Auditions

   Audition Dates   

    October 15, 2011 (1 - 5 pm)
           & Open House

    January 6, 2012

    March 24, 2012 (1 - 5 pm)
           & Open House

    August 17, 2012 (1 - 5 pm)

   Audition Application

   Scholarship Application

   Please Note: Auditions are required for all music degree programs including the B.S. in Music Technology

Audition Guidelines For Prospective Music Majors

The audition is one of the prerequisites for acceptance into the music program.  Auditions are held twice a year (once each semester) in the Department of Music located on the bottom floor of Lipinsky Hall. Prospective students may arrange an audition by submitting the Application for Audition form by the appropriate deadline. If distance precludes the possibility of an in-person audition, the student should consult the department for other arrangements. (In some cases, a CD or DVD may be submitted in lieu of an in-person audition.)

Note For Out-Of-State Prospective Students

Out-of-State prospective students may submit an audition CD or DVD in lieu of an in-person audition although an in-person audition is preferred. Mail to: Music Department, CPO 2290, One University Heights, Asheville, NC 28804; it must arrive before the audition date.

Material

Approximately 10 minutes of material should be prepared for performance on the student’s principal instrument.

All Applicants

Ear Training:

Aural identification of intervals, triads, and basic seventh chord types should be prepared ahead of the audition.

Jazz and Contemporary Music Studies

Instrumental

Scales/Modes:

Major, minor (natural, harmonic, "jazz melodic minor" ["raised" 6th and 7th degree ascending and descending]; chromatic; major and minor pentatonic.

Chords:

Basic Seventh chords (major, minor, dominant, diminished 7th, half-diminished) [for chordal instruments only]

Repertoire:

  one ballad, one swing, and one Latin or jazz rock tune from the standard jazz repertoire. The following tunes are examples of acceptable standards, but auditionees may choose other similar compositions if desired.

• Appropriate Swing Tunes: Blues (C Jam Blues, Sonny Moon for Two, Tenor Madness, etc.), Rhythm Changes (I Got Rhythm, Oleo, Cottontail, etc.), All the Things You Are, All of Me, Autumn Leaves, The Days of Wine and Roses, Don't Get Around Much Anymore, Four, How High the Moon, Impressions, Just Friends, My Romance, Out of Nowhere, Satin Doll, Sugar, Stella By Starlight, Take the A Train, There Will Never Be Another You.
• Appropriate Latin/Rock Tunes: Black Orpheus, Blue Bossa, Chameleon, Desafinado, The Girl From Ipanema, Green Dolphin Street, How Insensitive, Nica's Dream, Recordame, Red Clay, Song For My Father, Tough Talk.
• Appropriate Ballads: Body and Soul, Don't Blame Me, Here's That Rainy Day, I Can't Get Started, In a Sentimental Mood, Lament, Misty, My Funny Valentine.
• This list should be considered just suggestions. Virtually any tune chosen from a Jamey Aebersold play-a-long would be appropriate.

Percussion:

Percussionists will be expected to demonstrate a knowledge of all basic rudiments on snare drum. A snare etude is also required.  In the case of set players, a knowledge of several different rhythm patterns including Latin and swing should be demonstrated. Familiarity with keyboard or mallet instruments is not required. However, if you have skills on vibes, marimba, etc., it would be advantageous to demonstrate those skills as well.

Jazz Sax:

major and minor scales to 4 sharps or flats, 2 octaves, when possible; chromatic scale. Etude or solo from books such as intermediate or Advanced Jazz Conception for Saxophone by Lennie Niehaus or Basie-Nestico Lead Sax Book.

Vocalists

Repertoire:

Sing four tunes selected from the standard jazz repertoire.

Scales/Modes:

Same as instrumental requirements.

Sight Reading:

May be selected by faculty.

NOTE: Some types of equipment may be provided upon request.

Music Technology Program

Students wishing to enroll in the Music Technology Program must play a vocal or instrumental audition. They may follow either the Jazz and Contemporary Music Studies guidelines (see above) or General Music Studies guidelines (see below) in preparing their audition. A Music Technology student's audition must have placed them into the 200 level of Applied Music or else they will be required to enroll in the 191 or 192 level of Applied Music.

General Music Studies

Piano (MAJOR)

• Major and minor scales to 5 sharps or flats; chromatic scale; (all scales 2 hands, 4 octaves).
• A representative Baroque work by Bach, such as an Invention, or Little Prelude, or Prelude & Fugue; or a Scarlatti sonata.
• Movement from a representative Classic period work such as a Clementi sonatina, Haydn sonata, or Mozart or Beethoven piece.
• A short Romantic work by composers such as Chopin (Preludes, Waltzes), Schumann (Album for the Young), Schubert, Mendelssohn, or Brahms.

Flute

• Major and minor scales to 4 sharps or flats, 2 octaves; chromatic scale.
• A representative Baroque work such as a sonata by Bach, Telemann, or Vivaldi.
• Movement from a representative Classic period work such as a concerto by Haydn or Mozart, or a short work by Gluck.
• Short Romantic work from French repertoire, by composers such as Saint-Saens, Chaminade, Taffanel, Gaubert or Bizet.

Oboe

• Major and minor scales to 4 sharps or flats, 2 octaves; chromatic scale.
• A representative Baroque work such as a sonata or concerto by Handel, Vivaldi, Telemann, Bach, Marcello or Cimarosa.
• Movement of a Classic period concerto by Mozart or Haydn, or Romantic work by Saint-Saens or Schumann, or Fehrling or Barrett etude.

Clarinet

• Major and minor scales to 5 sharps or flats, 2 octaves minimum, 3 octaves when possible; chromatic scale.
• Movement of a representative Classic or Romantic period sonata or concerto by composers such as Mozart, Weber, Crusell, Schumann, or Brahms.
• Representative orchestral excerpts or standard etude.
• Saxophone (Classical)
• Major and minor scales to 4 sharps or flats, 2 octaves, when possible; chromatic scale.
• Solo or Etude from books such as Rubank, Advanced Method Vol. I or II, Selected Studies by H. Voxman or Concert and Contest Collection by H. Voxman.

Bassoon

• Major / minor scales to 4 sharps or flats; 2 octaves minimum, 3 octaves when possible; chromatic scale.
• Movement of a representative Baroque Classic or Romantic period sonata or concerto by composers such as Vivaldi, Mozart, or Weber.
• Representative orchestral excerpts or standard etude.

Horn

• Major and minor scales to 4 sharps or flats, 2 octaves; chromatic scale.
• Movement of a classic period concerto by Mozart or Haydn.
• Representative portion of Romantic period work by Schumann, Saint-Saens, Dukas, or Richard Strauss.
• Representative orchestral excerpts or standard etude.

Trumpet

• Major and minor scales to 5 sharps or flats, 2 octaves; chromatic scale.
• Movement of Classical period concerto by composers such as L. Mozart, Haydn, or Hummel.
• Short concert piece from Romantic or 20th Century period.
• Representative orchestral excerpts or standard etude.

Trombone

• Major and minor scales to 4 sharps or flats, 2 octaves; chromatic scale.
• Movement from solo concerto or sonata repertoire by composers such as Dittersdorf or David.
• Representative orchestral excerpts or standard etude.

Tuba

• Major and minor scales to 4 sharps or flats, 2 octaves; chromatic scale.
• Movement from solo concerto or sonata repertoire by composers such as Vaughan Williams.
• Representative orchestral excerpts or standard etude.

Harp

• Major and minor scales to 4 sharps or flats, 2 hands, 3 octaves.
• Standard etude by composers such as Bochsa or Pozzoli.
• Short solo work by composers such as Grandjany or Tournier.
• Movement from solo repertoire by composers such as Handel, Debussy, Ravel, Hindemith or Tailleferre.

Percussion

• Timpani - Etude from Goodman and/or Firth books and/or orchestral excerpts. Demonstrate tuning and rolling at all dynamics.
• Snare Drum - Etude from Cirone or Delecluse books and/or orchestral excerpts.
• Mallets - Two mallet solos from standard repertoire.

Voice

• Italian anthology song (sung in Italian or English).
• Classical or Romantic period song in English.
• 20th Century or Broadway song in English.
• Vocalization (demonstration of vocal range).

Guitar (Classical)

• Two- or three-octave major scales and melodic minor scales from Segovia or Carlevaro books.
• Etude by composers such as Leo Brouwer, Fernando Sor or Heitor Villa-Lobos.
• Character piece by composers such as Tarrega, Sor, Carcassi, or Aguado.

Violin

• Major and minor scales to 4 flats and sharps in 2 octaves minimum, 3 octaves when possible with various bowings.
• Etude such as those by Kreutzer, Rode or Fiorillo.
• Fast and slow movement from standard repertory sonata or concerto by composers such as Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, or Mendelssohn and/or standard orchestral excerpts.

Viola

• Major / minor scales to 4 flats and sharps in 2 octaves minimum, 3 octaves when possible with various bowings.
• Etude such as those by Campagnoli, Fuchs, Rode or Dont.
• Fast and slow movement from standard repertory sonata or concerto by composers such as Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, Stamitz, or Haydn and/or standard orchestral excerpts.

Cello

• Major and minor scales to 4 flats and sharps, 2 octaves minimum, 3 octaves when possible in various bowings.
• Movement from a Bach solo cello suite, or Popper etude.
• Movement from a standard repertory concerto or sonata by composers such as Haydn, Vivaldi, Boccherini, Saint-Saens, Lalo, Sammartini, Schumann, or Dvorak and/or orchestral excerpts.

Double Bass (Classical)

• Major and minor scales to four flats and sharps, 2 octaves.
• Standard etude or Bach transcription.
• Movement from solo work such as sonatas by Vivaldi, Eccles, or Marcello, or Capuzzi concerto.
• Standard orchestral excerpts such as those from the symphonies of Mozart, Beethoven, or Brahms.