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RJAM Auditions

Collegiate Apply / Request Information

RJAM Auditions

Collegiate Apply / Request Information

Welcome, RJAM students! 

Below are the audition requirements for the Roots, Jazz, and American Music (RJAM) area. For full details—including application requirements and audition dates—please visit our Application & Auditions page.

Audition requirements are updated each September for the upcoming application cycle.

Live auditions will be held on campus in San Francisco. If you’re unable to attend in person, Zoom auditions are available upon request once the audition scheduling module opens. Additional details can be found on the Application & Auditions page.

Audition Requirements

If you have questions about your repertoire selections, please first consult with your current private teacher or other mentor.

Applicants must submit a prescreening recording with their application by the application deadline. Applicants must submit unedited audiovisual recordings.

Please prepare five selections from the following categories. Each selection should not exceed six minutes, and in total, should not exceed 30 minutes. You may select songs from the Final Audition list to fulfill one or more prescreening requirements.

  • 1 Medium-tempo blues
  • 1 Up-tempo jazz standard
  • 1 Latin, rock, or funk tune
  • 1 Ballad
  • 1 Bebop tune

The live audition will be held in a relaxed ensemble setting. You and your fellow auditioning candidates will be placed into ensembles You will then be scheduled for a warm-up/rehearsal session before your actual audition. When it’s time for your group to audition together, the jury will call select tunes from the audition song list. If there are multiple auditioning candidates for the same instrument in the same ensemble, the jury will switch out the candidates so that they all have the same opportunity to audition. 

Please make sure to bring your instrument with all necessary accessories (sticks and brushes, clutch, cymbals, etc.). Drum kit (no cymbals), piano, and bass will be provided.

Please prepare the following material for the final auditions. Those that attend live auditions will play 1-2 songs from the list below:

On Green Dolphin Street - Eb
Body and Soul - Db
Confirmation - F
Straight, No Chaser - F
Blue Bossa - Cmin
Blues for Alice - F
Donna Lee - Ab
How Insensitive - Dmin
 

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