2025 Nebraska All-State Jazz Band

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Conductor Info
Repertoire
Audition Materials

 

ALL-STATE JAZZ BAND CONDUCTOR BIO

Dr. Eric Richards – composer, arranger, conductor, trombonist, and educator – is active in a wide range of musical media. His works have been heard worldwide in performances and recordings by numerous ensembles, including the U.S. Army Field Band and Jazz Ambassadors, USAF Airmen of Note, University of Northern Colorado Jazz Lab Band I, Oregon Jazz Ensemble (University of Oregon), National Symphony Orchestra, Boston Pops Orchestra, Dallas Wind Symphony, Millikin University Wind Ensemble, A La Carte Brass and Percussion, Tommy Lepson and the Lazy Boys, and Sunrise String Quartet.

Eric is a regularly commissioned composer and arranger. Recent commissions include pieces for the USAF Heritage of America Band, UNC Jazz Lab Band I, UNC/Greeley Jazz Festival All-Star Big Band, Southeast Asia Symphonic Youth Orchestra and Wind Ensemble, Hall High School Concert Jazz Band (West Hartford, CT), the Government of Thailand, and the Aiken Community Band (Aiken, SC).

Eric Richards is the Director of Bands and Jazz Studies at Sheridan College where he serves as Music Director of the SC Symphony Band, Jazz Ensemble, Jazztet, Concert Brass Ensemble, Trombone Choir, and teaches applied brass, composition, History of Jazz, Keyboard Theory, Music Fundamentals. He also serves as the Music Director and Lead Trombone of the Whitney Center Jazz Orchestra, Sheridan College’s professional big band-in-residence.

From 2008 – 2015, he served as tenured Associate Professor of Composition and Jazz Studies in the Glenn Korff School of Music at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where he led the Composition Program. At UNL, he mentored first-year through doctoral students in applied composition (classical and jazz/vernacular styles), and organized and led the award-winning UNL Jazz Orchestra “2.0”, an innovative 21st Century jazz ensemble combining traditional big band instrumentation with strings, horn, and percussion. He is the recipient of the 2012 Distinguished Teaching Award in the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts at UNL. Eric has led the Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming All State High School Jazz Ensembles as well as the Southern California Honor Jazz All-Stars in concert performance at the 2018 NAMM Convention in Anaheim.

His work as an educator is energized by his professional practice as a widely performed composer/arranger, conductor, and instrumentalist. Eric’s music has been heard on six continents in performances and recordings in major concert venues across North and South America, Europe, Australia, Asia, and India.

2025 ALL-STATE JAZZ BAND REPERTOIRE

TITLE COMPOSER PUBLISHER
One By One Wayne Shorter, arr. by Mark Taylor Hal Leonard 1963, arr. 2019
Sneak Out David von Kampen UNC Jazz Press, 2011
Wichita Lineman Jimmy Webb, arr. by Eric Richards Hal Leonard 1968, arr. 2020
All the Things You Are Jerome Kern, arr. by Michele Fernandez Hal Leonard 1939, arr. 2024
Ena Neo Pragma Eric Richards iJazz Music, 2015
Saints 2nd Line Traditional, arr. by Eric Richards iJazz Music, arr. 2017
Vine Street Rumble (backup tune) Benny Carter Sierra Music, 1960

 

2025 AUDITION MATERIALS

NMEA will utilize the services of Festival Scores to collect student auditions. Auditions will include:

  • Scales Set A
  • Etudes Set A

*Special note for Drummers: ALL drummers will submit the auxiliary percussion audition excerpt instead of having a separate audition auxiliary percussion. the judge will select a primary drum set player who will mostly play drum kit and possibly some auxiliary percussion, and a secondary drum set player who will mostly play auxiliary percussion and some drum it.

The following audition materials for the 2025 All-State Jazz Band are broken down by instrument. Click each link to download the audition materials. 

VIBRAPHONE

Scales Etudes Etude Tracks
Vibes Jazz Scales Set A Vibes Etude A-1 Shuffle Vibes Etude A-1 Shuffle Track
  Vibes Etude A-2 Funk Vibes Etude A-2 Funk Track
Vibes Set A Audition Instructions 

 

TRUMPET

Scales Etudes Etude Tracks
Trumpet Jazz Scales Set A Trumpet Etude A-1 Shuffle Trumpet Etude A-1 Shuffle Track
  Trumpet Etude A-2 Funk Trumpet Etude A-2 Funk Track
  LEAD Trumpet Etude A-1 Shuffle LEAD Trumpet Etude A-1 Shuffle Track
Trumpet Set A Audition Instructions 

 

TENOR TROMBONE

Scales Etudes Etude Tracks
Tenor Trombone Jazz Scales Set A  Tenor Trombone Etude A-1 Shuffle Tenor Trombone Etude A-1 Shuffle Track
  Tenor Trombone Etude A-2 Funk Tenor Trombone Etude A-2 Funk Track
Tenor Trombone Set A Audition Instructions 

 

BASS TROMBONE

Scales Etudes Etude Tracks
Bass Trombone Jazz Scales Set A Bass Trombone Etude A-1 Shuffle Bass Trombone Etude A-1 Shuffle Track
  Bass Trombone Etude A-2 Funk Bass Trombone Etude A-2 Funk Track
Bass Trombone Set A Audition Instructions 

 

PIANO

Scales Etudes Etude Tracks
Piano Jazz Scales Set A Piano Etude A-1 Shuffle Piano Etude A-1 Shuffle Track
  Piano Etude A-2 Funk Piano Etude A-2 Funk Track
Piano Set A Audition Instructions 

 

GUITAR

Scales Etudes Etude Tracks
Guitar Jazz Scales Set A Guitar Etude A-1 Shuffle Guitar Etude A-1 Shuffle Track
  Guitar Etude A-2 Funk Guitar Etude A-2 Funk Track
Guitar Set A Audition Instructions 

 

DRUM KIT & AUX PERCUSSION

Scales Etudes Etude Tracks
Drum Kit Style Patterns Set A Drum Set Etude A-1 Shuffle Drum Set Etude A-1 Shuffle Track
  Drum Set Etude A-2 Funk Drum Set Etude A-2 Funk Track
  Aux Perc Etude A-2 Funk Aux Perc Etude A-2 Funk Track
Drum Set Set A Audition Instructions 

 

BASS (ACOUSTIC OR ELECTRIC)

Scales Etudes Etude Tracks
Bass Jazz Scales Set A Bass Etude A-1 Shuffle Bass Etude A-1 Shuffle Track
  Bass Etude A-2 Funk Bass Etude A-2 Funk Track
Bass Set A Audition Instructions 

 

BARI SAX

Scales Etudes Etude Tracks
Bari Sax Jazz Scales Set A Bari Sax Etude A-1 Shuffle Bari Sax Etude A-1 Shuffle Track
  Bari Sax Etude A-2 Funk Bari Sax Etude A-2 Funk Track
Bari Sax Set A Audition Instructions 

 

TENOR SAX

Scales Etudes Etude Tracks
Tenor Sax Jazz Scales Set A Tenor Sax Etude A-1 Shuffle Tenor Sax Etude A-1 Shuffle Track
  Tenor Sax Etude A-2 Funk Tenor Sax Etude A-2 Funk Track
Tenor Sax Set A Audition Instructions 

 

ALTO SAX

Scales Etudes Etude Tracks
Alto Sax Jazz Scales Set A Alto Sax Etude A-1 Shuffle Alto Sax Etude A-1 Shuffle Track
  Alto Sax Etude A-2 Funk Alto Sax Etude A-2 Funk Track
Alto Sax Set A Audition Instructions