All-District JAZZ Band auditions

All-District JAZZ Band Auditions
Wednesday, January 14, 2026.

All-District Jazz Band is an honors Jazz band made up of the best middle school Jazz band members in Alexandria, Falls Church City, and the eastern one-third of Fairfax County Public Schools.  All-District Jazz Band provides an additional challenge and opportunity for band students outside of their normal classes to diligently prepare a musical audition, be evaluated by professional judges, see how they compare to other students in our area and have the opportunity to be chosen to be a part of this honors Jazz ensemble.

After the audition, students are then selected, based on the score they receive at their audition, to perform in this honors Jazz ensemble.  The official results will be known the week after the audition.

District Ten Jazz Band Auditions 

Wednesday, January 14, 2026

Alexandria City High School in Alexandria

3330 King Street, Alexandria, VA  22302

Audition fee of $15.00 due by Friday, December 19th (Blue Day) 

Payments on MSB, cash, and checks are accepted. 
(Make checks payable to “SCMS Band”.)
https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/prdembd?ref=ZZI5ZQWBKS04NJ8_ZZ69AGGAPQ2IGTK

  Student check-in begins at 5:30 pm and auditions begin at 6:00 pm.

Please park in the Parking Garage in the front of the school and enter the building at Door #1.

All students will need to practice certain materials for their audition.  Your students have received this letter as well as a packet of information regarding the audition.  I would ask that all students/parents detach the second page of this letter; sign it, date it, and return it to me with the $15.00 registration fee, no later than Friday, December 19, 2025.

Click this link for payment on MSB: https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/prdembd?ref=ZZI5ZQWBKS04NJ8_ZZ69AGGAPQ2IGTK

Student Check-In begins at 5:30pm

Student Auditions begin at 6:00pm

Please hold the 5:30-7:30pm on Wednesday, January 14th open for the audition. 

Students will report to Alexandria City High School at Door 1, check-in, warm-up in their Auditorium, and get ready for the audition.  

Each student will be given a number upon check-in and will be taken to the audition room beginning at 6:00pm.  Please be aware that students must provide their own transportation to and from the audition at Alexandria City High School.

If your child earns a position in the “All-District Ten Jazz Band” as a result of this audition, each student will be required to pay the $45 participation fee and participate fully in all rehearsals at Meridian High School in Falls Church on Friday, January 23rd, (9am-5pm), and Saturday, January 24th (Rehearsal times 2:30-5pm), with the concert Saturday evening at 5:00pm on January 24th in the Main Auditorium. (Exact time details to follow.)

INFORMATION LETTER and REGISTRATION FORM
(Click above)

Middle School Audition Requirements

Wind Players, Guitar, Piano, and Vibraphone

 Reminder to never talk in the audition rooms.  If you need to ask a question, please leave the audition room, contact the runner for the room and the runner will ask the question for you.  This is to keep anonymity.  

1. Scales: (Found in your Mustang Band Warm-Up Book.)
   
       Major Scales: C, F, Bb, Eb, Ab, G, D, A, E (10 points each)

Chromatic Scale (20 points)

·         2 scales will be called. 

·         Must be memorized.

·          All scales will be played as per VBODA requirements for district band. (This means straight, NOT SWUNG.)

·         Played through the student’s practical range (same ranges as All-District Band.)

·         Articulation is legato tongue up and down.

·         Scales will be called by starting pitch, not concert pitch.

·         Tempo: quarter note equals 60.

·         Scales will be played in "Quarter Note-Eighth Notes" rhythm as is written on the District 10 Scale Sheet.

2. Prepared Music (20 points) & Improvisation (20 points)

Click this link for the Sheet Music PDF: "2026 MS Etude PDF"

Wind players and Vibraphonists will perform the etude as written the first time through, then improvise over the etude’s chord progression on the repeat. The recording above has the etude with accompaniment, followed by the just accompaniment on subsequent repeats, for practice purposes.

Click this link for the RECORDING:  "2026 MS Etude Recording"

    1.)               Wind players and Vibraphonists will perform the etude twice.

a.       1st – Perform the written part.

b.      2nd - Improvise over the etude’s chord progression.

2.)               Pianists and Guitarists will perform the etude 3 times –

a.   1st - Perform the written part. 

b.  2nd - Play the written out chord progression.

c.   3rd – Improvise over the etude’s chord progression.

3.)            Bassists will play the etude twice.

a.       1st – Perform the written bass line

b.      2nd - Improvise over the etude’s chord progression.

3.) Sight-Reading (20 points)
Students will be asked to demonstrate sight-reading ability on each instrument on which they audition.

Middle School Audition Requirements

Drum Set

A. Demonstration of the following styles of music:
1.) SWING STYLE (25 points)
2.) BOSSA (25 points)
3.) ROCK (25 points)

B. Drummer Sight-Reading:  (25 points)
All auditioning drummers will sight-read a big band drum chart that consists of kicks and fills.