Please review and prepare all requirements thoroughly. Auditions are held in person at NIU in February, unless otherwise determined. Jazz area auditions are typically held only during the first audition weekend in February. Please register for your audition date.
If you are unable to attend our official audition days, contact our music admissions coordinator for permission to schedule an independent audition or obtain approval to submit an unedited video audition. Please bring copies of your music for the adjudication panel.
All applicants — undergraduate and graduate — must prepare the requirements under assigned excerpt, technique, improvisation and reading sections as appropriate for the instrument you will be auditioning.
Graduate students and all jazz drummers have additional requirements listed at the end of this page. Undergraduates will complete an aural skills assessment at the time of audition. Sight reading exercises may be given at the time of audition for all applicants.
If you are auditioning for our undergraduate music minor, complete all technique and reading requirements and plan on improvising over a blues. Jazz drummers auditioning for our music minor should also prepare drag rudiments and styles.
Assigned Excerpt
Each instrument is required to prepare an assigned excerpt:
Technique
- Assigned audition excerpt
- Scales, full range
- B♭, E and A♭ major; E melodic minor; C harmonic minor; chromatic scale
- Guitarists: prepare instead all major, natural minor, harmonic minor and pentatonic scales in multiple positions
- Triad arpeggios, full range
- C, E♭, F♯ major; D, F, A♭ minor
- Guitarists: prepare instead two octaves of major and minor triads and diatonic 7th chords (M7, m7, m7♭5)
Improvisation
- Blues melody of choice and two choruses of improvisation
- Rhythm section players must also comp appropriate to style for two choruses
- Rhythm changes or standard melody of choice and one chorus of improvisation
- Rhythm section players must also comp appropriate to style for one chorus
Reading
- Sight reading of music appropriate for level of entrance
- Guitar, piano and bass auditions will include chord reading
Jazz Drums
In addition to the assigned excerpt, improvisation and reading requirements listed above, jazz drums applicants should be prepared to perform the following:
- Drag rudiments: ratamacues, drag paradiddle, flamacue, Swiss Army triplet and single windmill
- Styles: Brazilian (bossa nova and samba), Afro-Cuban, Funk, Swing, Bebop, Jazz Ballad, Jazz Waltz
Additional Graduate Requirements
In addition to the requirements listed above, graduate applicants should also be prepared to perform the following:
- Additional standard melody of your choice
- Additional rhythm changes melody of your choice
- Ballad of your choice
- Two choruses maximum including melody and improvisation
- Your ballad will be unaccompanied.
- Guitarists: prepare a ballad with chord melody.
- One transcription of your choice