HERE'S THE VOCAL JAZZ AUDITION INFORMATION for 2019-20!

HERE'S THE VOCAL JAZZ AUDITION INFORMATION for  2019-20!

A meeting for all Gr. 9 students who are auditioning for Vocal Jazz will be held on Monday, June 24th from 2:30PM to 3:30PM in the Choral Room at Westwood Collegiate. We'll review the audition on the 24th, and then, you'll have the summer to really get to know this awesome little number, that was featured in the move, "You"ve Got Mail" (one of Ms. Russell's favourites!). Auditions will happen in class during the first week back in September. The audition song is I'm Gonna Sit right Down and Write myself a Letter, using this karaoke version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZO2u75bz14

You may like to refer to this Billy Williams version (in the same key), when practising:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxhT8T44bt8

Paul McCartney's Grammy Award Winning rendition is also a gem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AI9oVAHEpJY

You will be using a microphone, and are encouraged to "make this song YOUR OWN" i.e. add melodic embellishments; jazzify the song in your own way; add some improvisation - using the text or with scat syllables; and, remember really PERFORM the song by moving to the music and completely engaging in the tune. Sing from memory, and if you forget the lyrics, take a page from Ella Fitzgerald's book, when she forgot the words to Mac The Knife, and scat or improvise your way through until you remember! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI5fU6ZbyaA 

Most of all, have fun.

Note: you can change up the lyrics a bit in a Jazz Standard.  We'll talk about that more in class, but feel free to give it a try :-) Here are the Frank Sinatra lyrics. 

I'm gonna sit right down and write myself a letter

And make believe it came from you. 

I'm gonna write workds, oh so sweet.

They're gonna knock me off my feet

A lotta kisses at the bottom

I'll be glad I got 'em

I'm gonna smile and say I hope you're feeling better

And I'll close the way I do

I'm gonna sit right down and write myself a letter

And make believe it cam from you.

I'll be glad I got 'em

I'm gonna smile and say I hope that you're much better

Then I'll close with love the way you do

I'm gonna sit right down and knock out a very large letter

And, make believe it can

Though it's not the same

I'll make believe it came from you

I hope you have a great time doing this!  Let me know if you need any help.  I won't be on division email over the summer, but will give you my text no.

I'm gonna sit right down and write myself a letter
And make believe it came from you
I'm gonna write words, oh, so sweet
They're gonna knock me off my feet
A lotta kisses at the bottom
I'll be glad I got 'em

I'm gonna smile and say I hope you're feeling better
And I'll close the way I do
I'm gonna sit right down and write myself a letter
And make believe that it came from you

I'll be glad I got 'em
I'm gonna smile and say I hope that you're much better
The I'll close with love the way you do
I'm gonna sit right down and knock out a very large letter
And make believe it came
Though it's not the same
I'll make believe it came from you

NOTE: There will also be a sight-reading component of the audition.