Jazz Bands
The Downers Grove South Jazz Program for 2025-2026 will have three bands.
Audition Dates for Current DGS students:
May 12th, 2025 - Rhythm Section Auditions
May 13th, 2025 - Rhythm Section Auditions Continued and Trombone Auditions
May 14th, 2025 - Sax Auditions (with a select rhythm section)
May 15th, 2025 - Trumpet Auditions (with a select rhythm section)
May 16th, 2025 - Callbacks in AM/Results posted in PM.
Audition Dates for Incoming Freshman:
DGS Director(s) will visit each middle school sometime in May to hear graduating eighth graders audition. Those dates and times will be coordinated with the middle school directors.
Audition Materials can be found HERE.
Jazz Workshop is our introductory group. Performances include all of scheduled concerts and a Jazz Festival each year (Purdue or Mundelein).
Jazz Lab Band is the middle group. Performances include all of scheduled concerts and a Jazz Festival each year (Purdue or Mundelein).
Jazz Ensemble is our premiere ensemble. Performances include all scheduled concerts, additional inside school and outside rehearsals and performances, and participation in two Jazz Festivals. If you are interested in this group, you must be willing to travel and commit to all calendar dates.
Participation:
Attendance Expectations:
Audition Dates for Current DGS students:
May 12th, 2025 - Rhythm Section Auditions
May 13th, 2025 - Rhythm Section Auditions Continued and Trombone Auditions
May 14th, 2025 - Sax Auditions (with a select rhythm section)
May 15th, 2025 - Trumpet Auditions (with a select rhythm section)
May 16th, 2025 - Callbacks in AM/Results posted in PM.
Audition Dates for Incoming Freshman:
DGS Director(s) will visit each middle school sometime in May to hear graduating eighth graders audition. Those dates and times will be coordinated with the middle school directors.
Audition Materials can be found HERE.
Jazz Workshop is our introductory group. Performances include all of scheduled concerts and a Jazz Festival each year (Purdue or Mundelein).
Jazz Lab Band is the middle group. Performances include all of scheduled concerts and a Jazz Festival each year (Purdue or Mundelein).
Jazz Ensemble is our premiere ensemble. Performances include all scheduled concerts, additional inside school and outside rehearsals and performances, and participation in two Jazz Festivals. If you are interested in this group, you must be willing to travel and commit to all calendar dates.
Participation:
- We are very fortunate that DGS prioritizes jazz education enough to build it into the school day. Please honor your jazz experience by showing up on time and ready every morning. If you have questions, please reach out to your director.
- All jazz bands are year-long, graded curricular classes that meet as zero hour “early bird” classes. Class time runs M-F from 7:30 a.m. - 8:12 a.m., with rehearsal downbeat starting at 7:32 a.m.
- Students will be placed in a specific band based on their audition as well as the instrumental needs for each band. Wind players must be enrolled in a concert band class in order to audition.
- There will only be a certain amount of “seats” available for the rhythm section in each band. For example, a band might only have two drummers, one bassist, one guitarist, and one piano player. While we are happy to have so much interest in the jazz program, our priority is to give each musician a fair opportunity to learn and grow, which means limiting the number of rhythm section players to ensure a better experience for those students.
Attendance Expectations:
- As with any curricular graded class, students are expected to attend Jazz Band class every day.
- Students arriving past 7:32 a.m. will be considered tardy. Chronic tardiness will result in a phone call home to see if there’s any way we can help!
- Class attendance is imperative to the success of the band. Missing class not only hurts the student, but the ensemble as a whole, especially in small groups like these. If a student misses too many rehearsals and is not keeping up with the repertoire, they may be asked to “sit out” of a chart or of an entire performance.
- ACADEMIC HELP SESSIONS for other classes will be excused once a month or less, and must be communicated to the director 24 hours in advance. When possible, students should take advantage of their Resource period and after school to meet with other teachers.
- If you will not be in attendance due to an appointment or family situation, your parent or guardian should email the director the night before rehearsal.
- If you receive a detention, you must serve this detention after school.
- Directors will communicate any emergencies or changes in the mornings via Google Classroom, so check there if you have questions for that day.