ILMEA Vocal Jazz Resources 2024

Vocal Jazz Audition Process

Welcome to the ILMEA Vocal Jazz Audition Resources Website! Please use the following guidelines to help you through the audition process. This home page has an outline of the process, and each additional page has audio and video resources to help with the audition.

For additional information, please visit the ILMEA website:

https://ilmea.org/vocal-jazz-audition-process

Click HERE for all audio files

Vocal jazz auditions consist of seven parts: 

1 - Prepared selection - Sing a portion of "Never Wanted Broken" (the state will choose the section)

2 - Prepared selection - Sing a portion of the required selection "Route Sixty-Six" (the state will choose the section)

3 - Tonal skill - Sing a Blues Scale

4 - Tonal skill - Sing a Chromatic Scale

5 - Tonal skill - Sing a seventh chord (the state will choose the chord)

6 - Tonal skill - Sing a seventh chord (the state will choose the chord)

7 - Vocal improvisation

PREPARED SELECTIONS

Both prepared selections are available through Anchor Music. This company has provided a generous pricing system for ILMEA. If you plan on performing the charts at a concert, you will need to purchase the "SATB ChartPak" for $75. This includes all rhythm parts and an octavo which you may copy for all performing students. If your individual school is not performing the chart, you will need to purchase the "SATB Vocal Score (Audition Only)" option for $15. This includes a single octavo which you may copy for all auditioning students. You can find these charts at anchormusic.com/ilmea-all-state-jazz-choir/, or by clicking on the links below.

1 - Never Wanted Broken, Leonard Patton arr Matt Falker, available HERE

2 - Route Sixty-Six, Bobby Troup arr Jeremy Fox, availble HERE

Never Wanted Broken

Full Performance

Soprano

Alto

Tenor

Bass

Route Sixty-Six

Full Performance

Accompaniment Only

Soprano

Alto

Tenor

Bass

TONAL SKILLS

Scales and chords will be performed in the key of Eb for Sopranos and Tenors. Scales and chords will be performed in the key of C for Altos and Basses. All students are required to sing a Blues Scale and a Chromatic Scale. The Jazz Division President will then select two of the following four chords for the audition:

Soprano and Tenor Tonal Skills PDF

Click HERE to download PDF

Alto and Bass Tonal Skills PDF

Click HERE to download PDF

Soprano Tonal Skills

Tenor Tonal Skills

Alto Tonal Skills

Bass Tonal Skills

Vocal Improvisation

Students will be asked to demonstrate improvisational ability over C Blues. Students should listen to one chorus and then improvise for two full choruses.

C-Blues PDF (simple)

Click HERE to download PDF

C-Blues PDF (advanced)

Click HERE to download PDF

C-Blues (simple)

Follow-Along Video

C-Blues (Advanced)

Follow-Along Video