STUDENTS: We still have a few open chairs in VJC @ Ravenscroft ensembles. Tuesday night's Indigo Big Band needs one saxophonist (alto or tenor) plus one or two trumpeters. Thursday night's Sapphire Big Band needs two saxophonists (tenor & baritone) plus one or two trumpeters. Please reach out to VJC Director Russell Schmidt and apply if you have interest.
EDUCATORS: Check out our new Flexible Instrumentation Big Band charts, newly released by VJC Publications. Throughout the month of January, use the Coupon Code JEN25 to receive 25% off all VJC Publications purchases! And you can listen to most of these publications HERE on the VJC YouTube channel.
AUDITION MATERIALS
Below please find audition packets for alto sax, tenor sax, baritone sax, trumpet, trombone, bass trombone, guitar, piano, bass, and drums. Each downloadable PDF file contains materials suitable for either combo or big band auditions. For younger or more novice music students who might find portions of these materials too difficult to prepare, don’t let that stop you from auditioning. Just strive to play whatever you can and demonstrate your own unique gifts.
Also, please note there is an alternative option to these PDF files available to all students auditioning for VJC big bands in November/December each year: Anyone trying out for AZ All-State Jazz Ensembles may substitute those audition materials (provided by ABODA) for the VJC audition packet. Please just let us know in advance if you want to use those materials (usually a packet of four etudes by jazz composer Mike Tomaro) instead of the usual VJC packet. Thanks!
Play-Alongs
Below are play-along files intended for use with VJC combo audition pieces.