Jazz and Commercial Music Auditions

2026-27 JCM Instrumental Auditions

This page was updated on July 24, 2026. If you consulted this page before that date, you were viewing Fall 2025 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 2026.

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 Brandon Draper, Matt Otto, Eddie Moore, Tetsuya Nishiyama, Ryan Davis, 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 26 at 7:00 PM CDT. Rehearsals begin on Thursday, August 27.

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 3. 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 26, 2026.

Jazz Audition Times

Monday, August 24

1:00-4:00 PM—Saxophones

Tuesday, August 25

10:30 AM-1:00 PM—Drums
2:30-4:30 PM—Trombones

Wednesday, August 26

11:00 AM-1:30 PM—Trumpets
2:00-5:00 PM—Piano, Guitar, Bass, Vibraphone

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.
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. 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

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.
Sight-reading chosen by the audition panel
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 Bb-Ottophony” is the default piece for the improvisation part of the audition, and ““It's You Or No One” 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 Bb-Ottophony” and “It's You Or No One”; all others may prepare “Blues in Bb-Ottophony” 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:

Commercial Music Ensemble Audition Requirements

University of Kansas School of Music

Live Instruments

Students are placed in combos/ensembles that meet 1-2 times per week with instructors and perform 2 concerts per semester.

Applicable instruments include:

Drums/Percussion
Bass
Guitar
Piano/Keyboards
Horns (woodwinds, brass)
Strings
Voice

Requirements:

Submit a video performance of two memorized pieces, playing along with tracks.
Selections should demonstrate your ability to perform in a variety of popular music styles, such as:
- Rock
- Funk
- Reggae
- Hip-Hop
- Country
- R&B
- Rap
- Electronic
- Folk
- etc.
Maximum video length: 8 minutes

Suggested repertoire: Songs by influential artists such as Earth, Wind & Fire, Led Zeppelin, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, and other notable commercial music artists.

Laptop / Producer Track

Students are placed in producer groups that meet 1-2 times per week with instructors and perform their productions as Producer Showcases during 2 concerts per semester.

Requirements:

Submit a screen recording of your DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) with audio included.
Briefly explain your production process, creative decisions, and workflow.
Include playback of your project.
Maximum submission length: 7 minutes

Singer-Songwriter Track

Students are placed in "songwriters in the round" groups that meet 1-2 times per week with instructors to share and offer feedback. They perform 2 concerts per semester that include original works.