Composition Competition

We are so excited to announce our first-ever TJEA Composition Competition!

1st Prize: $1000 scholarship

Deadline for entry: May 1

Results will be posted: July 1

Each year, a committee will be convened to select the type of composition (jazz ensemble/jazz vocal ensemble) and the grade level of the entries for that year. This will change from year to year to make sure that we receive middle school, high school and college appropriate compositions. This will be posted with the information about the competition by October 1st each year.

A panel of five jazz educators will be put together each year to listen to and judge the entries. This will be a “blind” judging process. The panel will rank the entries and the highest and lowest score will be dropped. The composition with the lowest score, will win the prize and be selected as the TJEA Student Composition Competition Winner.

Rules:

Scores must be full, with each instrument on its own staff.

The score must be transposed.

Scores should be setup so they can be bound properly when printed, and parts should have well-considered page turns.

The parts and chords should use commonly known/used chord symbols.

Well-considered music spacing, number of bars per system, etc., in both the score and parts.

Sufficient rehearsal letters/numbers (at least every 8 bars, or 12 bars for a blues, etc.).

There should be a clear style indicated, with sufficient articulations and dynamics throughout.

Entries must be original and unpublished compositions.

Applicants must be enrolled in a Texas school (high school or college) in the semester that they enter.

The winning entry must be made available to any TJEA member for one year for $25.

The entries should include a score and parts and should be submitted as a PDF file, without the composer’s name on either the score or parts. The score should be combined into one PDF file and all of the parts should be combined together into another PDF file.

TJEA reserves the right to withhold awarding a prize if no pieces are deemed suitable.

All entries must a midi or live recording.

All applicants must be student members in good standing of TJEA.

All scores and parts are to be sent to Alex Parker at Alex_Parker@baylor.edu.