2025-2026 RYJO Audition Information

Plan for Auditions coming up in October, 2025

Auditions are held each October in the Note Able Therapy Services building, 2590 Orovada St., Reno.

There is a small Audition Fee which is payable online.

The annual season runs from early November through July. The fee for the entire concert season is $400 (fee subject to change). Thee are payment plans and scholarships available each year.

Audition Requirements

Click on the tabs to expand.

Saxophone

  • Complete online registration (form will be available online in September)
  • Audition fee $10.00
  • Full Range Chromatic Scale—play in triplets, tongue up/slur down
  • F Concert Scale—2 octaves or full range
  • Alto Sax/Baritone Sax: Concert F Dorian: Play D to D in the key of C
  • Tenor Sax: Concert F Dorian: Play G to G in the key of F
  • Audition Excerpt: Cool Blues
  • Sight Reading: Jazz style, articulation & accuracy. Focus on good tone and musicality.
  • Improvisation: Play the head and solo twice through the chorus of Doxy using the Play Along Track

Trumpet

  • Complete online registration (form will be available online in September)
  • Audition fee $10.00
  • Full Range Chromatic Scale—play in triplets and tongue up/slur down
  • F Concert Scale—2 octaves
  • Concert F Dorian: Play G to G in the key of F
  • Audition Excerpts: Limelight & Jeneve
  • Sight Reading: Jazz style, articulation & accuracy. Focus on good tune and musicality.
  • Improvisation: Play the head and solo twice through the chorus of Doxy using the Play Along Track

Trombone

  • Complete online registration (form will be available online in September)
  • Audition fee $10.00
  • Full Range Chromatic Scale—play in triplets and tongue up/slur down
  • F Concert Scale
  • Concert F Dorian: Play F to F in the key of Eb
  • Audition Excerpts: The Very Thought of You & Cute
    • Bass Trombones: Whisper Not
  • Sight Reading: Jazz style, articulation & accuracy. Focus on good tune and musicality.
  • Improvisation: Play the head and solo twice through the chorus of Doxy using the Play Along Track

Drums

  • Complete online registration (form will be available online in September)
  • Audition fee $10.00
  • Audition Excerpts: Cute Medium Swing & Work Song Swing
  • Play each style for 32 bars
    • Shuffle Quarter Note = 108-112
    • Samba Quarter Note = 100-108
    • Bossa Nova Quarter Note =124-132
    • Ballad with brushes Quarter Note = 80
    • Rock/Funk Quarter Note = 100
    • Fast swing Half note = 100-110
  • Sight Reading: Jazz style, articulation & accuracy. Focus on good tune and musicality.
  • Improvisation: Solo at least 1 chorus of Doxy using the Play Along Track

Bass

  • Complete online registration (form will be available online in September)
  • Audition fee $10.00
  • Chromatic Scale—one octave
  • F Concert Scale
  • Concert F Dorian: Play F to F in the key of Eb
  • Audition Excerpts: Cool Blues and Whisper Not
  • Sight Reading: Jazz style, articulation & accuracy. Focus on good tune and musicality.
  • Improvisation: Play the head once, walk the second chorus and solo the third chorus of Doxy using the Play Along Track

Piano

  • Complete online registration (form will be available online in September)
  • Audition fee $10.00
  • Two Octave Chromatic Scale, 2 hands
  • F Concert Scale and arpeggio, 2 octaves 2 hands
  • Concert F Dorian, 2 octaves: Play F to F in the key of Eb
  • Audition Excerpt: Cool Blues
  • Sight Reading: Jazz style, articulation & accuracy. Focus on good tune and musicality.
  • Improvisation: Play the head once, comp the second chorus and solo the third of Doxy using the Play Along Track

Vibes

  • Complete online registration (form will be available online in September)
  • Audition fee $10.00
  • Full Range Chromatic Scale
  • F Concert Scale
  • Concert F Dorian: Play F to F in the key of Eb
  • Audition Excerpt: Cool Blues/piano excerpt
  • Sight Reading: Jazz style, articulation & accuracy. Focus on good tune and musicality.
  • Improvisation: Play the head once, comp the second chorus and solo the third of Doxy using the Play Along Track

Guitar

  • Complete online registration: https://forms.gle/K3QhcoxfQ9mAHX299
  • Audition fee $10.00
  • Full Range Chromatic Scale
  • F Concert Scale
  • Concert F Dorian: Play F to F in the key of Eb
  • Audition Excerpt: Cute
  • Sight Reading: Jazz style, articulation & accuracy. Focus on good tune and musicality.
  • Improvisation: Play the head once, comp the second chorus and solo the third of Doxy using the Play Along Track.

Vocal

  • Complete online registration (form will be available online in September)
  • Audition fee $10.00
  • Sing a one octave chromatic scale—up and down
  • Sing a major scale on solfege—up and down
  • Sing a prepared piece of your choosing in the jazz style
    • If you have recorded accompaniment, be sure to send it to ryjo@renojazzorchestra.org prior to your audition or have it on your phone with Bluetooth enabled.
  • Sing the Star Spangled Banner without accompaniment.