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swing, have them experiment with different pedals to register. Specifically for “Amazing Grace,” I like having
create electronic sounds that could accompany your them sing with and without vibrato and sing in differ-
group. For example, using a wah-wah pedal on the right ent styles (most likely in a traditional choral setting then
R&B/Neo-Soul chart could be very intriguing from a in a popular music setting). I obtain quite a bit of infor-
color standpoint. mation from these two simple vocal exercises.
Afterward, I conduct three jazz ear-training exercis-
5) For piano: This is a little more self-explanatory. For es:
most gigs, I like having the pianist use a keyboard for
everything, because they can change sounds quickly • Melodic ID (pitch memory): using common intervals from
instead of switching back and forth between two in- jazz—Major 7ths, half-steps, thirds, and tritones. I just
struments. I love experimenting with different sounds want to hear them navigate through those intervals in a
on the keyboards to add to my philosophy of “tonal short, linear setting. I play a three- to four-note motive,
changes” within my set. and they have to sing it back to me. This exercise is es-
pecially helpful for the tenors and basses because they
6) For all instrumentalists: When they solo, allow them often sing more complex intervals within their individ-
to solo in the upper ranges of their instrument. Not ual lines, especially tritones when they sing a succession
only for the reasons I stated before, but this will provide of dominant harmony. The next two exercises test the
some contrast to the chart and “in the moment” excite- student’s ear vertically.
ment for the audience member.
• Chord Cluster: I play three notes as a blocked chord,
and the students sing the middle note on a neutral syl-
Audition Process lable. I do five examples of these in the middle of the
Testing how students hear harmony is the most im- keyboard (so the cluster can easily be heard): C-D-E,
portant aspect a director needs to learn from the audi- E -F-G , B -B-C , D-E-F , and B -C-C . All of the
tion, even more important than sight-reading (in my examples are either a group of whole-steps or a half-
opinion). Good sight-readers don’t always translate step/whole-step combination. This is especially helpful
to singers who can adapt/adjust within complex jazz for altos and tenors, because they will have several oc-
harmony. Sight-reading capability is a wonderful tool casions where they have to sing whole-steps and half-
for any student to have; however, sight-reading doesn’t steps apart, especially at cadence points. It’s amazing
mean that the student can hear and adjust to the har- how many students can only hear the top or bottom
mony around them (these are definitely two different note but struggle with the middle one!
things). I’d rather take a student who can’t read as well
but have great ears for harmony than vice versa. • Six-Note Jazz Chord: I learned this exercise from Jen-
I start my audition by checking students’ vocal range nifer Barnes at the University of North Texas, who
and then have them sing either “My Country Tis Of learned it from Connaitre Miller from Howard Uni-
Thee” or “Amazing Grace” (only the first few lines of versity (both of them direct fabulous vocal jazz ensem-
each tune; that’s all I need to hear). I want to hear the bles). It’s a wonderful exercise on how students hear
low notes for altos and basses and the high notes from harmony while they sing. I play a six-note jazz chord
sopranos and tenors, plus find the vocal break for each (blocked), and the student has to identify all six notes in
singer. The goal is for me hearing how the student nav- the chord (just sing a pitch one at a time on a neutral
igates through their instrument on a melodic line, and syllable, not ID the exact pitch). I play the chord multi-
I like having them sing the tune in different keys (some- ple times and use the following voicing for my three ex-
times up to five different keys). This helps me under- amples (each example is a different chord quality, and
stand how they sing through their vocal break, which none of the notes within the chord are doubled):
register has the most resonance, and learn whether or
not the student has learned how to access their mixed 1) Gmaj13 (from the bottom up…G-F -B-C -E-A).
CHORAL JOURNAL September 2025 Volume 66 Number 2 45
