Join

Auditions are now open for upcoming 2023-2034 academic year. We are always looking for talented musicians to join the group! Our group is comprised of vocalists, brass players, woodwind players, pianists, bassists, drummers and hand percussionists. While Stanford students make up the most of our group, the Ensemble is open to members of the entire Stanford community and the public at large. Please contact director Murray Low via email at murlow@stanford.edu for more information.

We hope you will consider joining in on the fun.

Even if there is not an immediate opening on your instrument, it is possible to join the group as an understudy or to simply make us aware of your talent and passion for the music. Things have a way of changing quickly, as members often have to either drop out or take a temporary hiatus to tend to other academic committments. Hence, openings may arise at any time, particularly at the beginning of each quarter, and it would good to know that you are 'out there' and interested.

In general, an ability to read music is preferred. Percussionists and vocalists have fewer requirements in this regard, but if that's the case you should be able to learn complex song forms by ear and be able to retain what you have learned. Generally speaking, if you have prior experience in a jazz band, percussion ensemble or vocal choral group, you most likely have the requisite skills to function in the group. Ability to speak Spanish and/or Portugese is a plus for vocalists, reading rhythms is a plus for hand percussionists, an ability to comp or play from a chord chart is a plus for pianists, bassists and guitarists.

We have one 90 minute rehearsal per week (Wednesday nights 8 - 9:30 PM) during the academic year - late September through the end of May. There is also one required concert per quarter. There are plenty of other opportunities to play both on and off campus. We are a dance band (salsa) as well as a performance group and are asked to play at a number of events. Our performance collaborations include such organizations as the Center for Latin American Studies, Los Salseros, Stanford Graduate Business Association, and Stanford Lively Arts. While none of these are strictly required, most members appreciate the additional chances to perform, as their academic schedules permit.

By joining, you will see the vast musical territory we cover -- all styles of jazz, plus the rich secular and folkloric repertoire of the Afro-Latin and Brazilian idioms -- all blended together. A master musician (or two) visits each quarter to work with the band and we also plan to hold a special Guest Artist concert in the Winter or Spring.

As a jazz group, all instrumentalists are encouraged to improvise! All vocalists will get a chance to be featured as a lead singer. In addition, vocalists are always given a chance to play percussion, and all instrumentalists are always given a chance to sing background coros. Everyone gets a chance to shine at what they do best.

The group is highly organized -- sample recordings and music are generally distributed in advance so that members get a chance to prepare ahead of time. We typically learn about 10 songs per quarter. The repertoire is quite varied. Jazz players will get ample opportunity to solo, and each vocalist gets a chance to "shine" by singing lead if he/she so desires. Drummers and percussionists will find the group more intriguing than a simple jazz combo with the complex forms, interesting rhythms and ensemble parts involved.