Dear Sedgwick students,
I encourage everyone who is interested to try out for the SMS Jazz Band! Jazz Band is a fun group that meets twice a week. This year we rehearsed Tuesday after school 3:00 – 4:00 pm and Friday morning before school at 7:15 am. We have openings for the following instruments: flute, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, electric guitar, bass (electric and/or upright), drums and piano.
Jazz Band is an auditioned group. Auditions will be a relaxed and fun way for us to hear each individual and put together a good ensemble or team.
Auditions for the 2020-21 school year will be held before and after school in the band room during the first couple weeks of school. Sign-up times will be posted on the board outside the band room when school is back in session.
Please be prepared to play the following music at your audition. All the music and play along tracks are located here.
Audition Requirements (all instruments, except drums & guitar):
1. Song: Basie’s Blues by Jim Snidero.
2. Chromatic Scale (memorized)
3. Blues Scale (memorized)
4. Sight reading (wind players only)
Drums:
1. Play the Swing, Latin and Funk/Rock drum grooves with appropriate fills.
Guitar:
Be able to play the melody to Basie’s Blues, as written. Also, be able to play the chords to the first chorus of the tune (first full page). I will ask you to ‘comp’ the chords, playing rhythm and chords, in addition to playing the melody. You will also need to play the chromatic scale and blues scale.
Links to recordings of the Fall/Winter 2019-20 Jazz Band Repertoire:
Check them out!
A Child is Born (our arrangement)
Flight of the Foo Birds (our arrangement)
Winter Pops Concert – Wednesday, January 15 @ 7:00 pm; Sedgwick auditorium
Conard Winter Jazz Show – Saturday, February 1 @ 7:00 pm; Conard audotirum
Spring Pops Concert – Thursday, May 21 @ 7:00 pm; Sedgwick auditorium
Select Groups Adjudication and 6 Flags Trip – TBD
Celebrate! West Hartford – Saturday, June 6; performance time TBD