March 15, 2012 - Tempe, Arizona

1st Prize
$1500 in cash and/or merchandise
2nd Prize
$1000 in cash and/or merchandise
3rd Prize
$750 in cash and/or merchandise

The 1st Prize winner will be featured on a winner’s recital at the 2012 NASA Biennial Conference.

I. Eligibility
1.) Contestants must be 26 years of age or younger on March 15, 2012. Contestants must have been born on or after March 16, 1985.
2.) All contestants must be current members of the North American Saxophone Alliance (NASA) as of March 15, 2012.
3.) Contestants who are not current members of NASA must join online at: www.saxalliance.org/joinnasa.htmlMembership rates: Student: $25 Professional: $35
4.) 1st Prize winners from previous NASA Jazz Competitions may not enter.

II. Application guidelines – Preliminary Round
1.) All application materials will be submitted online at the NASA website www.saxalliance.org. The online application web pages will be accessible by August 2011. The deadline for submission of applications, recordings and fees is: December 15, 2011.

2.) In addition to any necessary NASA membership fees, contestants must submit a competition entry fee of $50. All payments must be made on the NASA website www.saxalliance.org via PAYPAL by December 15, 2011.

3.) Incomplete applications will not be considered.

4.) There are two rounds of the NASA Jazz Competition; one recorded Preliminary Round and one live Final Round. The deadline for the recorded Preliminary Round is December 15, 2011. The live Final Round will be held in Tempe, Arizona, March 15-18, 2012.

• Preliminary Round. Preliminary Round. The preliminary round will consist of a recorded audio audition. Recordings should be in MP3 format and will be uploaded to the NASA website. (Please note that there is no longer a video requirement.) The recording must be submitted with the initial application materials by the deadline, December 15, 2011. Technical guidelines for the recording will be posted when the application web pages become accessible by August 2011.

• Preliminary Round Repertoire Guidelines: No compositions composed by contestants are allowed. Popular standard or jazz-standard compositions only. The use of live rhythm section accompaniment is required. No play-along recordings will be allowed. The recording should contain three selections in the following order:

1.) Confirmation by Charlie Parker - Include a minimum of three choruses of improvisation.

2.) A jazz ballad of your choice that includes a minimum of one chorus of ballad-tempo improvisation.

3.) An up-tempo composition of your choice in any jazz style.

III. Finals

• 3 to 5 saxophonists will be invited to perform in the final round. The Finals will be held March 15-18, 2012 on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ, in conjunction with the 2012 North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Conference. Each finalist will be allowed to perform a four-selection, 20 minute program that includes the following styles; jazz ballad, medium tempo swing, up-tempo swing and jazz-latin. Performance of original compositions is not permitted. Final round repertoire need not duplicate repertoire from the preliminary round.

IV. General Guidelines

• The contestant’s birth date must be verified at the competition site with the contestant’s driver’s license, birth certificate, or passport. Any contestant who does not show proof of age, or is older than 26 years of age as of March 15, 2012, will be disqualified.

• A Winner’s Recital will feature the 1st Prize Winner in the NASA Jazz Competition. It will be scheduled during the North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Conference in Tempe, AZ, March 15-18, 2012.

• All fees and dues are non-refundable.

• Invited finalists will be provided with a professional rhythm section free of charge at the conference for the performance, one rehearsal and the winner's concert.

• All expenses, including lodging and transportation to and from the competition, are the sole responsibility of the contestants.

• A minimum of 15 entries is required to hold this competition. Entry fees will be refunded if the competition is cancelled.

• Judging - Professional musicians will judge both the preliminary audition recordings and the live round performances. Finalists will be evaluated solely on their live round performance.

• Contestants may perform on soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, or any combination of these saxophones during both the preliminary and final rounds.

• Questions may be directed to the Jazz Competition Coordinator, Gene Smith. ( info@gsojazz.com )