Audition Requirements by Instrument and Program
Find your instrument in the list below to see what the requirements are for your audition. Unless specified, music education and performance majors have the same requirements.
Flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, French horn, trombone, euphonium, & tuba
Prepare two contrasting pieces (or movements). Demonstrate playing proficiency of major scales and sight reading.
Jazz Guitar
Guitarists will be scheduled ONLY after submitting a pre-audition recording. The recording is due by January 11, 2013.
Anyone who wants to major in music on jazz guitar must submit an MP3 or CD recording by January 11, 2013 with the following:
- Solo Guitar Piece (classical, jazz, pop or original arrangement)
*This track must be recorded live to MP3/disk without overdubs, edits, or accompaniment. - A jazz standard or blues progression with play-along CD from the Jamey Aebersold Series (available at www.jazzbooks.com).
Recording must include at least one chorus each of melody, solo improvisation, and chord voicings. - Student's Choice. Any song that best represents the student's instrumental abilities and musicality. Any musical style.
- You will also need to complete the registration form found here.
A live audition will not be scheduled without the submission of this MP3 or CD. Once the recording is reviewed, the successful audition candidate will be notified by phone or email to schedule the live audition. Please email MP3 submissions to dnewsam@berklee.edu
Do not send these materials to the Admissions Office, please send them to:
UNH Department of Music
PCAC 30 Academic Way
Durham, NH 03824
ATTN: Alexis Zaricki
Percussion
- Bring your own sticks
- Prepare a snare drum solo
Suggested studies:
Cirone - Portraits in Rhythm
Whaley - Recital Solos for Snare Drum
Goldenberg - School for Snare Drum (5/8 Etude)
OR a solo of your choice of equivalent difficulty
- Prepare a timpani solo
Suggested studies:
Goodman - Modern Method for Timpani (Pages 48-68) Selected Studies
Firth - Solo Timpanist, Etude No. 1
Beck - Sonatina for Timpani
OR solo of equivalent difficulty
- Mallets
Basic knowledge of major scales
Prepared solo
Suggested studies:
McMillian - Masterpieces for Marimba
Optional Requirements
- Drumset
Demonstrate styles:
Swing (slow, med, fast)
Latin (Samba, Bossa Nova)
Funk
Rock
Piano
Music education, theory, and music history candidates whose principal instrument is piano should prepare 2 pieces (or movements) of contrasting style, not memorized; demonstrate scale proficiency (at least 2 octaves, both hands, major scales); and demonstrate sight reading.
B.A. performance candidates in piano should, at a minimum, prepare 3 pieces (or movements) of contrasting style, one of which should be from memory; demonstrate scale proficiency (at least 2 octaves, both hands, major scales); and demonstrate sight reading.
B.M. performance candidates in piano should, at a minimum, prepare 4 pieces (or movements) of contrasting style, three of which should be from memory; demonstrate scale proficiency (at least 2 octaves, both hands, major scales); and demonstrate sight reading.
Saxophone
For saxophone auditions, students are asked to perform two contrasting movements or etudes. Students should choose pieces of music that display a high level of performance ability and at the same time demonstrate a high degree of musicality. Students may choose a piece of standard saxophone solo repertoire or refer to Selected Studies by H. Voxman (published by Hal Leonard) or Ferling 48 Famous Studies (published by Southern).
In addition to performing movements or etudes, students will be asked to play major scales and to sight read a short excerpt. Students are invited to play jazz in the audition in addition to playing standard repertoire. Contrasting pieces can be chosen from one of the many Jamey Aebersold books. Students should be prepared to perform the melody and improvisation. The audition can be played on any saxophone but alto is preferred.
String Bass
Play two bowed pieces: An etude and a solo piece. Play one jazz piece, you will be asked to: Play the melody, play the bass line, and improvise a solo line. Demonstrate playing proficiency of major and melodic minor scales, two octaves, two and four notes per bow.
Trumpet
Prepare two pieces of contrasting style, one should be lyrical (ex. 2nd movement of Haydn trumpet concerto) and the other should demonstrate the more technical side. Contrasting sections of an extended piece is acceptable. In addition to demonstrating proficiency with major scales, be prepared to play a chromatic scale.
Viola & 'Cello
Prepare two contrasting pieces (or movements). Demonstrate playing proficiency of major scales and sight reading.
Violin
Music education majors should prepare any major or minor scale with corresponding tonic arpeggio in 3 octaves; an etude from Mazas, Kreutzer, Rode or the equivalent; 2 contrasting movements of a standard concerto by Accolay, Bach, DeBeriot, Rode, Viotti, Mozart, or the equivalent; sight reading.
Performance majors should prepare any major or minor scale with corresponding tonic arpeggio in 3 octaves; applicant's choice of a 2-octave scale in thirds and a 2-octave scale in octaves; any one movement from the solo sonatas and partitas of J.S. Bach; 2 contrasting movements of a standard concerto by Mozart, Barber, Bruch, Mendelssohn, Wieniawski or the equivalent; sight-reading.
Voice
1 Italian aria, preferably from the 24 Italian Songs & Arias of the 17th & 18th Century anthology, and 1 English Art Song. Be prepared to sight read and sing back 3 and 4 note patterns.
BA Music Liberal Studies option
Students are required to submit a writing sample and interview with one of the music liberal studies program faculty members. The writing sample should be non-fiction, preferably an assignment for a course in English, History, or a similar subject, 500 words of more in length in addition to an audition on their major instrument.
BA Composition option
Students wanting to declare composition as their option must submit a music portfolio in addition to an audition on their major instrument.