Admission Auditions
The admissions requirements linked below are for admission to the Jazz Studies major.
The new College of Music application enables applicants to upload videos as part of the application. If your instrument requires a pre-screening video (not all instruments do) or you are auditioning by video, you will be able to use this feature.
The pages linked below refer to our bachelor's and master's programs.
For information on admission at the doctoral level, please see the page on the local concentration in Jazz Studies within the DMA in Performance.
Admission to the Graduate Artist Certificate in Music Performance program is an option for jazz performers with exceptional qualifications. For more information, see http://music.unt.edu/admissions/graduate-degree-specific.
Jazz Piano Auditions for Admission (Undergraduate and Graduate levels)
On-campus and recorded auditions are accepted. For those who choose an on-campus audition, choose one of the scheduled Saturday audition dates at the College of Music. Your audition should not exceed 20 minutes. Please prepare the following:
1. One solo piano selection (preferably a ballad from the standard jazz repertoire)
2. One blues (medium swing tempo)
3. One selection from the standard jazz repertoire of your choice in the style of bossa nova, samba, or straight eight feel
4. One uptempo selection (quarter note=220 for undergraduate and quarter note=264 for graduate)
Graduate applicants must perform their repertoire by memory. Undergraduate applicants may use lead-sheets, however, we do encourage all applicants to memorize their selected pieces. If you are doing an on-campus audition, please bring your play-along tracks.
For the recorded audition, the recordings can show you playing with play-along tracks or with a live rhythm section. Follow the directions on the College of Music application to submit a high quality recorded video audition.
Classical audition (for undergraduate applicants only)
All undergraduate applicants must also pass the classical piano audition at the concentration level - http://music.unt.edu/admissions/undergraduate-repertoire - click on piano and refer to the "Piano Concentration" paragraph. If scheduled to audition on campus, each applicant will play two auditions - one classical and one jazz. If auditioning by recording, each applicant must submit both classical and jazz recordings using the College of Music admission website.
Jazz piano majors take classical lessons the first year (plus a two-semester jazz piano fundamentals class); jazz and classical lessons in years two and three; and jazz lessons in year four.
Ensemble auditions
Each semester, a live audition will take place the week prior to classes. This is a placement audition for the various jazz lab ensembles and master-classes. For further information, click here.
If there are any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Prof. Pat Coil at patrick.coil@unt.edu.