Campus Jazz Ensemble (CJE) is open to pre-college students, college age students, and post-college adults. CJE meets at Moody Music Bldg., Thursdays 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Room 201 (Jazz Room). SPRING 2024: February 15 – May 30 (no meeting March 14 due to spring break).
Attendance: Mandatory. One absence is excused.
Campus Jazz Ensemble is under the direction of School of Music Jazz faculty and area Jazz professionals with assistance from UA Jazz Studies majors. Depending on interest level and playing level of participants this ensemble may be divided into two groups.
Participation is by band director recommendation (if pre-college) OR by video audition in advance of 2/15/24.
For auditions:
- Two jazz tunes (i.e., a blues and a jazz standard) – Standards can be chosen from
http://jazzstandards.com/compositions/index.htm and can be found in the Jamey Aebersold catalog of Play-A-Longs or Real Book lead sheets. The format to follow when performing these pieces is:- Play the melody (one time through)
- Improvise over the chord changes (minimum two choruses)
- Comp (if applicable) by walking, playing the chord changes, and playing time (minimum two choruses)
- Basic jazz improvisation – Be able to improvise over a set of chord changes from the above-chosen pieces, as well as a comp if applicable
Submit your audition video via a public or private YouTube clip directly to Prof. Chris Kozak at ckozak@ua.edu
Once accepted into the ensemble, you be an enrolled participant: Cost is $20. Two paths to enroll:
- Minor participants enroll via the Youth Protection Office enrollment site RYZER to participate. RYZER LINK: https://www.uayouthprograms.com/
2. Non-minor participants (UA students / post college adults) should enroll via the CMS site. LINK: https://community-music.oitapps.ua.edu/