Violin | Viola | Violoncello | Double Bass | Jazz Bass or Jazz Upright | Classical Guitar | Jazz Guitar | Harp

All candidates:

• Any major scale. Play 3 octaves: slowly for tone and intonation (3 to a bow); faster for technique and intonation (6 to 12 to a bow).
• Two contrasting solos or slow and fast movements from a concerto or sonata.

Performance major:

• Suggested repertoire (pieces of similar difficulty acceptable): any movement(s) from J.S. Bach, "Unaccompanied Sonatas and Partitas"; Bruch, "Concerto"; Mozart, "Concerti #3, #4, and #5"; Mendelssohn, "Concerto in E minor"; Lalo, "Symphonie Espagnole". Suggested short pieces: Corelli, "La Folia"; Kreisler, "Prelude and Allegro"; Vitali, "Chaccone".

All other majors:

• Suggested level of repertoire: any movement(s) from Vivaldi, "Concerto in A minor or G minor"; Bach, "Concerto in A minor"; Haydn, "Concerto in G Major or C Major"; Nardini, "Concerto"; Handel, "Sonatas", any two movements.

All candidates:

• Any 3-octave major or minor scale. Play it once slowly, with vibrato and no slurs. Then play it without vibrato quickly, slurring an octave.
• An étude from any one of the following: Kreutzer, Campagnoli, Rode.
• Two contrasting movements from a sonata, or two contrasting movements from one of the J.S. Bach 'cello suites, one being a prelude.

Performance major:

• Suggested level of repertoire: Bach, "Six Suites for 'Cello," transcribed for viola; Bloch, "Meditation and Processional," or "Suite Hebraique"; Brahms, "Sonata in F minor" or "Eb Major"; Handel, "Concerto in B minor"; Stamitz, "Concerto in D"; Hoffmeister, "Concerto in D."

All other majors:

• Suggested level of repertoire: Bach, "G Major 'Cello Suite"; Telemann, "Concerto in G Major"; Stamitz, "Concerto in D".

All candidates:

• One etude of applicant's choice. 
• Any scale and arpeggio, three or four octaves.

Performance major:

• First movement of a cello concerto from the standard repertoire.
• Any two movements of a Bach Suite.

All other majors:

• One solo piece or movement from a Bach Suite.
•  Movement from a Concerto.

    Note:

• Video tapes or DVD's are strongly suggested for all taped auditions.

• Scales and arpeggios: E Major (2 or 3 octaves); G minor (harmonic) (2 or 3 octaves).
• Two contrasting solos demonstrating your technique and musicianship.
• Two orchestral excerpts and one étude of your choice.

On-campus Audition

• Play a walking bass line, then changes at sight. 
• Sight-read a classical piece, or play a prepared piece.
• Sight-read something with swing feel.
• Answer questions on theory and background.

Taped/Regional Audition

• Swing Four - with a walking bass line (5 minutes - most important).
• Latin - Samba, Bossa, or Afro-Cuban (3 minutes).
• Rock Feel - anything from funk to Corea, etc. (3 minutes).
• A Legitimate Piece - selections from Baroque or Classical literature. Need not be a piece composed solely for bass; may be an étude (3 minutes).

We will be looking especially for a solid time feel and sound bass lines. State the theme in any or all of the first three categories. In addition, you must solo on all of them. The first three selections should be with drums, guitar and/or piano; additional instruments are acceptable as are synthesized or pre-recorded backgrounds.

Regional auditions: Bring your accompaniment for the jazz selections prerecorded and a play back unit. The Jamey Aebersold accompaniment recordings are acceptable.

• Any three of the 25 Studies by Carcassi.
• One work or study by each of the following: Sor; Sagreras, Book 4; and Bach.

Taped/Regional Audition

• Solo Piece - a standard or jazz ballad (e.g. Misty).  Present the melody harmonized "chord-melody" unaccompanied (2-3 minutes).  Improvisation is allowed within the time limits, but is not mandatory.
• Small group selections - guitar, bass, drums, optional piano and/or horns.
  1. a medium tempo 12 bar "jazz" blues.
  2. a medium or medium-up tempo standard jazz tune; the harmonic rhythm (number of beats per chord change) should be primarily whole notes or half notes.
  3. a standard ballad or jazz ballad.

  For all of the above, play the melody (in the appropriate style) clearly and accurately and solo on each piece (up to 3 minutes for each).  "comp" one chorus behind a horn, piano or bass solo in selection a or b.  Additionally for c, include one improvised chorus in addition to the melody.

On-Campus Auditions: You will be asked to play all or part of the material listed above. The accompaniment will be provided by the faculty member conducting the audition. If your selections are unusual, please bring a lead sheet. You will be asked to sight-read a brief selection and answer questions about scales and chords.

Regional Audition: Bring your accompaniment for the small group selections prerecorded and a play back unit. The Jamey Aebersold accompaniment recordings are acceptable. You will be asked to play scales and chords.

Taped Audition: The total length of the tape should not exceed 20 minutes. If a live rhythm section is not available, a recording using Jamey Aebersol accompaniment recordings is acceptable. Be careful in balancing the volume of your part with that of the accompaniment.

All applicants will be judged on their style, musicianship, and technique with no preference given to proponents of any school of technique.

The following repertoire is recommended, but works of similar difficulty may be substituted.

• Etude - choose one from any of the Boscha, Lariviere, Nadermann, or Posse etudes.
• Solo - two contrasting works (or movements) from the standard harp repertoire including the Handel Concerto, Dussek Sonata, Tournier Etude de Concert, Debussy Danses or works of equivalent difficulty.
• Applicants will be asked to sight-read, play scales and arpeggios, and form glissandi from a given chord.
• Orchestral Excerpts - two excerpts of the candidates choice.