Final-Round Requirements
•Audition/Interview Requirements (In-Person or via Video Recording)
•Auditions will be offered in both in-person and video-recorded formats. For Jazz, in-person auditions are always preferable to recorded ones, although there will be no penalty in terms of admission or scholarship consideration if a recorded audition is chosen. Students who advance to this stage of the application process will meet with the Jazz Faculty for a discussion of your work and goals, a review of your previously submitted recordings, and live playing and sight-reading.
•Students should be prepared to play/submit a tune of their choice that is different from what they played for the pre-screen. Students who audition in person will also be asked to attend a group meeting with the faculty to discuss the school, the curriculum, performance opportunities, and more.
•Applicants who choose to submit a recorded audition will also need to submit a speaking video which addresses the following prompts:
•Please state your name and the degree(s) for which you are applying;
•“Why Michigan?” – Tell us why you want to attend the University of Michigan;
•Who are some of your favorite jazz musicians and other musical influences? How have you gone about trying to incorporate any aspects of the music and musicians you love into your playing or composing if you have?
•Recorded audition and speaking video submissions are due no later than February 12, 2027. Please submit your recorded audition and speaking video to smtd.auditions@umich.edu. Applicants who submit a recorded audition will also be asked to meet with the Jazz Department Faculty online for a discussion about their training, future and career goals, and a review of their previously-submitted recordings. These interviews will take place on the in-person audition dates. Please sign up for an interview date through the link provided in your audition invitation.
•Note: Applicants to the BM in Composition or BM in Music & Technology programs should refer to the pre-screening requirements to fulfill their principal audition requirement.
•Special Instructions for Guitar, Piano, and Bass
•Guitarists should prepare a chord melody.
•Pianists and guitarists will be asked to comp changes.
