Youth Jazz Ensemble (UJAY)

The UW-Milwaukee Youth Jazz Ensemble (UJAY) is an auditioned group comprised Greater Milwaukee’s finest high school jazz musicians. Founded by Curt Hanrahan in 1992 and now under the direction of saxophonist Rosemary Walzer, students prepare repertoire in a professional-style setting, engage with guest artists/clinicians, and perform in University and Milwaukee jazz communities.

The UWM Youth Jazz Ensemble (UJAY) is a big band that prepares both classic and modern big band charts in weekly rehearsals during the academic year. In addition to at least four concerts with the UWM Jazz Ensemble, UJAY offers other performing opportunities in the SE Wisconsin jazz community. UJAY regularly opens for the Milwaukee Jazz Orchestra, including performances at Summerfest and Jean’s Jazz Series. UJAY has also performed with guest artists such as Jon Faddis (trumpet), Jim Pugh (trombone), Eddie Gomez (bass), Frank Tiberi (saxophone), Roger Ingram (trumpet), and vocalist Steve March-Tormé. In 2023, UJAY was a community partner with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and jazz pianist Aaron Diehl for the Midwest premiere of Mary Lou Williams’s The Zodiac Suite.

Director

2025 Auditions

To qualify, students must pass an entrance audition and remain enrolled in some aspect of their school’s music program.

• Entrance Auditions
  • In-person auditions are Sunday, May 18 (2-4 p.m.) and Thursday, June 5 (5-7 p.m.) in the Music Building, Room 150.
  • Virtual auditions are due by June 5. ​Please prepare your audition video before starting the audition registration form below.
• Chair Placement Auditions
  • Accepted saxophone, trumpet and trombone players must participate in a chair placement audition on Thursday, September 4.

Requirements

• Chromatic Scale – A two-octave chromatic scale (any starting pitch), performed both ascending and descending with a swing feel. Additional range (especially for brass) may be demonstrated. Percussion are exempt from this requirement.
• Improvised Solo – Prepare an improvised solo on a jazz standard or 12 bar blues. Play the head, solo on two choruses, and play the head out. Bass/Piano/Guitar- comp for an additional chorus. Drum set- Demonstrate swing style (slow, medium, up tempo), brush work, funk style, and a latin style of your choice (bossa nova, samba, mambo).
• If Choosing Virtual Audition Video – Record your audition incorporating all above requirements and save it as a single video file. Upload your video to a private YouTube channel, iCloud, Dropbox, or cloud-based storage platform, and share the link in the registration form.

Tuition

To secure your place in the program, a minimum non-refundable registration deposit of $200 is due before July 15. The deposit link will be sent after returning students submit their registration form and after new/prospective students’ audition videos have been evaluated and accepted.

Student Type	Cost
Returning members	$370
New members	$450
Enrollment in both UWAY and UJAY programs	$650
Member of MYSO Jazz or Wisconsin Conservatory of Music Jazz Programs	$350

Performances