECORDING THE AUDITIONS ON A COMPUTER First, if you already have a digital recording system that works for you, keep using it. Just make sure that the resulting files are.mp3 files. If you ve never created digital recordings with your computer, you should, at little cost, be able to create digital recordings and submit them online. Procure a microphone with a 1/8 jack. It may cost $10-$40 at any computer store (e.g. Radio Shack, Best Buy, Circuit City) or a music store that serves computer needs. Your building or district tech support may have extra microphones available for you to use at no cost to your budget. Plug the mic into the mic jack on the computer. It usually has a microphone icon next to it (often colored pink). Open your audio recording program. 1. Windows: Sound Recorder is on all Windows machines start/all programs/accessories/entertainment may be the path to find it on many machines. Note: Older versions of Sound Recorder may have a recording limit of 60 seconds per track. Students will not be penalized if the recording shuts off after one minute. Consider downloading and using the free audio-recording program, Audacity (see below for more information) 2. Mac: The ilife Suite, included with all newer imacs, includes Garage Band. Older Macs have SoundTrack. Record each exercise. Each exercise of the audition needs to be a separate file. We recommend including the audition- track number as a part of the file name. Save each exercise as a separate track with a title that makes sense to you (John Smith Tuba Track 1, John Smith Tuba, Track 2, etc.). Each student will have 2-5 files created, depending on the category. Listen to each file to make sure it recorded with good sound. Save these files in a logical location on the computer. Remember, the resulting file must be in.mp3 format. Itunes is a great tool to convert various audio file formats to.mp3. Download Itunes (a free program), import the audio and convert the files to.mp3. Windows users, please note: As stated earlier, many versions of Sound Recorder may have a 60-second limit to recordings that might cut off recording before the end of an exercise. Please consider downloading and using Audacity, a free audio-recording program. It is free, easy to use, and will easily convert your files to the required.mp3 format. Go to follow the instructions and download Audacity. At the same location, follow the instructions to download the LAME MP3 Encoder. Launch Audacity and record a test (using the red record icon button). Under the File menu, select Export as.mp3 Mac users, please note: Audacity is also available for Macs and gets good reviews. Still need recording help? Remember your logical help resources: tech-savvy music teachers or other teachers in your building, building and district tech support, tech-savvy students (an especially good resource!) and other music educators in your region. And remember, we are providing technical support as well. Your tech expert s contact information is on your application page.

5 2015 NAfME All-Northwest Jazz Audition Materials Saxophones and Brass Track 1 Track 2 Track 3 Basic Audition The following three tracks are required of all wind applicants ALTO SAXOPHONE (pages 5-6) TENOR SAXOPHONE (pages 7-8) BARITONE SAXOPHONE (pages 9-10) TRUMPET (pages 11-12) TROMBONE (pages 13-14) Play Swing Excerpt - #1 as indicated on separate page. Play Ballad Excerpt - #2 as indicated on separate page. Play Latin/Straight 8th Excerpt- #3 as indicated on separate page. Additional optional improvisation tracks follow, as well as tracks for lead trumpet and bass trombone candidates. Improvisation Add-On Optional ALTO SAXOPHONE IMPROVISATION TENOR SAXOPHONE IMPROVISATION BARITONE SAXOPHONE IMPROVISATION TRUMPET IMPROVISATION TROMBONE IMPROVISATION If you would like to demonstrate your improvisational skills, record tracks 1-3 from the Basic Audition and add this track. Track 4 Optional improvisation. Record a Bb Blues Head of your choice and 1-4 additional improvisation choruses of a Bb Blues. This may be recoreded with Jamey Abersold or a live rhythm section, but it must be accompanied. LEAD TRUMPET If you would like to be considered for lead trumpet or demonstrate your lead trumpet ability, record tracks 1-3 from the Basic Audition and add these tracks. Track 4 You may either demonstrate your improvisational skills by following that option s instructions, or you may leave this track blank. Track 5 Play Lead Trumpet Excerpt - LT #1 as indicated on separate page. Track 6 Play a chromatic scale from your lowest comfortable note to highest comfortable note BOTH ascending and descending. Use legato tonguing, taking breaths as needed. (Quarter note = 132) BASS TROMBONE If you would like to be considered for bass trombone or demonstrate your bass trombone ability, record tracks 1-3 from the Basic Audition and add these tracks. Please note--if you need to take all or portions of tracks 1-3 down an octave, you are welcome to do so. Track 4 Track 5 Track 6 Specialty Add-Ons Optional You may either demonstrate your improvisational skills by following that option s instructions, or you may leave this track blank. Play Bass Trombone Additional Excerpt - BT #1 as indicated on separate page. Play a descending quarter note chromatic scale from Bb in the bass clef staff to your lowest comfortable note. Use legato tonguing, taking breaths as needed. (Quarter note = 132) Page 1

6 2015 NAfME All-Northwest Jazz Audition Materials Rhythm Section Instruments Choose published pieces from your current school group s literature except where material has been provided. All examples are to be played alone (without accompaniment) except where indicated. This rhythm section material is for both Jazz Band and Jazz Choir Rhythm auditions. Track 1 Track 2 Track 3 Track 4 PIANO Play the first 12 bars from the written piano part from Practical Love (Jazz Piano, example 1, page 3). Comp with melody and chords for one chorus of I m Old Fashioned from Aebersold, Volume 55, followed by two choruses of improvisation. You may use a live rhythm section or Aebersold, Volume 55, left channel only. Improvise a solo playing 3 choruses of up tempo Bb blues using a live rhythm section or Aebersold, Volume 2, track 5, left channel only. Play any additional example of your choice not to exceed one minute. Track 1 Track 2 Track 3 Track 4 BASS Acoustic Bass is preferred, but electric bass is acceptable. Play the written bass part from Funky Love (Jazz Bass, example 1, page 3). Play a walking bass line, the chord changes for two choruses and optional solo on the third chorus of I m Old Fashioned from Aebersold, Volume 55 with a live rhythm section or Aebersold, Volume 55, right channel only. Using a live rhythm section or Aebersold, Volume 31, right channel only, play a bossa nova bass line on Once I Loved from Aebersold, Volume 31 for one chorus, and also improvise a solo for one chorus if you choose to. Play any additional example of your choice not to exceed one minute. Track 1 Track 2 Track 3 Track 4 GUITAR Play the written guitar part from Funky Love (Jazz Guitar, example 1, page 3). Comp first 16 measures from I m Old Fashioned from Aebersold, Volume 55 with a live rhythm section or Aebersold, Volume 55, left channel only. Improvise a solo playing 3 choruses of up tempo Bb blues using a live rhythm section or Aebersold, Volume 2, track 5, left channel only. Play any additional example of your choice not to exceed one minute. DRUMS For each of tracks 1-5, play 16 measures trading 4 s divided alternately as 4 bars of time, 4 bars of solo, etc., within each 16 measure track. See separate Drum Set page 4 for further instructions. Track 1 Play 16 measures of medium swing. (Quarter note = 120) Track 2 Play 16 measures of fast swing. (Quarter note = 200) Track 3 Play 16 measures of shuffle (Quarter note = 152) Track 4 Play 16 measures of Bossa Nova (Quarter note = 152) Track 5 Play 16 measures contemporary straight 8th (ECM/fusion) (Quarter note = 100) Track 6 Play Big Band Excerpt -- #1 as instructed on the separate Drum Set page. (Quarter note = 200) Optional: Track 7 Play 16 measures of jazz waltz. (Quarter note = 144) Track 8 Play 16 measures of funk or funk shuffle. (Quarter note = 176) Page 2

Audition Examples Piano, Guitar and Bass

7 Audition Examples Piano, Guitar and Bass PIANO Example 1 Practical Love Swing Quarter Note = 160 Rob Tapper BASS Example 1 Funky Love Funk Shuffle Half Note = 80 Rob Tapper GUITAR Example 1 Funky Love Funk Shuffle Half Note = 80 Rob Tapper Page 3

8 DRUM SET Page 1 of 1 Required: All drummers will be asked to play five (5) separate sixteen (16) bar phrases as follows: 16 bars at the appropriate tempo, in the appropriate style trading 4 s divided alternately as 4 bars of time, 4 bars of solo, etc. Medium Swing at quarter note = 120 Fast Swing at quarter note = 200 Shuffle at quarter note = 152 Bossa Nova at quarter note = 152 Contemporary Straight 8 th (ECM/fusion) at quarter note = 100 Required: * Please play time and figures along with appropriate solo fill and set-ups.* Big Band Excerpt - #1 Optional: Jazz Waltz at quarter note = 144 Funk or Funk Shuffle at quarter note = 176 Page 4

9 ALTO SAXOPHONE Page 1 of 2 Required: Swing Excerpt - #1 Swing Ballad Excerpt - #2 Page 5

10 ALTO SAXOPHONE Page 2 of 2 Latin/Straight 8th Excerpt - #3 Latin Page 6

11 TENOR SAXOPHONE Page 1 of 2 Required: Swing Excerpt - #1 Swing Ballad Excerpt - #2 Page 7

12 TENOR SAXOPHONE Page 2 of 2 Latin/Straight 8th Excerpt - #3 Latin Page 8

13 BARITONE SAXOPHONE Page 1 of 2 Required: Swing Excerpt - #1 Swing Ballad Excerpt - #2 Page 9

14 BARITONE SAXOPHONE Page 2 of 2 Latin/Straight 8th Excerpt - #3 Latin Page 10

15 TRUMPET Page 1 of 2 Required: Swing Excerpt - #1 Swing Ballad Excerpt - #2 Page 11

16 TRUMPET Page 2 of 2 Latin/Straight 8th Excerpt - #3 Latin Lead Trumpet Excerpt LT #1 Swing Page 12

17 TROMBONE Page 1 of 2 Required: Swing Excerpt - #1 Swing Ballad Excerpt - #2 Page 13

18 TROMBONE Page 2 of 2 Latin/Straight 8th Excerpt - #3 Latin Bass Trombone Additional Excerpt -BT #1 Swing Page 14

2015 NAfME All-Northwest Honor Groups Spokane, Washington

2015 NAfME All-Northwest Honor Groups Spokane, Washington Program overview All-Northwest honor groups include Band, Wind Symphony, Orchestra, Mixed Choir, Treble Choir, Jazz Band and Jazz Choir. The entire