Audition Content
Personal Interview
Candidates will be asked to discuss their prospective musical
career, and
why they have chosen a particular course of study. This would also be the best time
for students to ask questions about the College, courses of study, opportunities in the
field of music, etc. Candidates should perform as follows:
Instrumental
Wind and Stringed Instruments:
Students should be prepared to perform major and minor scales through four sharps and four flats, chromatic scales covering the entire range of the instrument, and selected solos representing at least two styles of music (e.g. Baroque, Classic, Romantic, Twentieth Century).Percussion Instruments:
The percussion audition will be in two parts. On the snare drum the student will play a solo (rudimental or orchestral), a long roll (crescendo and diminuendo) and all rudiments. On a melody percussion instrument (bells, marimba, or xylophone) the student will play scales through three flats and three sharps and solo demonstrating at least two mallet techniques.Organ:
An entering organ student should demonstrate proficiency on the piano in at least two stylistic periods (e.g. Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Twentieth Century) with levels of difficulty equal to the following: 1) a two part invention by JS Bach; 2) and standard sonata by Mozart, Haydn, or Beethoven; 3) a waltz by Chopin; 4) a piano composition by a modern composer such as Bartok or Kabalevsky. Students who wish to be admitted to study the organ may or may not have had previous training in the instrument. For those who have had private organ studies, the following are suggested as sample audition pieces: a prelude and fugue from Eight Little Preludes and Fugues by JS Bach; a choral prelude from The Liturgical Year by JS Bach.Piano:
Students who wish to be admitted as piano majors should perform art music from at least two style periods. A list of suggested representative works is provided below as a general idea of the expected performance level at the audition: 1) Baroque Period--Bach: Two Part Inventions or Three Part Inventions, Preludes and Fugues from The Well-Tempered Clavier, French Suites--Scarletti: any of the Sonatas; 2) Classical Period--Haydn: easier Sonatas--Mozart: Sonatas, Fantasies, or easier Concerti--Beethoven: easier Sonatas; 3) Romantic Period--representative works by Schubert, Schumann, Chopin, Liszt, Mendelssohn, Brahms, or a similar composer (If there is a question, such as with Rachmaninoff, style will be the main consideration. Thus Rachmaninoff would be considered from the Romantic Period); 4) Contemporary Period--Debussy: Childrens Corner Suite, easier Preludes, or either of the two Arabesques--Bartok: Allegro Barbaro, later books of the Mikrokosmos--Gershwin: Preludes--Hindemith: Sonata No. 2--Tcherepnin: Bagatelles, op. 5--Copeland: Cat and the Mouse.In addition, the candidate should be able to play major and minor scales, (hands together, four octaves, sixteenth notes, quarter note MM 92) as well as to sight-read an accompaniment of an art song.
Harp:
(Student must bring instrument, storage will be provided.)
- Slow scales, one and one-half octaves, hands alone.
- One selected study of the difficulty of Lariviere "Exercise et Etudes."
- A selected romantic, classical, or contemporary piece.
Guitar:
- Three major and minor scales in two octaves
- A composition of moderate difficulty from any period.
- A study or exercise demonstrating and understanding of various techniques such as legato, arpeggiosm and barre.
- Ability to sight read a composition of moderate difficulty.
Vocal
In addition to a simple sight reading test and a possible warm-up using scales and arpeggios, the student should demonstrate an ability to sing art songs representing two contrasting styles of music. Composers such as Purcell, Handel, Schubert, Franz, and Faure are recommended. Tape accompaniments are not acceptable. Students whose auditions require accompaniment are welcome to bring their own accompanist, although one will be provided if requested. Please indicate this need, and repertoire when arranging for the audition.