Jazz and Commercial Music Auditions

2025-26 JCM Instrumental Auditions

This page was updated on July 29, 2025. If you consulted this page before that date, you were viewing Fall 2024 audition materials and info, and will need to instead prepare the updated audition materials listed below and take note of the new audition days/times for Fall 2025.

Click here for Vocal Jazz Audition Info

Overview

The KU Jazz and Commercial Music Program has three Jazz Ensembles, 12-14 Jazz and Pop/Commercial Music Combos, and two Vocal Jazz Ensembles. All Instrumental and Vocal Ensembles and Combos are open to ALL students, regardless of major.

Auditions are held at the beginning of the fall semester for placement in Jazz Ensembles and Jazz and Commercial Music combos.  All students must audition to be placed in an ensemble or combo. Ensemble placements are for the entire academic year; if any ensemble member needs to change to a different ensemble or drop out between semester, a separate ensemble audition procedure will be announced in November to fill these spots for spring semester.

Jazz Ensembles (big bands) Schedule 

  • Jazz Ensemble I (Dan Gailey, director)—T/Th, 11:00 AM-12:45 PM—Murphy 114
  • Jazz Ensemble II (Keegan Kaiser, director)—M/W/F, 11:00-11:50 AM—Murphy 114
  • Jazz Ensemble III (David Dayoub, director)—M/W/F, 10:00-10:50 AM—Murphy 114

Jazz and Commercial Music Combo directors are Matt Otto, Eddie Moore, Tetsuya Nishiyama, Ryan Davis, Julia Dollison, Jeff Harshbarger, Keegan Kaiser, and Ben Perschall.

Audition results/ensemble rosters will be sent via email and posted on the bulletin board outside of Murphy 122 no later than Wednesday, August 20 at 7:00 PM CDT. Rehearsals begin on Thursday, August 21.

Everyone must enroll in the appropriate class for the ensemble they are placed in. You have the option of enrolling for 1 credit hour or 0 credit hour per ensemble: 

  • Jazz Ensembles—enroll in JAZZ 408 (undergrads) or JAZZ 708 (grad students)
  • Jazz and Commercial Music Combos—enroll in JAZZ 409 (undergrads) or JAZZ 709 (grad students)

You may enroll before auditions, and after results are posted you may make a switch to the correct section during the online drop/add period. No permission codes are necessary for ensemble or combo enrollment.

Procedure

Jazz Auditions

  • Sign up for an audition time on the bulletin board outside of 122 Murphy Hall anytime starting Monday, August 4.  Please sign up using your KU ID NUMBER ONLY.
  • DRUMMERS — an audition set with cymbals will be provided.  You must bring your own sticks and brushes to your audition.
  • BASS and GUITAR — amps will be provided for your audition.  You must bring your own patch cord to your audition.

Commercial Music Auditions

  • Record your audition (audio and video), upload to a private YouTube channel, DropBox, Google Drive, or OneDrive, and email a link to Professor Gailey no later than 5pm CDT on August 20, 2025.

Jazz Audition Times

Monday, August 18

  • 1:00-3:30 PM—Saxophones
  • 3:30-4:30 PM—Existing combos (see note regarding existing combos)

Tuesday, August 19

  • 10:30 AM-1:00 PM—Drums
  • 2:30-5:00 PM—Trumpets

Wednesday, August 20

  • 10:00 AM-12:00 PM—Trombones
  • 12:30-1:30 PM—Existing combos (see note regarding existing combos)
  • 2:00-5:00 PM—Piano, Guitar and Bass

 

Before your audition

Please fill out the online KU Instrumental Jazz and Commercial Music Audition Form before you audition. You will be asked to fill out the form before you are allowed to enter the audition room.

  • Do not list your KU ID number anywhere on the Audition Form, as this will help preserve anonymity for auditions.
  • A limited number of existing combos/small ensembles will be allowed to audition for assignment to a faculty member under the JAZZ 409/709 class heading.  These groups should sign up in the “Existing combos” time slots, using the KU ID number of one of the group’s members.  Satisfactory proficiency, as determined solely by the Audition Panel, must be demonstrated by an existing combo to be considered for placement within JAZZ 409/709. Faculty instructors will also be determined solely by the Audition Panel.
  • When it is time for your audition, please check in first with the Audition Proctor outside of Murphy 114—please try to be here at least 10 minutes before your scheduled audition time.
  • Auditions are done blind, with the exception of Existing Combos auditions. You will be escorted in and out of the audition room by the Audition Proctor.
  • Leave ALL instrument cases in the hallway—do not assemble/tear down instruments in the audition room.

Auditions will consist of the following:

Jazz Auditions

  1. Play the prepared piece for your instrument (without backing track).
    • Piano and guitar — play the melody then comp chord changes in time for one chorus.
    • Bass — play the melody then play a walking bass line in time for one chorus.
    • Drums — play the provided prepared piece as if you were playing it with a big band.
    • All others — play the written melody only.
  2. Sight-reading chosen by the audition panel
  3. Improvisation with a backing track—required for all jazz combo personnel except drummers, and for all solo chairs in big bands; optional for all others in big bands.  “Blues in F” is the default piece for the improvisation part of the audition, and “If I should Lose You” is the advanced improvisation audition.  Those wishing to audition for a solo chair in Jazz Ensemble I or an upper level jazz combo should prepare both “Blues in F” and “If I should Lose You”; all others may prepare “Blues in F” only.  In all cases, auditions will consist of 1-2 choruses of improvised solo with the appropriate backing track.

Drums will not do the improvisation portion of the audition, but will instead be asked to demonstrate the following styles/grooves:  Medium swing, fast swing (bebop), bossa nova, samba, jazz waltz, brushes (medium swing)

 

Commercial Music Auditions

Laptop students (Music Production and Technology majors):

  • Producers — Submit one track that you have created.  Upload to a private YouTube channel, Dropbox, Google Drive or One Drive, and email a link to Professor Gailey (dgailey@ku.edu) no later than 5 PM on August 20.
  • Laptop as part of a live ensemble (turntablism) — Please contact Professor Draper (draperb@ku.edu) no later than 5 PM on August 19 for more information.
  • Instrumentalists/Vocalists — Prepare and record (audio and video) 3 short tracks (no more than 60 seconds each) of your choosing—two should be with a track, and one should be unaccompanied.  Upload to a private YouTube channel, Dropbox, Google Drive or One Drive, and email a link to Professor Gailey (dgailey@ku.edu) no later than 5 PM on August 20.

Prepared Pieces & Backing Tracks

Prepared Pieces

Three and One — separate PDF files for Alto/Bari Sax, Tenor Sax, Trumpet, etc. as currently listed

If I Should Lose You (Advanced) — separate PDF files for B-flat, C and E-flat instruments, as currently listed

Drums (PDF)

Backing Tracks