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> NYJC Summer School 2012

►► Watermill Jazz Young Composers Award 2012
>30th September 2012

National Youth Jazz Collective is delighted to launch its 2012 National Youth Jazz Summer School, which will be held at the University of East Anglia, Norwich, from 3pm on Sunday 12th August to 11am on Sunday 19th August.

The National Summer School will culminate in a performance involving all participants on Saturday 18th August at 6pm, preceded by a seminar hosted by Jazz FM’s Helen Mayhew at 4.30pm on “Good Practice for Young Jazz Musicians”.

During the Summer School, 30 gifted and talented young jazz musicians aged
14 - 18 will work on small group improvisational jazz with some of the country’s leading performers and educators including NYJC’s Founder and Executive Artistic Director Issie Barratt, Nic France, Nikki Iles, Mark Lockheart, Liam Noble, Jeremy Price, Percy Pursglove, Nick Smart, Martin Speake and Mike Walker.

Summer School students are selected by competitive audition. Auditions are held across the country and will take place during the Easter holidays as follows:

Here is a summary of the 2012 application process so that you can see what is involved:

1. APPLICATION FORMS & FURTHER INFORMATION

Online application
Downloadable application form
Supporting Materials
Download Brochure

2. REFERENCE AND SIGNATORIES

All applicants are asked to provide two supportive signatories and one reference of no more than 100 words (the first supportive signature should be your referee).

NOTE TO REFEREES - Please submit References using our online form.

3. CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS:

All application forms are to be completed on line or returned to our Summer School Project Manager, National Youth Jazz Collective, c/o Sound and Music, South Wing, Somerset House, London, WC2R 1LA or summerschool@nyjc.co.uk by 24th February 2012 (All applicants are requested to adhere to the closing date).

4. AUDITION PROCESS:

When you arrive at the audition, you will be greeted by our Summer School’s Project Manager who will be overseeing the audition schedule and supporting you through your audition day.

>>Instrumentalists and improvising singers.

Three people will be with you during your audition: Two adjudicators and a jazz pianist (who will be accompanying you in your pieces and running some of the practical aural tests). All three are keen to make sure your audition is as relaxed and creative as possible, so please do tell us if we can do anything to help you during your audition day.

For the audition you will be asked to:

a) Perform a head and three improvised choruses of a mid tempo blues in F (From memory i.e. without using a lead sheet), which will be accompanied by the jazz pianist.

b) Perform TWO contrasting pieces lasting no more than a total of 8 minutes (There’s a list of example pieces on the curriculum pages (link to curriculum page) for those needing some guidance on choosing appropriate repertoire). Both pieces should begin with an opening “head arrangement” (i.e. a melody, accompanied by a chord progression). This should then be followed by an improvised solo section, which is based on the same chord progression as accompanies the opening head (In both pieces, drummers will be expected to accompany the head, take a solo and trade four, two and one bars with the pianist). Candidates are invited to perform an original piece as one of their two selected pieces.

We’d like to encourage all candidates, where possible, to play their two prepared pieces from memory, so that they can really focus on improvising over the changes and interacting with the accompanying pianist. However, this is not obligatory and using a lead sheet for these two pieces will not influence the outcome of the audition.

All candidates will be expected to provide appropriate concert lead sheets for the jazz pianist (click here for some examples) – link to curriculum page

In the case of piano or guitar auditions, the provided accompanist will take on the role of a jazz bass.

c) Listen to a couple of short phrases played twice on the piano. You will then be asked to play them back on your instrument (or sing them back if your main instrument is voice).

d) Improvise over two simple chord progressions written especially for the audition, using accessible, standard jazz harmony (click here for examples – link to curriculum page). The first will use a simple progression of up to four chords, which will be repeated by the pianist, so that the candidate relies on their ears to work out the changes. The second will be a notated progression of up to eight chords using chord symbols.

e) Play a short free improvisation with the provided jazz pianist.

f) Take part in a short conversation so we can hear about the candidate’s individual interests.

Rhythm section players will also be asked to play a variety of grooves and feels (using sticks, brushes and mallets) from a specific list of grooves (click here for examples) – link to curriculum page

B) Young composers and arrangers are encouraged to apply for the jazz strand of the Sound and Music Summer School for young composers and creative musicians at the Purcell School 5th - 11th August 2012. The jazz strand will be led by NYJC’s Founder, Executive Artistic Director and acclaimed composer, Issie Barratt, who will be leading an internationally active team of professional jazz musicians. You can find out more about the Sound and Music Summer School from www.soundandmusicsummerschool.com - create link - or by phoning 020 7759 1815.

National Youth Jazz Summer School
Audition Application Form 2012

5. BURSARIES FOR TRAVEL TO AUDITIONS:

The National Youth Jazz Collective is keen to ensure that no one is deterred from applying to audition for the National Youth Jazz Summer School for financial reasons. Whilst the auditions are free, we understand that for some applicants travel costs can be prohibitively expensive. Where there is a clear need for financial assistance because of low family income, limited funds are available from the National Youth Jazz Summer School’s Bursary Scheme. As a guide, means tested financial support such as being in receipt of housing benefit or free school meals are the kind of reasons a full bursary will be awarded. We have a sliding scale of household income, so even if you don’t qualify for a full travel bursary, we may be able to help with a partial one. We are here to help, so if you wish to discuss your application for a bursary please contact us on summerschool@nyjc.co.uk or 020 7759 1815. All applications will be treated in the strictest of confidence.

Applicants who are under 16 years of age at the time of the auditions can also apply to have their chaperon’s travel costs covered.

NYJC’s Bursary Committee will be meeting on 7th March 2012 to consider applicants’ requests for financial assistance to attend the National Youth Jazz Summer School’s regional auditions 2012.

6. REGISTRATION FEE FOR THE SUMMER SCHOOL:

It costs over £1,000 per person for National Youth Jazz Collective to run the National Youth Jazz Summer School and we ask everyone selected to take part to make a contribution of £350 towards these costs.

National Youth Jazz Collective is keen to ensure that no one is deterred from attending the National Youth Jazz Summer School 2012 for financial reasons. Where there is a clear need for financial assistance, including covering of some or all of the registration fee and /or travel costs to and from the summer school, limited funds are available from the National Youth Jazz Summer School’s Bursary Scheme.

As with the application for travel subsidies for the auditions, the sort of reasons that the Bursary Committee will consider as qualifying for a full bursary to attend the Summer School are a low family income, support from housing benefit or free school meals. Again, we have a sliding scale of income levels, so that even if you are not in receipt of benefits, we may be able to help with a part bursary. We are here to help, so if you wish to discuss your financial application please write to us c/o summerschool@nyjc.co.uk or phone us on 020 7759 1815. All applications will be treated in the strictest of confidence.

Applicants who are under 16 years of age at the time of the summer school can also apply to have their chaperon’s travel costs covered.

NYJC’s Bursary Committee will be meeting on 21st June to consider requests for financial assistance to attend the National Youth Jazz Summer School 2012.