How to apply
Applications are invited from students who have been playing their instrument for at least 3 years and are over the age of 10.

Students wishing to join Rising Stars Jazz will be auditioned. Backline and frontline instrumentalists are welcome to apply.

The auditions will be held in two rounds. Round 1 will be a video submission round which will be due by 5pm Monday November 25. Round 2 will be a Live Audition held from 4:30pm on Monday December 9.

Videos should be recorded in one continuous video, without editing, and uploaded to YouTube as an unlisted (not private) video. Please add the student name, age, and instrument as the title of the video. In the description, please add the name of the works being performed, as well as a time stamp (eg 2:50) of when each piece starts. This video link should then be emailed to con.openacademy@sydney.edu.au.

Students will be required to play an own choice piece in a jazz style that includes an improvised section. Applicants are encouraged to perform to a backing track such as aebersold playalong or the iReal Pro app but this is not compulsory. Applicants are also asked to improvise over a simple blues head in the player’s choice of key.

Drummers will be asked to demonstrate medium swing, bossa nova and ballad (with brushes).

Students who are successful in the Video round will attend a live audition where they will be required to perform their video audition material, or different pieces, live. All applicants at the Live Audition may also be asked to do a short piece of sight-reading.

No piano accompaniment, scales, or general knowledge is required.