PART 1 SIGN UP for 2024 Charles Mingus High School Competition

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PART 1 SIGN UP for 2024 Charles Mingus High School Competition

Register | Payment | Composition guidance & selection

Back to FAQ and more 2024 application info | General info | Part 2 Audio submission here

Email *

BAND DIRECTOR *

BAND DIRECTOR EMAIL *

OTHER EMAIL (ADMIN, BOOSTER, ETC.)

BAND DIRECTOR CELL PHONE *

BAND NAME

SCHOOL NAME *

SCHOOL MAILING ADDRESS *

SCHOOL PHONE *

SCHOOL PRINCIPAL NAME AND BEST CONTACT INFO *

BIG BAND OR COMBO *

ARE YOU FROM A SPECIALIZED MUSIC OR ARTS SCHOOL OR PROGRAM? *

Number of students in your combo (2-9 students) and/or big band (10-17)
*

Notes: (Tell us a little bit about your program!)

PAYMENT $200 ($250 after October 15, 2023)

IF BOTH COMBO AND BIG BAND, YOU WILL NEED TO SUBMIT TWO $200 ENTRY FEES. Fee increases after October 15, 2023.

Make checks payable to “LET MY CHILDREN HEAR MUSIC, INC.” to 291 Broadway, #1405, New York, NY 10007.

Zelle (preferred): education@charlesmingus.org

Paypal: https://paypal.me/mingusinstitute

NOTE ABOUT RECORDING which you will submit in Part 2, just some advance info:

You may submit audio or video. You must record live, all playing together, as that will most mirror the live performance of the competition. There is no length limit for the recording. (There will be 20 minute limit at the Competition performance.) Please note if your recording has been cut intentionally, you will not be judged for recording technique, but please make the best possible recording you can- tune pianos, etc.)

CHART SELECTION

More guidance in chart selection and audio versions is available at the audio links at CharlesMingus.org

Please vary your selections by tempo, key, and mood, to demonstrate your ensemble’s range, and for a more balanced and rewarding experience for musicians and audience.

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COMBOS:

Select "Combo Packet" below. You may then skip the rest of this next section and you will receive a packet of Mingus lead sheets, from which you will select 3 to arrange and perform.

If you would like to perform a composition not in that packet, please contact LMCHM, additional sheet music resources may be available.

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BIG BANDS:

Select 3 arrangements from the list below (or new this year: 1 extended composition + 1 standard-length composition, details below.) You may not repeat any selections you performed in the prior year’s competition.

[SIMPLY] denotes a Simply Mingus series arrangement, all others are the professional series played by Mingus Big Band. Where it says (PDF) you will receive digital scans of the unpublished Mingus Big Band chart. For all others, printed copies will be mailed directly from Hal Leonard.

If you are interested in a Mingus composition that is not listed here, please check with our office to see if there is an arrangement available! education@charlesmingus.com

Concerning vocal-feature charts: For the following charts, the vocalist either partially or fully replaces an instrumental part; typically trombone 1 or 2, but sometimes tenor saxophone. Chair in the Sky; Dizzy Profile; Eclipse; Goodbye Pork Pie Hat (replaces tenor 1); Invisible Lady; Jelly Roll; Noonlight; Oh Lord, Don't Let Them Drop That Atomic Bomb On Me (partially replaces tenor 2); Portrait; Sweet Sucker Dance (vocal arr.); Weird Nightmare. For the other charts not listed here that feature a vocalist, the vocal part is in addition to (and completely separate from) the typical 14 ensemble parts, for a total of 15 parts.

BIG BAND INSTRUMENTATION:

Mingus Big Band arrangements: Typically 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, 5 saxophones, piano, bass, and drums. You may add 3 optional instruments (charts not included), for a maximum of 17 (details below).

Simply Mingus arrangements: 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, 5 saxophones, piano, bass, drums, guitar. You may add 3 optional instruments (charts included for french horn, clarinet, and flute), for a maximum of 20 (details below).

You may not double up on parts, but you may alternate the students who are performing between tunes.

Mingus Big Band arrangements typically have 14 parts, while Simply Mingus arrangements have 17 — this should not be exceeded, except as follows: Students of the same instrument may not double-up on parts (two of the same instrument on one part), or split/share sections of one part among two players on the same tune (i.e. one player covering the ensemble passages, while another takes the solo), but up to 3 additional players are allowed in accordance with the guidelines below:

Directors may include additional rhythm section instruments (such as guitar, vibraphone, electric keyboards, auxiliary percussion, etc.) in their ensembles, in which case students may use a photocopy of the piano, drums, etc. sheet music as needed to create their own part. Additional wind instruments beyond the typical big band instrumentation are also permitted with caveats — full parts for clarinet, flute, and french horn are already provided in Simply Mingus arrangements. To add these instruments or others (such as double reeds) to Mingus Big Band arrangements, please contact LMCHM for guidance.

To include more students, you may swap out performers between tunes (not during) so long as no more than 14 (or 17 if additional instruments) are performing at one time for Mingus Big Band charts, and no more than 17 (or 20 with additional instrumentation) for Simply Mingus charts. This is to avoid having one student playing only the written part and a different student resting up to play only the solo from the same part.

Special case note: Splitting of a wind part between two players is allowed only to facilitate arrangements that call for reed players to "double" on another instrument – for example, when an alto 1 part calls for alto sax and flute; If a student is comfortable on saxophone but not flute, the ensemble can include a flutist to perform the flute passages while the saxophonist rests. The flutist could then tacet during the saxophone portions, or the director could contact LMCHM for advice on creating a flute part that integrates into the rest of the arrangement.

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Chart descriptions and audio previews are available at charlesmingus.com/hsaudio

CHART SELECTION

Combos select "COMBO PACKET"

Big Bands select 3 (or only 1 if doing extended below)

COMBO PACKET

All the Things You Could Be By Now if Sigmund Freud’s Wife was Your Mother, arr. Boris Kozlov (PDF)

Bemoanable Lady, arr. Sy Johnson (PDF)

Better Get Hit in Your Soul, arr. Andrew Homzy [SIMPLY]

Bird Calls (saxes-only feature), arr. Ronnie Cuber (PDF, NO SCORE)

Blue Cee, arr. Ronnie Cuber (PDF, NO SCORE)

Boogie Stop Shuffle, arr. Andrew Homzy [SIMPLY]

Boogie Stop Shuffle, arr. Sy Johnson

Chair in the Sky, arr. Sy Johnson (PDF)

Chair in the Sky (vocal feature, in G*), arr. Sy Johnson (PDF)

Children's Hour of Dream, arr. Sy Johnson

Diane/Alice’s Wonderland, arr. Steve Slagle (PDF)

Dizzy Profile (vocal feature, in Db*), arr. Sy Johnson (PDF)

Don’t Be Afraid, The Clown’s Afraid Too, arr. Sy Johnson (PDF)

Don’t Let It Happen Here (incl. narrator lyric sheet), arr. Howard Johnson (PDF)

Duke Ellington's Sound of Love, arr. Andrew Homzy [SIMPLY]

Duke Ellington's Sound of Love, arr. Jack Walrath (optional lyrics by Charles Mingus, key of Db) (vocal arrangement heard on Mingus Sings heavily modified from written sheets, contact LMCHM for guidance)

Ecclusiastics, arr. Sy Johnson

Eclipse (vocal feature*), arr. Sy Johnson (PDF)

E’s Flat Ah’s Flat Too (aka Hora Decubitus), arr. Sy Johnson (PDF) (opt. lyrics by Elvis Costello, Eb)

Fables of Faubus, arr. Sy Johnson [SIMPLY]

Fables of Faubus, arr. Steve Slagle

GG Train, arr. Boris Kozlov

Goodbye Pork Pie Hat, arr. Andrew Homzy [SIMPLY]

Goodbye Pork Pie Hat, arr. Sy Johnson (opt. lyrics by Joni Mitchell*, Eb minor)

Gunslinging Bird, arr. Steve Slagle

Haitian Fight Song, arr. Andrew Homzy [SIMPLY]

Haitian Fight Song, arr. Sy Johnson

Hobo Ho, arr. Sy Johnson (PDF)

Invisible Lady, arr. Jack Walrath (PDF, NO SCORE) (opt. lyrics by Elvis Costello*, Bb minor)

The ‘I’ of Hurricane Sue, arr. Sy Johnson (PDF)

Jelly Roll, arr. Sy Johnson [SIMPLY]

Jelly Roll (vocal feature*, Ab), arr. Sy Johnson (PDF)

Love Chant, arr. Steve Slagle

Meditations for Moses, arr. Boris Kozlov (PDF)

Meditations on Integration (or For A Pair of Wire-Cutters), arr. Michael Phillip Mossman (PDF)

Moanin', arr. Andrew Homzy [SIMPLY]

Moanin', arr. Sy Johnson

New York Sketchbook, arr. Boris Kozlov (PDF)

Nobody Knows the Bradley I Know, arr. Earl McIntyre (PDF)

Noonlight (vocal feature*, Db), arr. Sy Johnson (PDF) (lyrics by Sue Mingus)

Nostalgia in Times Square, arr. Sy Johnson [SIMPLY]

Nostalgia in Times Square, arr. Ronnie Cuber

Number 29 (aka Mind-Readers’ Convention in Milano), arr. Sy Johnson (PDF)

O. P., arr. Sy Johnson [SIMPLY]

O. P., arr. Steve Slagle (PDF, NO SCORE)

Oh Lord, Don’t Let Them Drop That Atomic Bomb on Me (with vocal*, C), arr. Sy Johnson (PDF, NO SCORE) (lyrics by Charles Mingus)

Open Letter to Duke, arr. Steve Slagle (PDF)

Opus 4, arr. Boris Kozlov

Passions of a Woman Loved, arr. Sy Johnson (PDF)

Pedal Point Blues, arr. John Stubblefield

Peggy’s Blue Skylight, arr. Ronnie Cuber (PDF, NO SCORE)

Pithecanthropus Erectus, arr. Sy Johnson (PDF)

Portrait, arr. Jack Walrath (PDF, NO SCORE)

Portrait (vocal feature*, Db), arr. Sy Johnson (PDF)

Profile of Jackie, arr. Sy Johnson (PDF)

Self Portrait in Three Colors, arr. Sy Johnson [SIMPLY]

She’s Just Miss Popular Hybrid, arr. Boris Kozlov (PDF)

The Shoes of the Fisherman’s Wife Are Some Jive-Ass Slippers, arr. Sy Johnson (PDF)

Slippers, arr. Andrew Homzy (PDF) [SIMPLY]

Song with Orange, arr. John Stubblefield

Sue's Changes, arr. Sy Johnson

Sweet Sucker Dance, arr. Sy Johnson (PDF)

Sweet Sucker Dance (vocal feature*, Ab), arr. Sy Johnson (PDF, NO SCORE)

Tensions, arr. Boris Kozlov (PDF)

This Subdues My Passion, arr. Charles Mingus/Gunther Schuller (PDF) (smaller band)

Tijuana Gift Shop, arr. Michael Phillip Mossman (PDF)

Tonight at Noon, arr. Sy Johnson (PDF, NO SCORE)

Us is Two, arr. Sy Johnson (PDF, NO SCORE)

Wednesday Night Prayer, arr. Sy Johnson (PDF, NO SCORE)

Weird Nightmare (vocal feature*, D minor), arr. Sy Johnson (PDF)

Work Song, arr. Sy Johnson (opt. lyrics by Eric Mingus, F minor)

Ysabel’s Table Dance, arr. Steve Slagle (PDF)

Required

EXTENDED COMPOSITION OPTION

NEW for 2024: Ensembles also have the option of performing the extended compositions of Charles Mingus (see separate list below) with original durations typically ranging from 15 to 20 minutes. When selecting this option, the extended piece will take the place of two standard-length compositions, meaning the group's performance will consist of the extended piece and one additional tune, for a total of 2 compositions performed. Competition time-limit rules still apply (30 minutes total; 5 to take the stage, 20 for performance, 5 to clear the stage). These extended works must be played as a whole and movements should not be omitted, but there are opportunities to shorten within the sections to fit the time limitations. If selecting this option, contact LMCHM for guidance on appropriately shortening these extended selections. All compositions here are unpublished MBB arrangements. PDF files only, scores included.

Select one only if you wish to perform an extended composition this year

The Black Saint & The Sinner Lady, arr. Sy Johnson (arrangement: mvts. 1, 2, 3, reprise mvt. 1)

Cumbia & Jazz Fusion, arr. Sy Johnson

Little Royal Suite, arr. Sy Johnson

Music for Todo Modo, arr. Sy Johnson

Clear selection

This application is submitted with the full approval of the school administration and in compliance with all policies set forth. The signatures below indicate that the directors and administration understand and agree to all the requirements outlined in the Application form, and that all information therein is accurate and truthful. The signatures also indicate that the recording submitted has been made according to the requirements. The application indicates that the band must be the same personnel as listed on Application form, and if selected, will attend and perform at the Charles Mingus Festival & High School Competition.

We hereby irrevocably grant to Let My Children Hear Music, Inc., its agents, licensees and assigns, the right to use in any and all media and in any and all forms this applicant’s and its members’ name, likeness, photographic prints and any reproduction of their sounds, performance or appearance while attending the Charles Mingus Festival & High School Competition, for any purpose including promotion, advertising, or otherwise. With the use of the rights, we hereby release Let My Children Hear Music, Inc. and its agents, licensees and assigns from all claims, liabilities and/or damages which now or in the future may arise from such use.

Digital Signature of Band Director, Principal, or Parent/Guardian:
*

A copy of your responses will be emailed to the address you provided.

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