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What is Jazz Band?
What is Jazz Band?
Jazz Band provides an extracurricular opportunity for students to participate in a big-band style ensemble and perform jazz, blues, rock, latin, be-bop, and swing styles of music! Our jazz season starts in late October and runs through mid-March.
2025 Sign-up
2025 Sign-up
All rhythm section members (drum set, piano, guitar, mallet percussion) must audition for instrument assignment in ANY of the three jazz bands.
Brass & woodwind players don’t need to audition to be in Jazz Lab Band, but must audition in order to be placed in either the Red or Black Jazz Ensembles.
To submit an audition:
Create a video recording of yourself playing
The Bb Blues Scale and the F Blues Scale (scroll down to find your instrument)
The marked excerpts of “I Beeped When I Should Have Bopped.” (scroll down to find your instrument)
included in this packet (available in canvas)
Upload your video through the “Jazz Band Sign-Up / Audition” assignment
on Canvas.
Audition videos are due Friday, October 24th. Results will be posted on canvas and in the YMS band room on Wednesday, October 29th.
Performances
Performances
Friday, January 23rd - YMS/YHS Jazz Concert, @YMS Auditorium, 7:00pm
Saturday, February 7th - YMS Jazz Performance Trip to the Old Quarry Jazz Festival in Lemont, IL
Saturday, March 14th - YMS Jazz Performance at the Yorkville Fine Arts Festival
Concert attire for jazz band is concert black plus a "pop of color" such as a colorful tie, belt, scarf, socks, or jewelry. (No hats or sunglasses, sorry.)
Attendance policy
Attendance policy
1 unexcused absence will result in a conference with the director and an email to parents.
2 unexcused absences will result in a conference with the director and a parent.
3 unexcused absences will result in removal from the Jazz Band.
If you have a conflict with a rehearsal, please let your director know one week in advance.
If you have an ongoing conflict with another school activity, please inform your director.
Secondary instruments
Secondary instruments
If you are interested in learning a secondary instrument for jazz band, please let your band directors know as soon as possible.
Most students learning a secondary instrument will be placed in the YMS Jazz Lab Band.
If you would like to audition for the YMS Jazz Ensemble you must audition on the instrument you want to play in jazz band.
Information about ILMEA Jr. Jazz auditions will be available in December. Auditions take place in February, 2026.
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