WHO SHOULD SUBMIT AN AUDITION VIDEO by December 1, 2025

1. All students who are interested in participating in the Jazz Arts Orchestra (even if you were a member of JAO last season) must audition each season;

2. All students who are interested in participating in Jazz Repertory Orchestra (JRO) who did NOT participate in JRO last season.

NO AUDITION REQUIRED FOR**:

• Any student who was a member of JAZZ REPERTORY ORCHESTRA in Spring 2025 and wants to continue in Jazz Repertory Orchestra for Spring 2026 season;

Members of Jazz Repertory Orchestra (JRO) in spring 2025 who want to continue to participate in Jazz Repertory Orchestra (JRO) in spring 2026 (i.e. do not wish to audition or be considered for Jazz Arts Orchestra (JAO) spring 2026), you do NOT need to audition. Instead, please complete this JRO Interest Form (instead of submitting an audition application) by Monday, December 1, 2025.

WHAT to PREPARE for the AUDITION:

Part 1: ALL instruments: 1 solo (jazz style preferred), you can also play parts of more than one solo, should be approx 3-5 minutes of music; You are welcome to play over a backing track, but make sure it can be heard in the video.

Part 2: All instruments EXCEPT Drumset: 12 keys of major scales and a chromatic scale through your range. If you’re auditioning solely on mallets – please play the scales;

Part 2: DRUMSET only: play 16 measures of time in each of the following styles: 1) 4/4 medium swing (quarter note=144), 2) 4/4 last swing (quarter note=220 or above), 3) bossa nova (any tempo), 4) samba (any tempo), 5) any rock or funk feel.

Part 3: ALL instruments: Improvisation to a backing track provided by CKYO in Bb (click HERE for the track, play along for three or four choruses – no need to play the whole thing.)

Auditions for the Spring 2026 Jazz Season will be via VIDEO. Instructions for recording your video are available at https://www.ckyo.org/video-instructions

All auditions for CKYO Jazz Ensembles are due on or before December 1, 2025 at 11:59pm. Instructions for recording your video are available at https://www.ckyo.org/video-instructions

Absolutely no editing or sound enhancements of any kind are permitted. Your audition video should be ONE continuous take - not each portion of the audition edited together.

We are trying to replicate an in-person audition experience. Starting over or making a mistake is expected and certainly okay! We recommend recording more than one take of your full audition video and watching and selecting your favorite take. We do NOT expect video auditions to be perfect!

Audition videos that are suspected to have been edited, spliced or otherwise enhanced may be disqualified.

Submit your video here and tell us a little bit about yourself and how to contact you.

There is a $20 audition fee due at the time of the submission. Need help with the audition fee? Send us an email at ckyo@ckyo.org (please contact CKO well before the due date of 12/1 if you would like some help with the audition fee).

Audition results will be emailed to the email addresses provided on the application (where you submit your audition video link) no later than December 22, 2025 at 5:00pm.

If you do not have access to an instrument or have other challenges preventing you from submitting an audition video, please email us ASAP and well in advance of the 12/1/25 video deadline at ckyo@ckyo.org.

Things the judges consider

• Rhythmic accuracy and stability (steady tempo)

• Intonation (playing in-tune with yourself)

• Tone quality

• Dynamic contrast

• Instrument-specific technique

• Musicality, expression, and phrasing

• Understanding of the style of music you are playing

• Appropriateness of repertoire for your technical level

• Ability to recover if you make a mistake

• Preparation

Things the judges do not consider

• The audio quality of the device you used to record

• The video quality of the device used to record

• Where you recorded your video and what it looked like (bedroom, living room, bathroom, etc. However, acoustics can be an issue if, for example you record in your bathroom and the sound is unclear due to the echo. Wherever you record, make sure you can be clearly heard.)

• Race or ethnicity

• Gender or gender presentation

• If you have a private teacher or who your teacher is

• Other auditions you’ve taken or groups you’ve played with

• How fancy or expensive your instrument is

For the complete rubric and scoring that evaluators use when listening to your video, click below:

CKYO is not able to provide feedback or comments from auditions. Judges are only placing students in an ensemble based on the presentation in the video or live audition and the performance of the audition components. The judges listening to your auditions are not aware of your past placement or performance in CKYO, your current grade, your private teacher, etc. They are assessing your level of proficiency for the orchestra for which you have prepared an audition and must take into account the number of available seats in each section when assigning players to each section within each ensemble. We are aware that audition outcomes can be disappointing, but hope you understand that results are based on a brief snapshot of what you present in an audition. We encourage you to always work to improve on your instrument and build on your technique and musicianship with each audition opportunity, regardless of the outcome.

Yes! CKYO is a strong supporter of school music programs, and believes these programs are the foundation of our music community. CKYO is an extended outlet for music and artistic growth and not a substitute for a school music program.

All middle school and high school aged members are REQUIRED to participate in their school band and/or orchestra program. If a school does not offer an ensemble for the auditioned instrument, we require that your counselor sign certifying such a situation. Home schooling parents are asked to sign as the student's music teacher, certifying that music is a part of their schooling program.

CKYO will coordinate teacher communication in regard to signing off/approving a student's participation in CKYO. CKYO will send emails to school and private teachers listed on a students registration form to ensure compliance with our policies and support of their school and private teachers. In pre-pandemic and post pandemic CKYO season - Students obtained signatures from their school instrumental music teachers each semester of participation in CKYO as a certification of compliance supporting the school and private instrumental teachers and programs.

In making these requirements, CKYO recognizes that a school or private music teacher may refuse to approve a students' participation in CKYO if reasonable efforts have not been met by the student, to work for the betterment of the school or private music program, or to rescind a signature if the student is not living up to the agreement made. CKYO reserves the right to retract membership privileges if the proper teacher/program approval requirements have not been obtained in accordance with the CKYO timetable.

Please note: CKYO makes NO EXCEPTIONS to its school instrumental and private music teacher signature certification requirements. Because the organization serves students from 15 different counties and over 60 schools the policy is broad and is in place to support the public school music programs who work in cooperation with the organization. CKYO recognizes that each school has their own ensemble participation requirements. The teacher confirmation required by CKYO each semester indicates the student for which the teacher is approving is in compliance with school requirements as that school and/or teacher deems acceptable.

CKYO members are required to be enrolled in regular private lessons on their instrument. You will be challenged by the music that is selected and the pace of the rehearsal schedule. While our staff will utilize our expertise to help all students succeed, nothing can replicate the personalized attention musicians receive when they take private lessons. CKYO does not require you to be enrolled in private lessons prior to auditioning for CKYO, but once you have been placed in an ensemble and are attending rehearsals, you must meet the private lesson requirement. If you are not currently taking private lessons, ask your school teacher or email us at operationsckyo@gmail.com to ask for recommendations.