STUDENTS SELECTED FOR WYOMING ALLSTATE JAZZ CHOIR WILL BE REQUIRED TO SUBMIT PART CHECK RECORDINGS 3 WEEKS BEFORE THE FIRST REHEARSAL ON 29 JANUARY 2023.

The 2023 WJE All-State Jazz choir auditions are due
Saturday, October 15th by 11:59 p.m.

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To make things easier, this year’s WJE All-State jazz choir audition will be very similar to the 2023 NAfME All-Northwest Jazz Choir audition. N.B., I received permission to use the same excerpt as the 2023 NAfME All-Northwest Jazz Choir audition.

Auditioning students will not be asked to perform “Winter Song” but will be asked to sing the “Bye, Bye Blackbird” excerpt with the appropriate minus track. (See “WJE 2023 All State Jazz Choir instructions”) There will be five required tracks with an optional sixth track of improvised scatting.

Selected students will be required to submit part check recordings of each song by January 8th, 2023.  The first rehearsal will be held the evening of January 29th in Casper. Students selected for the 2023 Wyoming All-state jazz choir will be assigned divisi parts when they receive their music. The WJE All State jazz choir will perform a concert with the WJE All-state Jazz Bands on January 31, 2023, at Natrona County High School.

Thank you for helping your students prepare for this unique honor ensemble experience and please contact me if you have any questions. 

LaDonna Backman
307-214-0681
ladonna.backman@laramie1.org

WJE 2023  All-State Jazz Choir Audition Track Assignments
(Updated 4 Oct '22)

TRACK 2:    Sing the first 16 measures in a swing style, unaccompanied, of “Summertime” from Gershwin’s “Porgy & Bess”. You choose the tempo and key.

TRACK 3:    Sing your part of “Bye Bye Blackbird” with the appropriate minus track.*  

TRACK 4:    (Optional) Improvise 3 choruses of up-tempo Bb blues.  This can be done with a YouTube backing track, Jamey Aebersold, Vol. 2, track 5, a live rhythm section or sung alone.