Department of Music Application Process

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

• 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

• 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

• Sight-reading
• Perform two contrasting movements, pieces, or etudes

Tuba

• 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 Transfer

• 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 Transfer

• 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 Transfer

• 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

• An etude exemplifying the applicant's technical standard.
• Two works contrasting in tempo and style.

Cello

• 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

• 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

• 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.

While you are on campus for your audition, you will be expected to take the Music Fundamentals & Skills Assessment (MFSA). This examination assesses your knowledge of basic elements pertaining to rhythm and meter, pitch and intervals, key signatures, scales and chords, aural and keyboard skills. Anyone who wants to major or minor in Music or declare a major in Theatre-Music must take this exam on the day of their live audition. For more information, please visit the Music Fundamental & Skills Assessment web page.

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 repertoire. 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 repertoire, 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 monologue 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

• 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.
Two 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, such as Stravinsky, Three Pieces

Flute

• One technical etude or study of your choice
• One movement from any Bach Sonata
• One movement from a standard concerto

Oboe

• Basic knowledge of reed making is required.
• 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

• 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).

Applicants unable to attend a live audition should submit all audition materials through Interfolio.

Online Audition Video Submission Instructions

• The deadline to submit audition materials for Spring 2020 is October 8, 2019.
• The deadline to submit audition materials for Fall 2020 is February 1, 2020.

Recorded auditions should be of high quality and U.S. compatible in either video or audio format.

Your recorded and uploaded audition must conform to the same requirements as a live audition. Please see the audition requirements by instrument and degree.

Online Scale Requirements