The Department of Music welcomes transfer students who have been accepted to Pepperdine University and the music program at Seaver College. Content and units vary among music programs, and courses completed at another college or university must be evaluated and approved before any transferred units can be credited to the music major or minor program.

After being accepted to Pepperdine University and into the Seaver College music program, each transfer student declaring a music major or minor must provide the following materials for potential transfer of units:

• an official transcript from each college where music course work was completed,
• a photocopy or printout of the catalog description of each music course,
• a copy of the syllabus for each music course.

Additionally, all transfer students are required to take the Music Theory Placement Exam during their audition or during New Student Orientation. This exam does not weigh into the application process for the program. Click here for more information about this assessment.

All transfer materials must be received no later than August 1 of the academic year of entrance into the Seaver College music program. Send materials to:

Gary Cobb, Chair of Fine Arts Division
Seaver College Fine Arts Division
Pepperdine University
24255 Pacific Coast Highway
Malibu, CA 90263-4462

Additional materials are required for the music theory and composition program:

All prospective composition students must submit a portfolio containing two or three scores of their original compositions. Scores should be properly bound with a front and back cover, and the front should clearly indicate the title of the work and applicant's full name. A CD recording of the submitted works is appreciated but not required. Do not send originals, as the submitted materials will not be returned. When you come to the Department of Music for your performance audition, you will also be scheduled for an interview with a member of the composition faculty. Admission into the Music Composition program is subject to a successful audition in your major performing medium, interview and the approval of the portfolio by the composition faculty. In the Application to the Department of Music, be sure to include a reference list and letters of recommendation from professional music teachers familiar with your composed works and overall musicianship.

Please send all composition materials to:

Fine Arts Admissions Office
c/o: N. Lincoln Hanks, D. Mus.
Seaver College Fine Arts Division
Pepperdine University
24255 Pacific Coast Highway
Malibu, CA 90263-4462

*Deadline: The deadline for Fall 2012 is Friday, February 3, 2012.

Additional materials are required for the music education program:

When you come to the Department of Music for your audition, you will also be scheduled for an interview with a music education faculty member. The purpose of the interview is to provide our admissions committee with additional information about your potential as a music education major. The Music Education rating will be used in combination with the audition results when making admission decisions.

Admission into the performance major requires an advanced development of embouchure, articulation, range, tone, and flexibility than is required for Music Education, and Composition programs. The entrance audition must display a level of development that will allow students to start with the listed repertoire or comparable literature. Live and taped auditions are accepted; however, a slightly longer program of music is suggested for taped auditions.

Euphonium

• Scales. Major scales in two octaves
• Sight-reading
• Etudes. Suggested etudes can be found in Voxman's Selected studies , Bordogni and Rochut's Melodious Studies, Vol. 1, and Arban's Characteristic Studies
• Perform two contrasting movements from works that are comparable in difficulty to Curnow's Rhapsody for Euphonium, Arban's Carnival of Venice and Variations on a Tyrolean Song, DeLuca's Beautiful Colorado or Clinard's Sonata for Unaccompanied Euphonium.

Horn

A program of two contrasting movements, pieces, or etudes from the list below or from selections of comparable difficulty. Sight reading and major scales in two octaves may be included in the audition.

• Beethoven: Sonata
• Glazunov: Reveries
• Heiden: Sonata
• Mozart: Concertos 1-4; Concert Rondo
• Saint-Saëns: Concertpiece; Romance, Op. 36
• Scriabin: Romance
• F. Strauss: Concerto, Op. 8; Nocturno, Op. 7
• R. Strauss: Concerto No. 1

Trombone

• Scales. Major scales in two octaves
• Sight-reading
• Perform two contrasting movements from works that are comparable in difficulty to Blazhevich Concert Piece No. 5, Galliard Sonatas No. 1-3, Guilmant Morceau Symphonique, Marcello Sonata in F Major, Ropartz Andante et Allegro, Barat Andante et Allegro, Rousseau Piece Concertante, Morel Piece in F-Minor, Lebedev Concerto in One Movement, McCarthy Sonata for Bass Trombone or Hindemith Drei leichte Stucke

Bass Trombone

• Any etude from methods by Alan Ostrander, Kopprasch, Tyrrell, Blazhevich or Grigoriev and one from Bordogni's 43 Bel Canto Studies.
• Perform two contrasting mvts from the following works: Sarabande from Bach Cello Suite, Lebedev Concerto, Lieb Concertino, McCarty Sonata or one of the bass trombone solos of Eric Ewazen.

Trumpet

• Scales. Major scales in two octaves
• Sight-reading
• Perform two contrasting movements, pieces, or etudes

Tuba

• Scales. Major scales in two octaves
• Sight-reading
• Perform two contrasting movements from works that are comparable in difficulty to Grigoriev Studies for Tuba , Bordogni Legato Etudes Vol. 1 , Blazhevich 70 Studies for Tuba , Haddad Suite for Tuba , Hindemith Sonata for Bass Tuba , Vaughn Williams Concerto for Bass Tuba (movement 1), Holmes Lento , Wilder Suite No. 1 for Tuba , Marcello Sonata in F-Major or Marcello Sonata in A-Minor

In order to provide a clear picture of your abilities and skills, please prepare the following:

Two or more solo works demonstrating different musical styles and techniques. Selections may include or be equivalent in difficulty to Renaissance lute or Vihuela pieces (i.e.; Dowland); movements from a Baroque suite (Bach); Classical era studies (Sor or Giuliani); and Romantic or twentieth-century pieces (Villa-Lobos or Tarrega).
* All applicants are required to submit a repertoire list.

Harp (Incoming Freshman)

• An etude exemplifying the applicant's technical standard; i.e., Bochsa #1
• Orchestra excerpt: Waltz of the Flowers Cadenza- Nutcracker Suite
• Two solos works of contrasting in tempo and style.

Transfer Student

• One of the Naderman Sonatas #1-7
• Twentieth century solo work.

Prospective performance majors must play a memorized audition that demonstrates technical facility, musicality, and understanding of musical styles.

Piano

• A Prelude and Fugue by Bach, or at least two movements of a French or English suite or partita
• A complete Classical sonata
• A work from the 19th or 20th century

Prospective piano majors in all other degrees (music education, and composition) must play a memorized audition that demonstrates technical facility, musicality, and understanding of musical styles consisting of the following works or their equivalents:

• A Bach invention
• A fast movement from a Classical sonata
• A work from the 19th or 20th century

All prospective students must be able to play major and minor scales and arpeggios with facility and appropriate fingerings. Students should be prepared to sight-read at the audition.

Keyboard

• Major scales, two octaves at a moderate tempo: C,F,G, B-flat, D, E-flat , A
• Two-mallet sight reading
• Marimba Solo (no repeats): Handel - FM Sonata for Violin, 2nd mvt. or Bouree-Bach - EM Partita for Violin, Bo
• 4 mallet composition of your choice.

Snare Drum

• Etude #1, Advanced Snare Drum Studies, Mitchell Peters
• Buzz roll: pp to ff to pp for 20 seconds
• Rudiments: Paradiddles, Flam Accents, Flam Taps, Pattifla-flas, lesson 25, Double Ratamacues, 5/7/9 stroke rolls

Timpani

• Relaxed roll at pp and ff dynamic levels
• Ability to match intervals on the drums
• One solo of your choice

Drum Set

• Ability to keep steady time and play fills several basic beat styles: Swing, Afro-Cuban, Samba, Bossa Nova, Brazilian, Funk, Rock, Pop and Jazz Waltz
  

Percussion Transfer Students

For entrance into the Department of Music as a transfer student in percussion, a student must demonstrate technical strength and reading ability on keyboard and two of the remaining three percussion areas. The examples listed below give an idea of the expected minimum level of ability for first- and second-year students.

Keyboard Transfer

• All major and minor scales, two octaves at a moderate tempo
• Two-mallet sight reading
• Four-mallet solo of your choice Comparable to the following:
  Eric Sammu: Four Rotations
  Paul Smadbeck: Rhythm Song
  Keiko Abe: Michi or Wind in the Bamboo Grove
  Movement from a J. S. Bach Violin Sonata or Partita
• An orchestral excerpt such as:
  Dukas - The Sorcer's Apprentice
  Gershwin - "Porgy and Bess", overture
  Kabalevsky - Colas Breugnon
  Mozart - "The Magic Flute", Act 1 Finale
  Respighi - Pines of Rome
  Shostakovich - "The Golden Age", Polka

Timpani

• Relaxed roll at pp and ff dynamic levels
• Ability to tune drums by relative pitch, i.e. by using a tuning fork
• One solo or etude for two or more drums that involves tuning changes comparable to:
  John Beck: Sonata for Timpani
  An etude from Alexander Lepak's 32 Solos for Timpani
  A solo from Fred Hinger's Solos for the Virtuoso Tympanist
• Orchestral excerpt such as:
  Beethoven - Symphony No. 5
  Beethoven - Symphony No. 7
  Beethoven - Symphony No. 9
  Hindemith - Symphonic Metamorphosis
  Mahler - Symphony 5
  Stravinsky - The Rite of Spring
  Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 4

Snare Drum

• Rudimental roll and closed orchestra roll at ppp through fff
• Sight read compound, simple and changing meter exercises
• Prepared solo using rolls, drags, flams and a wide dynamic range comparable to the following:
  Jacques Delecluse: etude from Douze Etudes
  Anthony Cirone: etude from Portraits in Rhythm
  Mitchell Peters: etude from Hard Times

Drum Set

• Ability to keep steady time and play fills several basic beat styles: Swing, Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, Funk, Rock and Jazz Waltz alternating 4 measures of time with 4 measures of solo

Double Bass

• All major two octave scales.
• An etude exemplifying the applicant's technical standard.
• Two works contrasting in tempo and style.

Cello

• Major or melodic minor scales, 3 octaves
• One movement of a Bach Suite
• A fast movement and slow movement from a concerto (i.e. Boccherini, Vivaldi, Haydn or 19th century work)

Viola

• All major and minor three octave scales and arpeggios.
• An etude exemplifying the applicant's technical standard (i.e. Campagnoli or Kreutzer)
• Two works contrasting in style and tempo. Applicants for the applied degree should prepare a movement from one of Bach's Suites for solo cello, and a movement or piece from the standard repertoire (i.e. Bloch Suite Hebraique, Handel-Casadesus B Minor Concerto, Hummel Fantasie, Stamitz Concerto, Vaughan Williams Suite, Weber Andante and Hungarian Rondo)

Violin

• All major and minor three octave scales and arpeggios.
• Two works contrasting in style and tempo.
• An outer movement of a standard concerto, and a movement from one of Bach's Sonatas or Partitas for solo violin.

Prepare a complete list of solo repertoire studied. (It is not necessary to list choral repertoire unless you were a featured soloist.) It is appropriate to list any roles you have performed.

Memorization of all audition material is expected.

Those students seeking admission to the Applied degree should show evidence of a minimum of one year of private instruction in voice and sufficient performance experience. This may be done in a brief typed resume.

An accompanist will be provided at no charge or you may bring your own.

Audition Materials

Bachelor of Arts Vocal Performance, Choral-General (Music Education)

Prepare three songs in varying styles or tempi. At least two songs should be classical; one in a foreign language and the other an American or English art song. The third song may be from Musical Theater Repertoir. These songs should be memorized. The audition must be accompanied. An accompanist will be provided for you, or you may bring your own. Provide musical scores or readable copies of your music for the accompanist.

Theatre and Music Major

Two vocal selections must be presented. One should be your best Broadway number. One selection must be from the classical repertory, i.e., an art song or an aria from opera or oratorio and may be in English or in a foreign language. These songs should be memorized. The audition must be accompanied. An accompanist will be provided for you, or you may bring your own. Provide musical scores or readable copies of your music for the accompanist. A monolog will also be presented which must not exceed two minutes in length. You will not be required to dance at this audition.

The entrance audition must display a level of development that will allow students to start with the listed repertoire or comparable literature. The point of the audition is to demonstrate your current level of playing, so choose works that showcase your sound, musicianship and musical strengths. The guidelines can be used for all programs and majors although applied majors should naturally anticipate a higher entrance standard than other majors.

Live and taped auditions are accepted; however, if you wish to be considered for available scholarships a live audition is preferred. Taped auditions should be received no later than February 3.

Bassoon

• All major scales (three octaves for B-flat, and C; two octaves for all others.
• Two contrasting etudes from Weissenborn 50 Advanced Studies or one etude from Milde Concert Studies, vol. 1.
• One movement from a standard concerto (Mozart, Weber, Vivaldi, Hummel) or sonata (Hindemith, Saint-Saëns, Telemann, Hurlstone, Cascarino) or a single movement work in its entirety (Elgar Romance, PiernéSolo de Concerto, Op. 35 or Prelude de Concert, Bourdeau Premier Solo, Osborne Rhapsody) either from the list or a similar composition.

Clarinet

• Performance of a chromatic scale from low E to high G, and two major scales - F major and E major - three octaves.
• Ability to perform two contrasting Rose Etudes from the Hite book specifically addressing articulation.
• Contrasting selections from standard clarinet literature. Standard literature should be representative of works such as:
  Weber Concertos or Concertino
  Stamitz Concertos Mozart Concerto
  Brahms Sonatas
  Schumann, Fantasy Pieces
  Or such 20th Century works as
  Stravinsky, Three Pieces

Flute

• One technical etude or study of your choice and all major and minor scales
• One movement from any Bach Sonata
• One movement from a standard concerto

Oboe

• Basic knowledge of reed making is required.
• Scales. Major scales in two octaves up to E-flat and chromatic scale.
• Sight-reading
• One etude. Suggested etudes can be found in the Barret Oboe Method, Brod Oboe Method, and Ferling Forty-eight Etudes.
• A solo comparable in difficulty to Bellini Concerto, Donizetti Sonata, Guilhaud Concertino, Haydn Concerto, Hindemith Sonata, Hummell Adagio, Theme and Variations, Mozart Quartet or Concerto, Paladilhe Solo de Concert, Saint-Saëns Sonata, and Telemann Sonata in A-minor.
  The etude and solo must be contrasting works that demonstrate a good demand of tone, technique, articulation and musicianship.

Saxophone

• Scales. All Major and chromatic scales full range in various articulations.
• Sight-reading
• 1 slow musical selection
• 1 fast musical selection
• The audition must display a level of technical, musical and tonal development in works that are comparable in difficulty to the following: Rueff Chanson et Passepied (Leduc Publishing), Ibert Aria (Leduc Publishing), Bozza Aria (Leduc Publishing), Lantier Sicilienne (Leduc Publishing), Eccles Sonata (arr. Rascher, Elkan Vogel Publishing), Ward An Abstract (Southern Music Publishing), Bonneau Suite (Leduc Publishing), Tcherepnine Sonatine Sportive (Leduc Publishing) or Hartley Petite Suite (Crescendo Publishing).

• You must perform a live audition on the primary instrument of your choice.
• For additional instruments, you must submit a recorded audition for faculty consideration.
• Each audition requires a separate application to the Department of Music. You must indicate on each application that you are auditioning on more than one instrument.

If you are accepted on more than one instrument, you must choose one instrument and inform the Fine Arts Office of your choice.

Applicants unable to attend a live audition should send a DVD audition recording or submit an audition video online. 

Online Audition Video Submission Instructions

The deadline for recorded auditions for Fall 2012 is Friday, February 3, 2012. No tape will be reviewed without completed Department of Music application materials. Audition recordings become the property of Pepperdine University and are not returned. Your audition recording must conform to the same audition requirements as an on-campus audition. Please see the audition requirements by instrument and degree.

Recorded auditions should be of high quality and U.S. compatible in either video or audio format. All tapes or compact discs should be clearly labeled with your name, phone number, repertoire, instrument and degree emphasis sought. Please download, complete, and include the Department of Music Audition Form with your recorded audition.

Applicants auditioning for the Guitar Program will not be able to audition via youtube, they must audition live or submit a recorded audition.

Download the Department of Music Audition Form (PDF)

Your audition recording and audition form must be sent to the Fine Arts Admissions Office. We are not responsible for recordings that are not accompanied by the application to the Music Department, those sent to the Office of Admission or International Admission or those sent directly to faculty. The deadline for auditioning for Fall 2012 is Friday, February 3, 2012..