Queens Jazz OverGround’s 2023 Student Jazz Competition 

The Queens Jazz OverGround is accepting video submissions from students living within the five boroughs of NYC. The competition is open to soloists and rhythm section players as well. We have provided two compositions based on some common jazz chord sequences for you to perform and improvise upon: Wildfire Blues and Don’t Forget Joe. Winners will receive a $25.00 gift certificate to Jazz Record Center and will be invited to perform at our 2023 Fall Jazz Fest at Culture Lab LIC on Sunday, October 8, 2023. Submissions are due no later than 11:59pm on Sunday, September 17, 2023 and winners will be notified via email no later than Friday, September 22, 2023. 

1. Open to students 18 and under. Students born before September 1, 2005 are ineligible. 2. Participants must reside in New York City. 
2. Participants must provide parental permission to be included in our festival. You can download a copy of the permission slip from the link below. Submissions that do not include a permission slip will not be considered. 
3. Participants must be properly attired for the video. Dress appropriately for a school concert performance: no pajamas or graphic t-shirts. 
4. Please submit a video with good audio and video quality with both the soloist and backing track clearly heard. Most phone and laptop quality will suffice. Our suggestion is to film using a landscape profile. Try to include a view of your face AND instrument to the best of your ability. However, submissions will be judged primarily on the basis of musical content. 
5. Announce your name and the tune you’re playing at the beginning of the video 7. Students can submit a maximum of two videos total, one per tune: Don’t Forget Joe and Wildfire Blues. 
6. For pitched instruments (brass, woodwinds, strings, piano/keyboards, etc), play the melody for one chorus, improvise for 2 choruses, and then end with 1 chorus of melody to the end of the backing track (Links provided on page 2 below). 
7. For drums, use the backing track (links provided on page 2 below) without drums. Drummers should play the accompanying groove to the track for the opening chorus, improvise over the accompaniment for two choruses, and return to the groove for the final melody statement. 
8. If you need further guidance in preparing your performance, feel free to contact us. Submissions are due no later than 11:59pm on Sunday, September 17, 2023. Upload your video as an UNLISTED video to a YouTube channel and email your link and a signed copy of the permission slip to [email protected]. If you can not upload your video to YouTube you can send your video as an attachment to our email address.

Charts and tracks for both songs can be downloaded here: 

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ZA6srKZEojP-rYlrXdbUqu0dH99wTVDz?usp=sharing

Accompanying tracks can also be accessed through YouTube via by linking to the playlist:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL61jPyvS3YOo76LuL46kshCF9run2L7dU

Permission slips can be accessed by clicking HERE