2025 All-State Jazz - Alto Sax Audition

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Directors who wish to have their students (grades 10-12 only) considered for selection should:

  1. Complete the application form with payment ($20). The Director must be a current PMEA member.  All student applicants must upload a headshot photo - (ABOVE the SHOULDERS) labeled Lastname_Firstname (i.e. Smith, Jack). *Please note there is a feature that allows the person who starts the application to add collaborators to it (i.e. if the Director starts the application they can add their student to add their audition videos). The person who starts the application, however, is the only one who has access to the payment information (so if the student is paying the application fee, they should start the application and add the director as a collaborator).
  2. The Audition selections must be submitted online via SUBMITTABLE at the PMEA Website listed above. The audition selections must be recorded from start to finish without cuts and/or splices. Do NOT use a metronome when recording any of the audition selections. SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS on how to submit EACH SELECTION are listed BELOW. ARMS, FINGERS and HEAD must be visible when recording the audition videos. NO EAR BUDS or HEADPHONES are permitted to be used in the recordings. To obtain the best audio quality, a good microphone as well as high-end computers or digital recording devices for the recording equipment are suggested. *Audition videos may be uploaded to the application (mp4 preferred) OR submitted as a link (YouTube or Vimeo files only are supported).
  3. No identifying clothing may be worn (i.e. no school t-shirts, no name identification, no PMEA, NAfME All Eastern or National shirts). Additionally, please do NOT include any identifying information in the video file name or in the contents of the recording  (i.e. your name or school name).
  4. The "Window of Opportunity" to record begins Monday, November 11, 2024 and ends at Noon (12:00 p.m.) on Tuesday, January 7, 2025. A confirmation email will be sent to the address on the Submittable account used to submit the application. Please check your SPAM filters for any communications and also check with your IT Administrator if a school email address is used and no email is received.
  5. The director is asked to view the file and verify the recorded audition is consistent with the student’s level of performance.
  6. Although PMEA checks to ensure the videos play in the correct format and the file can be opened- PMEA is NOT responsible for the content repertoire of the video. Please follow the repertoire and file labeling instructions.
  7. Students may audition on multiple instruments, however a separate payment and Submittable application is required for each submission. All requirements for EACH instrument must be met and be recorded on a separate video.
  8. Results of the 2024 PMEA All-State Jazz Ensemble will be posted on Monday, February 3, 2025 via the PMEA Website- www.pmea.net.

***If selected for the 2025 PMEA Jazz Ensemble, the student will no longer be eligible for any of the other All-State ensembles.*** 

Audition Info: 

PART 1:

  1. SCALES -   Play a Bb major scale from low Bb to high F and back to low Bb in eighth notes at minimum quarter note tempo of 200. Do NOT use a metronome when recording. You can swing the scales or play them straight. Play the same exercise on a B major scale (low B to high F# and back to low B) Scales.
  2. REQUIRED PIECE - Play Scrapple from the Apple, found on page 16 of the Charlie Parker Omnibook (Eb Edition, pub. Hal Leonard). Do NOT play it with the accompaniment CD.

PART 2:   * Each applicant must submit at least one of the following sections, but is encouraged to submit two or three of the sections.  A high performance level is foremost, but displaying a broader scope of one’s abilities will give the judges a better representation of the total player.  Scoring for this category will be an average of the section(s) submitted.

  • LEAD PLAYING - Play the 24-32 measure etude provided by PMEA. Etude is available online www.pmea.net , Scroll to “Conferences and Events'' and then “PMEA All- State Information.” (This section is not available for tenor saxophone or baritone saxophone).
  • IMPROVISATION -  Improvise over Softly, found on pages 20-21 in the book Effective Etudes  for Jazz by Mike Carubia and Jeff Jarvis (pub. Kendor), playing along with track 29 from the accompaniment CD.
  • SECTION PLAYING –  Play the entire etude Sum of Your Attributes, found on pages 26-27 in the book Effective Etudes for Jazz by Mike Carubia and Jeff Jarvis (pub. Kendor), playing along with track 32 from the accompaniment CD.

SUBMITTABLE RECORDING INSTRUCTIONS  

1. Record EACH TITLE separately.       

2. LABEL THE FILE with the SELECTION TITLE from the list and upload in the corresponding section of the application OR submit as a weblink (YouTube or Vimeo links only).

*Please note that the file upload size limit per upload is 400 mb. The Maximum size of complete submission is 800mb. Mp4 videos tend to work best.

We use Submittable to accept and review our submissions.
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