Audition Requirements

All music majors and minors must take the Music Aptitude Placement (MAP) Exam as part of the audition process. This exam is used to determine which level of music theory the student will enter. It consists of two parts:

• Aural Skills--Identify major and minor scales and triads; identify rhythmic and melodic errors; take rhythmic and melodic dictation.

• Written theory--Identify pitches and key signatures; notate scales and rhythms.

Choose your intended major from the list below to see the requirements for your audition. Also check out the suggested solos link for an approved list of solos for your instrument.

Wind, String and Percussion Majors and Minors:

• Play a prepared solo (accompaniment unnecessary)

• Play scales (as many as possible).  Percussion players will be asked several rudiments.

• Sight read

Keyboard Majors and Minors:

• Play two prepared solos in contrasting styles

• Play scales (as many as possible)

• Sight read

Voice Majors and Minors:

• Sing two memorized solo selections in contrasting style. ie: uptempo/ballad or contrasting languages or music theatre/art song or sacred/secular.  Sound track accompaniments are not appropriate. An accompanist will be provided.

• Demonstrate Vocal Range

• Sight Singing

• Personal Interview (goals, preferred degree program, etc.)

Suggested Solos

Following is a suggested list of solos for each instrument. Other solos of equal or greater difficulty may be substituted. Please call the department of music at (828) 227-7242 if you need assistance in planning your audition.

Woodwind Instruments:

Flute: Any standard flute solo such as a sonata by Bach or Handel, or any of the Paris Conservatoire contest pieces.
Oboe: Any sonata by Handel; any of the romances by Schumann; any selection from Concert and Contest Collection.
Clarinet: Any one or two movements from the standard clarinet solo repertoire demonstrating both lyrical and technical playing. For example: Weber's Concertino, Cavallini's Adagio and Tarantella, two contrasting movements from a concerto by Weber or Mozart.
Bassoon: One slow and one fast movement from any Galliard sonata, or one movement from either the Mozart or the von Weber concerto.
Saxophone: Eccles Sonata; Bozza Aria; any Bach or Handel transcription.

Brass Instruments:

Trumpet: Any movement from a standard sonata, concerto, or contest piece such as concertos by Haydn and Hummel; Aria con Variazioni by Handel/Fitzgerald; Ode for Trumpet by Alfred Reed.
Horn: Any movement from concertos by Mozart; any selection from Solos for the Horn Player by Mason Jones.
Trombone/Euphonium: Any standard selection from the All-State or Honor Band audition lists.
Tuba:  Any standard selection from the All-State or Honor Band audition lists.

Percussion Instruments:

Snare Drum: Any etude in the concert style from the Cirone Portraits in Rhythm, sightreading, and rudiments.
Marimba/Xylophone:  All major scales, sightreading, any two-mallet etude selected from the following: Whaley Fundamental Studies for Mallets, p. 36; Whaley: Musical Studies for the Intermediate Mallet Player, p. 6-9, 14-15, 19-28; or any etude from Goldenberg: Modern School.
Timpani: One of the following etudes from the Whaley: Musical Studies for The Intermediate Timpani Player, p. 9, 21-22, 26, 31, 38

Keyboard Instruments:

Piano: Repertoire such as the Bach Two-Part Inventions or movements from the Haydn or Mozart Sonatinas and Sonatas. Less difficult Chopin Preludes or Waltzes are also acceptable.

Music Synthesis: Contact Mr. Brent Edstrom at (828) 227-3261 to review appropriate audition procedures.

Voice:

Any selection from two of the following categories:

1. A song in Italian or English from the Baroque or Classical era

2. A song by Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Wolf, or R. Strauss (may be sung in English)

3. Any selection from Expressive Singing

4. An aria from an opera or an oratorio

Guitar:

Any etude by Sor (Segovia edition), Carcassi, or Tarrega

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