Audition Requirements

Listed below are some musical suggestions and audition requirements for acceptance into the music department, and for scholarship auditions for each instrument. Just click on your instrument below to see the requirements and suggestions for your instrument. If you don't find your instrument listed, call the music office for more information at (256) 782-5559 or email the faculty member of your instrument. Go to the page link below to locate the teacher you want to contact: Faculty Listing

Woodwinds

BASSOON:

All-State Material and any of the following:
  • J. B. Senáille - Allegro Spiritoso
  • Chromatic Scale (Lowest to Highest)
Suggested Etude Material:
  • Weissenborn Etudes
  • Rubank Advanced Method Etudes

CLARINET:

Suggested Solo Literature:
  • Adagio and Tarantella - Cavallini
  • Clarinet Concerto in A Major - Mozart
  • Concert and Contest Collection for Bb Clarinet - ed. Voxman
  • Concertino - Tartini
  • Concertino for Clarinet - Weber
  • Fantasy Pieces - Schumann
  • Five Bagatelles - Finzi
  • Three Pieces - Stravinsky
Suggested Etudes:
  • 32 Studies - Rose

BASS CLARINET:

Suggested Solo Literature:
  • Concert and Contest Collection - ed. Voxmen
  • Sonata III - Galliard, arr. by Kreiselman and ed. by Marx
Suggested Etudes:
  • Advanced Studies from the works of Julius Weissenborn
    Adapted for Alto and Bass Clarinets

FLUTE:

Two contrasting movements from suggested solo flute repertoire:

  • Poulenc, Taktakishvili, Martinu, Mouquet, Reinecke, or comparable Sonata
  • J. S. Bach or Handel Sonata
  • Telemann Fantasie
  • Mozart Concerto in G or D Major, Mvt. 1 exposition only

Suggested Etude Material:

  • Any etude by Ernesto Köhler
  • Melodious and Progressive Studies Book 1
  • Berbiguier Etudes - 18 Etudes
  • Altes Etudes - 26 Selected Studies
  • Karg-Elert - 30 Studies Op. 107
comparable etude

OBOE:

All-State Material and any of the following:
  • Albinoni - Oboe Concerto in Bb Op. 7, No. 3
  • Chromatic Scale (Lowest to Highest)
Suggested Etude Material:
  • Barret - Etudes / Studies

SAXOPHONE:

Prepare a short lyrical selection and a short technical selection. Prepare all major scales (two octaves preferred). You will also sight-read a short musical selection.  You may use the following list of pieces in selecting a solo for your audition. A movement or parts of movements will be appropriate.  These pieces are suggestions and you certainly can choose something not found on this list. You may also use All-State Solo Material as a possibility. A lyrical and technical etude would also work for the solo requirement.

Suggested Solo Literature:

Alto Saxophone

  • Anderson, G. - Sonata
  • Bach, J.S. - Sonata No. 1
  • Bach, J.S. - Sonata No. 6
  • Beethoven - Romance (arranged by Frascotti)
  • Bozza, Eugene - Aria
  • Bozza, Eugene - Impromptu Et Danse
  • Bozza, Eugene - Improvisation et Caprice
  • Busser, H. - Aragon
  • Creston, Paul - Sonata, Op. 19
  • Debussy, Claude - Rhapsodie (Rousseau arrangement)
  • Del Borgo, Elliot - Sonata
  • Eccles, Henri - Sonata
  • Faith, Richard - Phantasies
  • Frackenpohl, A. - Air for Alto
  • Frackenpohl, A. - Sonata
  • Glazounov, A. - Concerto
  • Gurewich, J. - Concerto in E minor
  • Handel, G.F. - Sonata No. 1
  • Handel, G.F. - Sonata No. 2
  • Handel, G.F. - Quatrieme Sonata
  • Handel, G.F. - Sonata No. 6
  • Heiden, Bernhard - Diversions
  • Heiden, Bernhard - Solo
  • Heiden, Bernhard - Sonata
  • Haydn, J - Gypsy Rondo (Arranged by Larry Teal)
  • Ibert, J. - Aria
  • Ibert, J. - Concertino Da Camera
  • Jacobi, W. - Sonata
  • Lantier, P. - Sicilienne
  • Lunde, Lawson - Sonata
  • Milhaud, Darius - Scaramouche
  • Maurice, Paule - Tableaux De Provence
  • Quate, Amy - Light of Sothis
  • Rueff, J. - Chanson et Passepied
  • Saint-Saens, C. - Sonate (arranged by Larry Teal)
  • Schmidt, William - Sonata
  • Tcherepnine, A. - Sonatine Sportive
  • Tull, Fisher - Sarabande and Gigue
  • Van Delden, Lex - Sonatina
  • Walters, David L. - Andante and Scherzo
  • Whitney, M - Introduction and Samba
  • Whitney, M. - Rumba

Tenor Saxophone

  • Anderson, Garland - Sonata
  • Devienne, F. - Adagio and Rondo
  • Devienne, F. - Largo and Allegretto
  • Di Pasquale, James - Sonata
  • Handel, G.F. - Sonata in G minor
  • Platti, Giovanni - Sonata in G Major
  • Schmidt, William - Sonatina
  • Stein, Leon - Sonata
  • Tuthill, Burnett - Sonata
  • Villa-Lobos, H. - Fantasia
  • Vivaldi, Antonio - Sonata in G minor (arranged by Rascher)

Suggested Etudes For Saxophone (Alto & Tenor):

  • Ferling, W. - 48 Etudes
  • Lacour, Guy - 50 Easy and Progressive Etudes (20-25 in Volume one or Volume two)
  • Teal, Larry - Solos for the Alto Saxophone Player
  • Teal, Larry - Solos for the Tenor Saxophone Player 

Brass

EUPHONIUM:

Play any combination of two contrasting style solo movements or etudes.
Suggested Euphonium Solos:
  • Andante et Allegro - J.E. Barat
  • Beautiful Colorado - Joseph De Luca
  • Morceau Symphonique - Alexandre Guilmant
  • Napoli - Herman Belstedt
  • Fantasia di Concerto - E. Boccalari
Suggested Euphonium Etude Books:
  • Vocalises Complete (Mulcahy) - Marco Bordogni
  • Complete Method for Trombone & Euphonium (Alessi & Bowman) - JB Arban
  • 40 Progressive Studies for Trombone - H.W. Tyrell
  • Technical Studies (Bass Clef) - H.L. Clarke
  • Etudes de Perfectionment (32) - Charlier

HORN:

Suggested Solo Literature:
  • Any Standard Solo
  • All-State Material

TROMBONE:

Suggested Solo Literature:
  • Concertino - David
  • Morceau Symphonique - Guilmant
  • Andante and Allegro - Ropartz
  • Andante and Allegro - Barat
Suggested Etude Material:
  • Book 1; #4 or #11 from Melodious Etudes for Trombone - Bordogni-Rochut

BASS TROMBONE:

Suggested Solo Literature:
  • Concerto in One Movement - Lebedev
  • Sonata III - Galliard
Suggested Etude Material:
  • #4, 9, 15 from Melodious Etudes for Bass Trombone - Ostrander

TRUMPET:

Suggested Solo Literature:
  • Trumpet Concerto - Haydn
  • Trumpet Concerto - Hummel
  • Sonata VIII - Corelli
  • Concert Etude - Goedicke
  • Carnival of Venice, Theme and Variations - Arban
Suggested Etude Material:
  • Characteristic Studies - Arban
  • 27 Melodious and Rhythmical Studies - Small

TUBA:

Play any combination of two contrasting style solo movements or etudes.
Suggested Tuba Solos:
  • Suite for Tuba and Piano - Don Haddad
  • Ricercar - D. Gabrieli / R.W. Morris
  • Sonata No. 3 in A Minor - A. Vivaldi / R.W. Morris
  • Serenade No. 12 for Solo Tuba - V. Persichetti
  • Tuba Concerto - Edward Gregson
Suggested Tuba Etude Books:
  • Complete Method for Tuba (Young & Jacobs) - JB Arban
  • Vocalises Complete (Jacobs) - Marco Bordogni
  • 70 Studies, Vol 1 - V. Blazhevich
  • 60 Selected Studies for Tuba - G. Kopprasch
  • 50 Etudes for Tuba, Vol. 1 - Boris Grigoriev

Percussion

PERCUSSION:

Unconditional Acceptance: Applicant shows strength in all three areas below.

Conditional Acceptance: Applicant has weakness in one of the areas below and should take a secondary applied to strengthen that specific area.

Not Accepted: Applicant could take secondary applied lessons and reapply at a later date.

Snare Drum

Play a Solo or Etude or a comparable piece from the list below.
  • Recital Solos for the Snare Drum by Garwood Whaley; Meredith Music, pub., 1980
  • A study between pgs. 25 and 44 from Intermediate Snare Drum Studies by Mitchell Peters; Mitchell Peters, pub., 1976
  • Demonstrate competency for any of the P.A.S. 40 International Drum Rudiments

Keyboard Percussion

Perform a published two or four mallet solo or etude written for marimba, xylophone or vibraphone. Possible sources include:
  • Modern School for Xylophone, Marimba, Vibraphone by Morris Goldenberg; Chappell, pub., 1950
  • Fundamental Method for Mallets, Book 1 by Mitchell Peters; Alfred, pub., 1995
Play any of the 12 major scales and arpeggios - two octaves, up and down.

Timpani

Perform a published timpani solo or etude using three or four drums. Possible source includes:
  • Fundamental Method for Timpani by Mitchell Peters; Alfred, pub., 1993
Demonstrate competency in tuning, rolling and dampening.

Strings

Scales and Arpeggios:

G Major scale and arpeggio 3 octaves
G Minor scale and arpeggio 3 octaves
Ivan Galamian scale or Carl Flesch scale

Etudes:

Etude of your choice.  
Example: Kreutzer 42 Studies, No. 8 

Solo Repertoire:

Mozart - Concerto, No. 3, 4, 5:  1st Movement
Bach - Sonata or Partita: fast/slow movements

Piano

PIANO:

  • Two pieces in contrasting styles from memory preferred, but not required.
  • Will be asked to sight read.
  • Major and harmonic minor scales two octaves.

Voice

VOICE:

Examples of appropriate repertoire can be found in the list below. Faculty are happy to provide assistance with song choice/approval if needed.

VOICE: Any selection from the following books:

  • 24 Italian Songs and Arias (G. Schirmer)
  • 26 Italian Songs and Arias (Hal Leonard)
  • Joan Boytim's First Book series, et al.
  • Expressive Singing Anthology (Van Christy, ed.)
  • Pathways of Song
  • Anthology of Italian Song of the 17 th and 18 th Centuries
  • Classic Italian Songs for School and Studio
  • Italian Arias of the Baroque and Classical Period
  • The La Flora Collection
  • Folk Songs for the Solo Singer

During your scheduled audition, you will be asked to sing a short sight-reading/ear-training exercise.

ENCORE! (Show Choir)

For the vocal audition, a song in the popular medium is expected (Broadway, jazz, pop, etc.) that shows your full vocal range. Students will be required to sight sing and be guided through a series of vocal warm-ups to check range and tessitura.

For the dance audition students just need to bring comfortable clothing for movement.