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Audition & Admission Procedures
Hayes School of Music
Appalachian State University
813 Rivers Street
Boone, NC 28608
Phone: (828)262-3020
Fax: (828)262-6446
Email: music@appstate.edu
All students wishing to enter the School of Music must successfully complete an audition. The School of Music schedules several audition dates each year. Below you'll find information specific to each of the performance areas and/or degree progams.
All students wishing to enter the School of Music must successfully complete an audition. The School of Music schedules several audition dates each year. Each prospective student must sing two pieces of contrasting styles, memorized. If auditioniong to be a performance major, both selections must be classical in nature, i.e., art song, opera, or oratorio aria. For all other majors, at least one selection must be classical. The audition will also include tonal memory exercises and melodic and rhythmic sightreading. The student must demonstrate musical skills and a voice of sufficient quality and expressiveness in order to be admitted to his/her chosen program. Private piano study is highly recommended before entering Appalachian. Previous private voice study is not required, but encouraged.
All students wishing to enter the School of Music must successfully complete an audition on their principal instrument. The School of Music schedules four audition dates each year. Individual appointments are also possible. To schedule an audition, call the School of Music office (828) 262-3020. Suggested compositions for admission and scholarship auditions in piano:
A composition by J. S. Bach. This might include an Invention, Prelude and Fugue from the Well-Tempered Clavier, or a composition from the Short Preludes and Fugues.
A sonata or sonatina movement by Haydn, Mozart, or Beethoven.
A 19th or 20th century composition by such composers as Chopin, Schubert, Schumann, Liszt, Brahms, Debussy, Bartok, Kabalevsky, Prokofiev, Ravel.
Students will also be required to play scales and sightread a simple composition. Memorization is preferred, but not required.
Entrance into Appalachian's music programs as a Guitar Major is competitive, and the available openings in the guitar class are usually filled after the March auditions. Additionally, a number of scholarships are available to guitarists, and students should plan to audition between December and March to be considered for these.
ALL GUITARISTS WHO ARE AUDITIONING TO BE MUSIC MAJORS MUST HAVE AND DEMONSTRATE MUSIC READING SKILLS!! Auditionees will be expected to sightread in 4/4, 3/4, and 6/8 time using simple and dotted note values.
Performance Major: Two pieces from the standard classic guitar repertoire, including works of Villa Lobos, Ponce, Giuliani, Bach, Sor, etc. Selections may also be taken from the Royal Conservatory series (published by Frederick Harris Music), level 3 or higher.
Music Industries Major: Auditionees must perform two pieces of any style or origin, at least one of which must be learned from standard notation written music (NOT tablature). Classical guitar is an option, NOT a requirement for Music Industries. Students may complete all of their requirements for this degree in jazz guitar, and may audition with plectrum/steel string/electric styles. Some sight-reading of unprepared material will be required as well (see above). Written selections could be a standard jazz tune, a work from one of the Berklee Press publications (such as A Modern Method for Guitar and Melodic Rhythms for Guitar, both written by William Leavitt), etc. Classical pieces as described for Performance major auditions are also acceptable, Royal Conservatory series (published by Frederick Harris Music) level 1 or higher.
Music Education Major: As described above in Performance Major, with selections from the Royal Conservatory series (published by Frederick Harris Music) level 2 also acceptable.
Music Therapy Major: As described above in either the Industries or Education majors, but with a higher level of skill expected than in the Industries audition. Contact Dr. James before auditioning on plectrum/steel string guitar.
All Majors: Please consult with Dr. James before the audition if in doubt of the suitability of any audition pieces.
The audition consists of a solo (or solos) of the student's choice that contains contrasting musical styles and tempi. Literature should be chosen that allows the student to demonstrate his/her present level of performance. The student may be asked to perform scales/arpeggios and to sight read appropriate literature.
The brass audition consists of three parts: (1) a prepared piece of the student's choice, (2) scales and arpeggios; and (3) sightreading. The prepared piece should be from the standard literature for the instrument and should demonstrate the student's highest level of performance.
The audition consists of a solo (or solos) of the student's choice that contains contrasting musical styles and tempi. Literature should be chosen that allows the student to demonstrate his/her present level of performance. The student may be asked to perform scales/arpeggios and to sight read appropriate literature. The School of Music schedules three audition dates each year. In addition, individual appointments for audition are possible throughout the year.
All students wishing to enter the School of Music must successfully complete an audition. The School of Music schedules several audition dates each year. Individual appointments may also be scheduled. Each prospective student must prepare one piece on snare drum, timpani, a mallet keyboard instrument and drum set or multiple percussion. Audition material can be found for snare drum in Method for Snare Drum by Jacques DelÃcluse or Portraits in Rhythm by Anthony Cirone, for mallet keyboard in Modern School for Xylophone, Marimba, Vibraphone by Morris Goldenberg, for timpani in The Solo Timpanist by Vic Firth or Timpani Technique for the Virtuoso Timpanist by Fred Hinger, for multiple percussion in Studies in Solo Percussion by Morris Goldenberg, for drumset in Contemporary Drumset Solos by Murry Houllif. Pieces from the solo literature are welcomed. The audition will also include scales and arpeggios on mallet keyboard, rudiments on snare drum, tuning on timpani and sightreading on all mediums. The student must demonstrate musical skills on all four areas of percussion.
The program in Music Industry Studies requires students to develop musical skills as well as business knowledge and technical skills. All students wishing to enter the program in Music Industry Studies therefore must successfully complete an audition on their principal instrument or voice. The Hayes School of Music schedules four audition dates each year. In addition, individual appointments are possible. Please contact Cara Osborne for more information concerning auditions for admission and scholarship.
RESUME
Please provide us with a one page resume that outlines what you have done up to this point in your career. You may include any information that shows us you are ready to pursue a demanding, competitive career field. You may use any format you would like, but be sure to show us your creativity through this exercise.
BIOGRAPHY
We would like you to tell us a little about yourself in this essay, using the following format. In the first paragraph, please tell us about where you are from, what instrument you play and how long you have played, and anything else you would like us to know about you. In the second paragraph, please tell us about your interactions with the music industry up to this point – and what you have seen that you think you would like to be part of. In the last paragraph, please tell us where you see yourself ten years from now. We realize that is likely to change as time goes on, but many studies have shown that people with thoughtful, written out goals are much more likely to succeed in their chosen careers. Please construct your paper in Microsoft Word, using 11point Courier font. Plan to bring a physical (paper) copy of this essay to your audition here at the school.
All students wishing to enter the Sacred Music program must complete a successful audition on their principal instrument or voice. However, organ students may set up their audition for any date and time by contacting Dr. Joby Bell.
All students wishing to enter the School of Music as Theory/Composition majors must successfully complete an audition on their principal instrument or voice and submit examples of their compositions. An Interview with Dr. Meister is also required. The School of Music schedules four audition dates each year. In addition, individual appointments are possible. Contact Dr. Meister for scheduling an interview.
All students wishing to enter the Music Education program must successfully complete an audition on their principal instrument or voice. Students are encouraged to attend the Music Education Information Session on their audition day.
All students wishing to enter the Music Therapy program must successfully complete an audition on their principal instrument or voice. An Interview with members of the music therapy faculty also is required. The interview typically takes place on the day of the audition. The School of Music schedules five audition dates each year. In addition, individual appointments are possible. Once the audition is scheduled, the student should contact Dr. McKinney to schedule an interview. Please indicate the date and time of the audition, as well as the instrument on which the student will audition.
Music Therapy interviews will not be available on March 29, 2008. Students interested in majoring in music therapy are encouraged to interview prior to this date. Those who plan to audition March 29, 2008 should contact
Dr. McKinney to arrange for an interview on another date.
