2025 All-State Jazz - Drum 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 Monday, 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 2025 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: 

  • Play along with the track Count Bubba’s Revenge, found on pages 31-33 in the book Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band Play-Along Series (vol. 1, pub. Alfred). Use track 10 from the accompaniment CD.
  • Play along with the following track from John Riley’s book The Art of Bop Drumming.  Catch all written figures and provide appropriate comping throughout each example. *Track 40 (The Art of Bop Drumming)-pg. 66-  “The El Trane” Play the piece as is, with one chorus of solo drums added at the end of the coda (exactly 32 measures of 4/4 in AABA form in time. )
  • Provide an unedited recording of yourself performing the following styles (no metronome may be used):

*Salsa (Mambo):  half note=110, 2:3 clave, play exactly 16 full measures, use idiomatic comping/fills, play with sticks.

*Bossa Nova (Samba)  quarter note=120, 4/4 time, play exactly 15 full measures of Bossa Nova time, then play a one bar fill into 16 measures of double time Samba (half note=120).  Use idiomatic comping/fills and play with sticks and/or brushes.

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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