First Annual Palm Beach Atlantic University Jazz Combo Festival

The Festival will providing ratings in a similar manner to MPAs with comments from our judging panel of professional jazz educators including Mr Feifke.

There will be three classes available for registration. Directors may choose any category they wish, based on their assessment of the group. Each class will also have a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place awards. We are expecting schools from all over Florida for this.

Class A for early stage players

Class AA for established programs with experienced players but maybe not the level of the arts schools

Class AAA for arts magnet schools and very strong jazz programs

For this first year, there is no registration fee!

General Outlines of the Festival

A drumset, grand piano, and bass and guitar amps will be provided onstage. Groups may not set up their own equipment due to time constraints but may bring cymbals that can quickly be traded out. The drumset will be a standard jazz setup with bass, 1 mounted tom, floor tom, high hat, crash cymbal and ride cymbal. If anyone needs a second mounted tom or splash cymbal stand, that can be included.

1. Each group will play 3 selections of their choice from 3 categories: Swing or Bebop, Ballad, and a Latin (or Bossa). A list of suggested (but not required) titles will be posted to the registration web page.
2. Each group has 20 total minutes to perform all the selections (Average 5 minutes for each piece and 2 minutes for getting on and off stage. It is the group's discretion regarding the length of selections but the total time may not exceed 20 minutes.)
3. For the swing/bebop and Latin selections, 3 different soloists are required for each. The ballad may have only 1 but is not limited to that number.
4. Every student in the group must solo at least once. The length of the solo is up to the director and group.

For more information contact Dr Michael O'Connor at [email protected] or Dr Gianni Bianchini at [email protected]

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Host or Publisher PBA University Department of School of Music