JEN Intercollegiate Community College Honors Jazz Ensemble
Student Application Process

The JEN Intercollegiate Community College Honors Jazz Ensemble is an auditioned big band that will rehearse and perform at the upcoming JEN conference in New Orleans,
January 7 – 10, 2026.
DEADLINE: 11:59pm ET October 24, 2025

$25 application fee per student

 

ELIGIBILITY

  • Sponsoring Director must be a JEN Full Individual member in good standing.
  • Student applicants must be currently enrolled at a 2-year community college and actively participating in the school’s jazz ensemble.

 

INSTRUMENTATION

The JEN Intercollegiate Community College Honors Jazz Ensemble will consist of:

  • 5 Saxes (A, A, T, T, B)
  • 5 Trumpets
  • 5 Trombones*
    • 3 or 4 Tenor Trombones
    • 1 or 2 Bass Trombones

                       * exact part distribution will be determined by the judging panel and the conductor

  • Rhythm Section:
    • 1 Guitar
    • 1 Piano
    • 1 Bass
    • 2 Drums
  • 1 Vocalist
 

AUDITION MATERIAL

  • Record each etude as a separate mp3 file. There should be no talking or metronome on the track or identifying marks
    • Label each file as follows: Instrument_Number of Etude_ Name of College
      • Examples:
        • Tenor Sax 1_Etude 1_Brazosport College
        • Vocal_Etude 1_San Jacinto College
        • Trumpet_Lead_Etude 2_Brazosport College
  • Submit your audition materials to your Director
Instrumentalists

All instruments will record and submit four separate tracks as detailed below: three written etudes and improvisation.

Rhythm Section

 

Vocal*
Submit four (4) files as detailed below (max. file size is 512MB) :
  • FILE 1: Choose one medium to up-tempo jazz standard in the key of your choice. Accompaniment may be either live musicians or sing-along track (minus track). Choose one of the following options:
    • Sing the melody ONLY, demonstrating familiarity with the style, strong pitch, intonation, and technique; OR
    • Sing the melody, followed by a half chorus of an improvised scat solo, then the second half of the melody to the end. The scat solo should demonstrate knowledge of the chord changes and stylistic conventions of swing improvisation, and the return to the melody should include stylistically appropriate melodic ornamentations and alterations; OR
    • Sing the melody, followed by a full chorus of an improvised scat solo, then a full melody out. 
  • FILE 2: Choose one jazz standard ballad or slow bossa nova in the key of your choice. Accompaniment may be either live musicians or sing-along track (minus track). Choose one of the following two options:
    • Sing the melody ONLY, demonstrating a strong sense of phrasing, pitch, and technique; OR
    • Sing the melody, then return to the halfway point of the song and take it from there to the end. The return to the halfway mark, bridge or otherwise, should include stylistically appropriate melodic ornamentations and alterations; OR
  • FILE 3: Take a scat solo, demonstrating command of improvised jazz vocabulary, over one of the following options:
    • Blues mp3: Sing two choruses of 12-bar blues (24 bars total) in Bb.
    • Rhythm Changes mp3: One chorus of Rhythm Changes (32 bars total) in Bb.
  • FILE 4: In Walked Bud mp3: Sing the melody, using scat syllables ONLY. Do not sing the lyrics.

*Repertoire for the performance will be chosen by the director.

 

FOR THE DIRECTOR: How to Submit Your Student’s Audition(s)

IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS:
  • Each application mush have four (4) files submitted
  • Make sure each file is labeled correctly as indicated above
  • Multiple submission files from students performing on the SAME instrument should be numbered in sequence. (Example: 1, 2, 3, etc.)
  • Multiple submission files from students performing on DIFFERENT instruments should each be numbered as 1.
  • Upload all files to the Application Form. One (1) form per student application.
  • DEADLINE: No later than 11:59pm ET October 24, 2025.

 

AUDITION FEES

A $25 fee is required for each student auditioning. Payment can be made by Credit Card or Pay Via Invoice when submitting your form.

 

HOUSING & CONFERENCE REGISTRATION

Students are required to stay in the official conference housing at the Hyatt House hotel.

Shared housing  for four (4) nights will be assigned to all students by the Intercollegiate CC Honors Jazz Ensemble Coordinator, as appropriate to gender.

Required arrival is Wednesday afternoon, January 7, 2026. Checkout is Sunday morning, January 11, 2026.

The JEN Block Room Rate is $220 + taxes ($16.75%) and fees ($3) per room / per night. The cost of the room will be split between occupants.

Conference registration is complimentary for each student.

 

Questions? Contact Richard Birk

Email:  [email protected] 
Phone:   (979) 230-3272 (office phone)