2024-2025 Auditions

Auditions for the Mississippians and the Collegians jazz ensembles as well as the UM Jazz Combos are held at the beginning of the academic year during the first week of the fall semester. Placements are typically for one year. The audition includes a prepared jazz etude, sight reading and an opportunity to improvise over the changes of the audition piece, F blues, or B-flat blues.

All auditions will be held in the Jazz and Percussion Suite, room 112 near the vending machines. Wind instruments will audition on Monday, Aug. 26 or Tuesday, Aug. 27. Rhythm section instruments will audition Wednesday, Aug. 28. Please arrive a few minutes before your audition with your instrument assembled and ready to go.

The audition etude will be available early in August, 2024. The etude is available in C (piano, guitar), B-flat (trumpet, tenor saxophone), E-flat (alto saxophone, baritone saxophone), and bass clef (trombone, bass guitar, double bass).

You can also practice improvising on F blues or B-flat blues with a backing track on YouTube.

Scholarships and Graduate Assistantships

Merit based scholarships are available for outstanding undergraduate and graduate musicians.

A graduate assistantship in jazz performance is available for students pursuing a M.M. (any concentration) or Ph.D. in Music Education and includes a stipend, 75% tuition waiver and full waiver of non-resident fee.

Contact Dr. Michael Worthy for more information.