School of Music & Theater

The Salsa Band in performance

Jazz & Contemporary Music Ensembles

Get Info about Jazz & Contemporary Music Ensembles

Join a dynamic urban music community through Portland State’s jazz and contemporary ensembles. No matter your major, our ensembles bring your personal experience to the public stage, offering real-world performance opportunities in the heart of the Pacific Northwest. 

For students seeking professional training, we also offer a comprehensive Jazz Music major — learn more about the degree program and curriculum.

Jazz & Contemporary Music Ensembles 

Open to all students regardless of major.

PSU Vocal Collective students performing.

Voice

PSU Vocal Collective

An intermediate to advanced vocal ensemble of 5–12 singers and a rhythm section performing cutting-edge jazz and contemporary arrangements. Strong musicianship and vocal ability are essential as the group explores complex harmonies and innovative textures. In addition to campus events, the Collective travels statewide for outreach at jazz clubs, schools, and sporting events. Full availability for rehearsals and travel is required. 

Auditions are required.

Vocalab

For singers developing the foundational skills needed for contemporary ensemble performance. Build skills in harmony singing, sight-singing, stylistic versatility, and group performance through a variety of contemporary styles. Full-year participation is encouraged, but not required.

A screening is required for participation.

PSU Jazz Band performing in the Lincoln Performance Hall.

Instrumental

Jazz Band

Also known as the Jazz Lab Band, this ensemble performs traditional and contemporary big band literature. Students develop precision, power, and a deep understanding of the big band tradition. 

Auditions are required.

Jazz & Contemporary Music voice and instrumental students performing.

Voice & Instrument

Rhythm Lab

PSU’s most eclectic ensemble is a student-centered laboratory for creative expression. Open to the entire university, students select and perform repertoire spanning jazz, rock, soul, world music, and video game scores, emphasizing leadership and collaboration. Rhythm Lab is a powerful example of student-centered learning in action, giving students the opportunity to lead, collaborate, and bring the music they love vividly to life. Rhythm Lab is welcoming to students who do not read music or those with non-traditional backgrounds as long as they play a physical instrument or sing. 

Auditions are not required.

Combos

Small group performance is the heartbeat of jazz. Students are encouraged to form their own intimate combos to master the nuances of spontaneity and communication. These groups foster close-knit community connections and serve as a vital creative outlet for improvisers. 

Auditions are required.

Hilltop view of Portland city lit up at night with Mt. Hood in the background.

From Campus to the City

Our ensembles don't just stay in the classroom. Benefit from PSU's location in Portland’s cultural epicenter as you transition from campus recitals to gigs at the city’s premier jazz venues. At PSU, the ensemble experience is your entry point into the professional music scene.

Audition & Participation Information

Auditions are open to all students regardless of major.

New students must audition for placement in Large Jazz Ensembles and Combos. Ensemble placement is determined on audition, and a student may be placed in any one of our five large ensembles or six combos.

There is no audition for Rhythm Lab.

Audition Dates 

Auditions take place the week before the first week of fall term and during the first couple of days of fall term. Here are the dates for 2026-27:

  • Thursday, September 24, 2026
  • Friday, September 25, 2026
  • Tuesday, September 29, 2026

Audition Locations: Lincoln Hall rooms 47 & 75

Click on the drop-down below for the ensemble you wish to join, and read the audition instructions.

How To Audition

  1. Review the audition materials and practice exercises below.
  2. Sign up for an audition slot. (Sign-ups open in September)
  3. Come to the audition warmed up and ready to sing!

Audition Materials

Open the auditions Google Drive (sheet music & audio files available).

Prepare: Part Reading (Required)
Learn the assigned song excerpt provided in this Google Drive (sheet music & audio files available).

  1. Open the “Collective Audition: Prepared Part Materials” folder and select the part that best suits your vocal range.
  2. Learn your part from the sheet music.
  3. Use the Part Track as a practice guide.
  4. Practice singing your part with the Demo Track.
  5. At the audition, you will sing your part with the Demo Track. The excerpt does not need to be memorized. A microphone will be provided.
  6. You will be evaluated on musicianship, including: Accuracy of notes and rhythm, Intonation, Dynamics and musical expression, Blend and timbre, Cutoffs and ensemble awareness.

Music reading skills are expected for Vocal Collective.

Be ready for Musicianship Exercises during the audition

  • Open the “Example Reading Exercises” folder
  • Melodic Reading - You will be asked to sight-read various melodic passages at varying levels of difficulty. Here are some example reading exercises.
  • Rhythm Reading - Sight-read jazz rhythm and articulations using “dah” vowel.
  • Part Reading - Sight-read the part that best suits your range within an SATB chorale style excerpt.
  • Tonal Memory - I will play various melodic patterns and you will sing back what you hear.

Notification Process

The ensemble coordinator will email students within a week after the last audition day whether they’re invited to join the ensemble.

Program Requirements

Participate in the program all year (fall, winter, and spring term). Placement priority is given to students who can register for the appropriate course listed below. 

Rehearsals: Tuesdays and Thursdays 3:00-4:30 PM in Lincoln Hall Rm 75. 

Courses

Participants are required to enroll in one of these 1-credit courses each term depending on class standing:

  • MUS 198 - 1 CREDIT (12292) freshman/sophomore undergraduate
  • MUS 398 - 1 CREDIT (12362) junior/senior undergraduate
  • MUS 598 - 1 CREDIT

Questions

If you have any further questions, please contact Sherry Alves (alves4@pdx.edu). (12437) graduate

Prepare: Solo Song Excerpt — Required
Prepare approximately 60 seconds of a pop or jazz song of your choice, sung a cappella.

Be ready for Musicianship Exercises during the audition:

  • Melodic Reading - You will be asked to sight-read various melodic passages at varying levels of difficulty. Here are some example reading exercises.
  • Rhythm Reading - Sight-read jazz rhythm and articulations using “dah” vowel.
  • Part Reading - Sight-read the part that best suits your range within an SATB chorale style excerpt.
  • Tonal Memory - I will play various melodic patterns and you will sing back what you hear.

No prepared part reading is required for VocaLab.

No music reading or sight-singing experience is required for VocaLab.

Returning students may opt to use their spring term jury as an audition, but still need to fill out the Audition Form.

How To Audition

Please follow the steps below:

  1. Learn about Ensemble Opportunities 
  2. Complete the Audition Form
  3. Review the Audition Requirements shown below 
  4. Download play-along tracks
  5. Complete a Scheduling Availability Form
  6. Sign up for an Audition Time

 

Audition Requirements 

Horns and Voices

PART 1 Play the melody and improvise one chorus in the standard of your choice. You can plug in your own device to use your own backing track, or we can provide iRealpro.

PART 2 Sight Reading of big band style chart excerpt (horns) or a single-line melody (voices)

Rhythm Section (Piano, Bass, Guitar, Vibes)

Part 1: Play the melody, improvise one chorus, and either comp or walk a bass line for the last chorus of a standard of your choice. We will use iRealpro as a backing track for the audition.

Part 2: Sight Reading of big band style chart excerpt

Drums

Part 1: Demonstration of the following musical styles:

  1. Jazz (quarter-note = 185-200 bpm)
  2. Funk (quarter-note = 100-150 bpm)
  3. Samba (half-note = 100-125 bpm)
  4. Bossa Nova (quarter-note = 150 bpm)
  5. Afro-Cuban 6/8 (dotted-quarter-note = 135-145 bpm)

Part 2: Demonstration of trading 4-bar, 8-bar, and 12-bar improvised solo phrases;  swing

Part 3: Sight Reading of big band style chart excerpt

Voice

Vocalists may audition for Combos but not Jazz Band.

Notification Process

The ensemble coordinator will email students within a week after the last audition day whether they’re invited to join the ensemble.

Program Requirements

Participate in the program all year (fall, winter, and spring term). Placement priority is given to students who can register for the appropriate course listed below. 

Rehearsals: Tuesdays and Thursdays 2:30-4:00 PM in Lincoln Hall Rm 75 

Courses

Participants are required to enroll in one of these 1-credit courses each term depending on class standing:

  • MUS 198 - 1 CREDIT (12292) freshman/sophomore undergraduate
  • MUS 398 - 1 CREDIT (12362) junior/senior undergraduate
  • MUS 598 - 1 CREDIT (12437) graduate

Questions? 

George Colligan: ghc@pdx.edu  Combos, jazz band

Darrell Grant: bzdg@pdx.edu Rhythm Lab

Sherry Alves: alves4@pdx.edu Vocal Ensemble auditions

Auditions are not required for Rhythm Lab. If you audition for a Jazz Band you might be placed in Rhythm Lab if you are not assigned to the advanced group. 

Students can enroll directly in the ensemble course (MUS 198, MUS 398) or contact the instructor Darrell Grant to discuss any interest.

Program Requirements

Rehearsals: Mondays and Wednesdays 3:30-4:45 PM

Performances:

  • One time at the Jazz area recital on Thursday between 12:40 & 1:20 PM
  • One end-of-term concert usually in Week 10 or the beginning of Finals week.

Faculty

A man in a red turtle neck, black leather jacket, newsboy cap, and glasses.

George Colligan 

Instrumental Jazz Area Coordinator

George Colligan is not only one of the great jazz pianists of his generation, but he has earned an international reputation as a multi-instrumentalist, composer, accompanist, teacher, and bandleader. 

Contact George about this content
Headshot of Vocal Jazz professor Sherry Alves.

Sherry Alves

Vocal Jazz Area Coordinator

Sherry Alves is the Instructor of Jazz Voice at Portland State University where she teaches applied jazz voice, improvisation, jazz pedagogy, jazz vocal ensembles and combos, and special topics in music history.

Contact Sherry about this content
Headshot of PSU Jazz professor Darrell Grant sitting in front of a piano.

Darrell Grant 

Professor of Jazz & Interdisciplinary Studies (Rhythm Lab Coordinator)

Jazz pianist and composer Darrell Grant has performed in some of the best clubs in the country, but his most important gig is right here at Portland State, where he communicates the joy of jazz to the students in the heart of Oregon's cultural center.

Contact Darrell about this content

PSU's Music programs are accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM).