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All-State Jazz Band Handbook
PLEASE NOTICE--This handbook is archival and not current.
This page doesn't reflect all changes made since the inception of the All State Jazz Band. Please refer to the ASBOA All State Jazz Materials Page for up to date procedures and materials.
Handbook Contents

In an effort to further the cause of music education in Arkansas, and to facilitate higher levels of learning from our students, each year the Arkansas School Band and Orchestra Association will sponsor Senior High All-State Jazz Band Auditions and Clinics. Regulations in this handbook are specific to All-State Jazz Band; other All-State regulations may apply.

I. All-State Jazz Band Committee

A. The committee will be made up of nine members, one from each of the nine regions.
B. Each committee member will be the Jazz Band Coordinator for their region and will be responsible for all of the duties accorded him by the committee as a whole, and the ASBOA.
C. The committee and the chairperson will be appointed by the Executive Board of the ASBOA.
D. Each year, region members will rotate off of the committee, and new members from the same regions will be selected. (See appendix A)
E. For the rotation, regions will be grouped I, IV, VII / II, V, VIII / III, VI, IX.
II. Auditions
A. Region Level
1. All regions are required to participate in the All-State Jazz Band process.
2. Each region will select players to audition for the All-State Jazz Bands through the following methods:
a) Students will qualify through their region jazz band clinic.
b) If a region has no jazz band clinic, the jazz band coordinator from that region will enlist students to audition as follows:
(1) The wind players will qualify through their senior concert band clinic. The option to audition will go to the 1st chair wind player on that instrument. The next option will go to the next available player, until all chair positions and alternates have been selected. In the event that a region does not have enough saxophones of a specific type to fill that region's allotted number of slots for All-State tryouts, the region may fill the slots with saxophonists who are willing to change to a different voice. These will be drawn from a region band's alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones, in that order. Trombones may be drawn from the bass trombone ranks after tenor trombones to fill available slots.
(2) Rhythm players will be selected by taped audition. Material will come from the four prepared exercises which are required at All-State Jazz Band Auditions. The material must be taped in the presence of the applicant's band director, and the director must send a statement affirming that this requirement has been met. These tapes may only be presented by the applicant's band director, and must be in the possession of the region jazz band coordinator by the end of the first day of their senior region clinic. Region jazz band coordinators are responsible for seeing that the tapes remain anonymous, and that they are judged and ranked. It is suggested that the coordinator head a panel to evaluate these tapes at the clinic. Rhythm players will audition live at All-State try-outs.
3. Region qualifying instrumentation for All-State Auditions.
a) Each of the nine regions may qualify up to the following for All-State auditions:
2 Alto Saxophones
2 Tenor Saxophones
1 Baritone Saxophone
5 Trumpets
4 Trombones
1 Bass Trombone
2 Pianos
2 Guitars
2 Basses
2 Drum Sets
b) Valve trombones are acceptable, but all players must read bass clef, otherwise only instruments listed are permitted to audition.
c) If available, each region is to list two (2) alternates for each instrument (except for one [1] on Baritone Saxophone) to replace any qualified students who are unable to participate in the All-State auditions.
B. All-State Audition Procedures
1. The All-State Jazz Band Committee, under the supervision of the All-State Jazz Band Chair, will be given the responsibility of running the All-State Jazz Band auditions and the tally room. In his/her capacity as audition chair, the All-State Jazz Band Chair is under the supervision of the 1st Vice-President of the ASBOA.
2. A minimum of two directors will be invited to serve on each All-State Jazz Band audition committee.
3. Prepared exercises, scales, and drum beats are to be chosen from the specified All-State audition list
4. Students will be required to play from memory the following:
a) Wind, string, and piano players will be required to play three different types of scales/modes which will be chosen from any of the following concert pitch scales/modes (See appendix for modes in instrument keys): major scales - All; natural minor scales - a, b, c, d, e, f#, g; dorian modes - a, d, g, c, f, bb; mixolydian modes - D, G, C, F, Bb, Eb; and blues scales - g, c, f, bb, eb, ab. All scales/modes will be two octaves if they begin on the same pitch as a two octave major scale for All-State Concert Band Auditions. All scales will be two octaves for string and piano. Piano scales are to be played hands together. Wind scales are to be tongued ascending and descending at a tempo of 72+ in the following rhythm pattern: 2/4 - one eighth note, followed by six sixteenth notes, etc., except for the blues scale which will be tongued ascending and descending at a tempo of 90+ in the following rhythm pattern: 2/4 - eighth note triplets. Any student not playing the required tempo and/or rhythmic pattern should receive credit, but shall not be scored above the center line of the scale score sheet.
b) Drummers will play 8 measures of three different types of specific beat patterns which will include in 4/4 time - bossa, funk, rock, samba, shuffle, & swing; and in 3/4 time - jazz waltz.
5. A student may audition on only one instrument.
6. The All-State Jazz Band tryout chairperson in each room will bring all of the tryout materials for that room.
7. No warm-up will be allowed in the tryout room. Prior to playing an exercise, scale, or sight reading, the student will be allowed to play only the first note of that exercise or scale as a sustained tone. No repeated rhythmical variation of that note will be allowed. Failure to abide by this rule will result in the deduction of five (5) points on the score sheet for that section of the tryout.
8. Students are responsible for being at the tryout room(s) at their appointed time. A student who misses his/her playing time will have five (5) points per sheet deducted from their score and be allowed to audition at the next available time.
9. Students may earn up to 10 extra points per sheet through the improvisational portion of the tryout. Students will sight-read while accompanied by 12 bar blues chord changes andimmediately (without pause or rests in the music) follow that with improvisation while accompanied by the same 12 bar blues chord changes. Drummers may either improvise with the recording, or solo at a medium swing for 20 seconds.
10. The deadline for score corrections and changes will be at 5:00 P.M. on the first working day following the audition, for Region and All-State auditions.
11. Eligibility will be the responsibility of the All-State Jazz Band Chair and the Region Coordinators.
III. All-State Jazz Band Clinic
A. Instrumentation - Players will be selected at All-State auditions to fill up to the following instrumentation per band for All-State Jazz Bands:
2 Alto Saxophones
2 Tenor Saxophones
1 Baritone Saxophone
5 Trumpets
4 Trombones
1 Bass Trombone
2 Pianos
2 Guitars
2 Basses
2 Drum Sets
B. Guest soloists may perform with an All-State Jazz Band.
C. At this time, two jazz bands will be sponsored.
IV. Awards
A. All participants in the All-State Jazz Band will receive a medal appropriate for the event. Those who wish to, may buy a patch.
V. Fees
A. Tryout fees : $5.00 per student.
B. Band clinic fees : $10.00 per student.
VI. Appendix
A. Current time-line for region committee members to rotate out.
I, IV, VII
2006
2009
2012
II, V, VIII
2007
2010
2013
III, VI, IX
2008
2011
2014
B. Intervallic construct of scales and modes in steps.
1. Major scale 1-1-1/2-1-1-1-1/2 (Ionian mode)
2. Natural Minor scale 1 - 1/2 - 1 - 1 - 1/2 - 1 - 1 (Aeolian mode)
3. Dorian mode 1 - 1/2 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1/2 - 1 (Natural minor with raised 6th)
4. Mixolydian mode 1 - 1 - 1/2 - 1 - 1 - 1/2 - 1 (Major with a lowered 7th)
5. Blues scale 1&1/2 - 1 - 1/2 - 1/2 - 1&1/2 - 1
C. Scales and beat patterns are available from ASBOA. Scales to be played are as follows:

C instruments
Major - All
Natural Minor - a, b, c, d, e, f#, g
Dorian Mode - a, d, g, c, f, b
b
Mixolydian Mode - D, G, C, F, Bb, Eb
Blues Scale - g, c, f, bb, eb, ab

Eb Instruments
Major - All
Natural Minor - f
#, g#, a, b, c#, d#, e
Dorian Mode - f#, b, e, a, d, g
Mixolydian Mode - B, E, A, D, G, C
Blues Scales - e, a, d, g, c, f

Bb Instruments
Major - All
Natural Minor - b, c
#, d, e, f#, g#, a
Dorian Mode - b, e, a, d, g, c
Mixolydian Mode - E, A, D, G, C, F
Blues Scales - a, d, g, c, f, b
b

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