CURRENT STUDENTS: The main educational and ensemble program (grades 8-12) is concluded until November 2025 (when auditions take place) and December 2025 (when rehearsals begin). Have a great summer and fall, friends!
PROGRAM ALUMS: As the main March/April application window for the VJC Alumni Band has closed, we will now only accept applications on instruments for which we have orchestrational need. VJC alums who have interest should still fill out the application form HERE, confirming that interest and a commitment to participate.
FRIENDS & FANS: While the main program has concluded, the VJC Alumni Band is still to come, with a concert in Ravenscroft Hall on Saturday, June 28th @ 7:00 p.m. Learn more about that show—and purchase tickets—HERE.
EDUCATORS: Check out the Flexible Instrumentation Big Band charts from VJC Publications. And hear this great new music on our YouTube channel. VJC Publications offers flex. charts that don't compromise. Please note that 100% of every VJC Publication purchase goes back into supporting the educational activities of the Valley Jazz Cooperative.
VJC PUBLICATIONS
VJC Publications offers outstanding big band and combo music, providing fresh, unique, and exciting repertoire to educators, ensemble directors, and professional musicians.
VJC Publications has committed to releases of around ten new flexible instrumentation jazz ensemble charts each year. Our choice to focus on flex. charts (mostly written for JHS and HS big bands) is in direct response to the various challenges music education programs have faced in recent years. VJC Publications flex. charts for jazz ensemble have been skillfully written and carefully edited to work well with as few as 11 pieces or as many as the full complement of 18 performers.
And these are flex. charts without compromise: They sound fantastic with that minimum instrumentation, yet will sound even better with a full jazz ensemble. As such, VJC Publications are exceptional investments for an ensemble library. They are wonderful to play during a jazz program’s more robust years, yet total lifesavers during the occasional lean years, too. And the generally conservative range demands for younger brass players also enhances the utility of these charts.
Nearly all VJCP flex. chart recordings on the Valley Jazz Cooperative YouTube channel, as well as the abbreviated audio samples found here, feature the smaller instrumentation (11 pieces), allowing music educators and jazz ensemble directors to get a true and fair sense of what each piece sounds like with the bare minimum number of performers. We encourage you to check them out!
Our current roster of big band composers/arrangers includes:
Andrew W. Alcocer
George Darrah
Tom Davis
Jhoely Garay
Benjamin Hedquist
Billy Petito
Dave Rivello
Russell Schmidt
Jueun Seok
Tom Wolfe
David Yackley
Even more creative writers, each with a distinctive musical voice, will join our writing team in 2025 and beyond. We are excited to have future commissions coming in from Antonio Garcia and Ramon Ricker, among others.
Click on the Flex. Big Band Music filter below (in the left column) to see our newest offerings. VJC Publications are delivered digitally (as downloadable .pdf files). As such, there are no shipping charges for these products.
Finally, if you want to view all current flex. charts sorted by difficulty or style/groove, we have created a "VJCP at a glance" .pdf file that presents our offerings in various ways. Looking for a new ballad? A straight 8ths chart? Something to add to a festival set that sounds great but is not too hard? Give that .pdf file a look and find some wonderful options quickly!
Please note that proceeds from VJC Publications sales go to support Valley Jazz Cooperative programs and educational activities.
