Admissions and Auditions

Voice Audition Requirement

Undergraduate Auditions:
Present two songs in contrasting styles which will demonstrate a range of emotional and musical styles. The songs should be memorized and sung with piano accompaniment (for video auditions, please see Piano Accompaniment Alternative below). Classical song literature and folksong arrangements such as those listed in the MSVMA Solo and Ensemble list and the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) high school audition requirements would be considered appropriate. Foreign language songs are also appropriate, but not required. A musical theatre selection may be substituted for one of the above, if it is a strong suit for the singer. Singers may bring their own accompanist or perform with one of our staff accompanists. Printed copies of the audition pieces must be in a 3-ring binder with a non-glare surface if our accompanist is utilized. A staff accompanist is provided at no charge for your audition. You may however, bring your own accompanist if you prefer.

PIANO ACCOMPANIMENT ALTERNATIVE FOR VIDEO AUDITIONS: You may use a track - these can often be found on YouTube or you may choose to pay for an app such as "Appcompanist" which has a very large library of classical and musical theatre accompaniments. With Appcompanist, you can change the tempo and the key. ALTERNATELY, you can sing unaccompanied.

Graduate Auditions:
Present four songs or arias from memory in a variety of styles and languages (typically English, Italian, German, and French) which show the voice to its best advantage. Singers may bring their own accompanist or perform with one of our staff accompanists. Printed copies of the audition pieces must be in a 3-ring binder with a non-glare surface if our accompanist is utilized. A staff accompanist is provided at no charge for your audition. You may however, bring your own accompanist if you prefer.

Brass and Woodwind Audition Requirements

• Please prepare a movement of a sonata or concerto or two contrasting etudes.
  • If your piece(s) has piano accompaniment, the instrumental faculty would prefer you perform your audition without the accompaniment. However, if you would like to play with an accompanist, please bring your own.
• Be prepared for sight reading.

Piano Audition Requirements

Present one selection from the Baroque era, one first-movement from a classical sonata and one free choice from the Romantic through the 21st century. All these pieces must be memorized at the audition.

Be prepared for sight reading and playing scales and arpeggios.

Bring with you a resume/CV and a list of previously learned repertoire to your OU audition.

Percussion Audition Requirements

Please prepare 5-15 minutes of solo repertoire that best highlights your strengths as a percussionist across many instruments, genres, and styles. For best consideration, demonstrate skills on both pitched and non-pitched percussion. Of the five areas below, it is suggested to perform on at least three:

• Snare Drum: Concert and/or Rudimental solos
• Keyboard Percussion: 2-mallet and/or 4-mallet solos
• Timpani: Solos, Etudes, or Orchestral Excerpt Repertoire
• Drumset: Demonstrate various styles (e.g. Pop, Rock, Jazz, Latin)
• Accessory/World Percussion: Orchestral Excerpts, Latin American and/or African hand drumming styles, Steel Pan, etc.

Instruments to be provided:

• Concert Snare Drum
• 5-octave Marimba One
• 3-octave Yamaha vibraphone
• 4 Adams Philharmonic Timpani (Clutch Style Pedals)
• 4-piece Drum Kit with 2 Cymbals and Hi-Hat

Sight-reading and/or a brief aural skills assessment may be required.

Other instruments such as hand percussion and steel pans available upon request (please email [email protected] prior to your audition).

String Audition Requirements (including guitar)

Please prepare at least two contrasting works from the following three choices: (1) a movement from a J.S. Bach solo sonata, partita or suite, or other Baroque work; (2) a movement from a 19th or 20th century sonata or concerto; (3) a work of the student’s choice.

Music Technology Requirements

Candidates for the Music Technology program will present a portfolio/resume of their work to the faculty as well as an audition on their major instrument.

The portfolio/resume should show previous experience using music technology, including live events, your own compositions and/or recording. Include any software and hardware you have used on these projects. 

The presentation allows candidates to share their interests, previous work experience and career goals. Please note, in addition to the portfolio/resume interview, candidates are required to perform an audition on their major instrument (voice, guitar, or any band or orchestra instrument). Please see the audition requirements for your major instrument.

Jazz Minor Audition Requirements

HORNS:

1. Demonstrate major scales to 3#’s and 3b’s - 2 octaves.
2. Play the melody to Billie's Bounce and improvise over its blues form in the concert key of F at 110-130 bpm
3. Choose one of the following jazz standards to play the melody and solo on:

Oleo
My Romance
How High the Moon
Take the "A" Train
Blue Bossa
Afternoon In Paris

PIANO and GUITAR: 

1. Demonstrate all 12 major scales and all 12 major 7, minor 7, and dominant 7 chords.
2. Play the melody and chords to Billie's Bounce and improvise over its blues form in the concert key of F at 110-130 bpm 
3. Choose one of the following jazz standards to play the melody, chords and solo on:

Oleo
My Romance
How High the Moon
Take the "A" Train
Blue Bossa
Afternoon In Paris

BASS: 

1. Demonstrate major scales to 3#’s and 3b’s.
2. Play the melody and walk a bass line to Billie's Bounce. Improvise over its blues form in the concert key of F at 110-130 bpm
3. Choose one of the following jazz standards to walk a bass line on:

Oleo
My Romance
How High the Moon
Take the "A" Train
Blue Bossa
Afternoon In Paris 

JAZZ PERCUSSION:

*If you are auditioning for the Music Tech, Music Education, or Music Performance majors, please consult the “Percussion Audition Requirements” above.

Prepare a 4–6 minute medley that demonstrates a variety of styles on drumset. Styles may include, but are not limited to, Medium Swing, Medium-Fast Swing, Slow Swing (walking ballad), Straight Ballad (with brushes), Shuffle, Funk, Bossa Nova, Samba, & Odd Meter (7/8, 5/4, etc). During the medley, please also demonstrate soloing vocabulary through trading fours in any of the above styles.

OPTIONAL: Demonstrate experience with keyboard mallet percussion (e.g. vibraphone), hand percussion (i.e. congas, bongos, etc.), and/or other concert percussion (e.g. snare drum, timpani).

If you wish to demonstrate your experience with hand percussion, please request instruments by emailing [email protected] prior to your audition.

VOCALISTS:

1. Demonstrate major scales to 3#’s and 3b’s - 2 octaves.
2. Scat the melody to Billie's Bounce and improvise over its blues form in the concert key of F or Bb at 110-130 bpm
3. Be able to demonstrate basic piano skills, like identifying notes, intervals, and triads.
4. Sing the melody to one of the following songs:

All of Me
Bye Bye Blackbird
Fly Me to the Moon
Lullaby of Birdland
Our Love is Here to Stay
Summertime

It is recommended that a prospective jazz minor who is not ready to audition into the program, enroll in applied (private) lessons on their instrument to prepare. This semester of coursework can be applied to the work for their minor once they have been accepted as a jazz minor.

If you have any questions, please reach out to SMTD admissions at [email protected]

The audition for the Musical Theatre Program will include two songs, a monologue, a group dance call and an interview with faculty. See requirements below.

Candidates will prepare two contrasting songs chosen from the standard musical theatre repertoire. The selections must be cut to 32 bars. One selection should be a ballad (sustained legato line); the second should be “up-tempo” and provide a contrast in rhythm, mood, characterization, style and approach. Both songs must be memorized. An accompanist will be provided, but you may provide your own. Please bring sheet music in the correct key with all cuts and repetitions clearly marked. Music should be placed in a binder for the benefit of the accompanist.

The monologue should complement the songs and not exceed two minutes in length. The monologue must be memorized and should not be in a dialect. The monologue should be from a play.

After the song and monologue portion of the audition, candidates will be asked to sit with the faculty and discuss their interests and career goals.

The dance call requires no prior preparation and will consist of a warm-up followed by some dance combinations. Each combination is taught to the entire group and is then performed in smaller groups. Candidates should dress in basic dance wear, rehearsal attire or clothes which allow for ease of movement. Women should wear character shoes or jazz shoes, leotards, tights, dance skirts or non-bulky warm-up wear. Men should wear jazz shoes, tights, jazz pants or shorts and a t-shirt. No bulky or oversized sweat-pants or sweatshirts are permitted. Street shoes may not be worn on the dance floor. Candidates should bring tap shoes if they have them.

The audition for the Acting Program will include two monologues, a group movement call and an interview with faculty. See requirements below.

Candidates will prepare two contrasting monologues (i.e. comic/ dramatic, classical/contemporary). They should not exceed 4 minutes combined. Candidates should select monologues that show different abilities highlighting the candidate’s strengths. Monologues must be memorized and should not be in a dialect. Monologues should be from a play.

After the monologue portion of the audition, candidates will be invited to sit with the faculty and discuss their interests and career goals.

The movement call requires no prior preparation and will consist of a warm-up followed by a series of physical exercises led by a faculty member. Candidates should bring basic rehearsal attire that will allow for ease of movement. No bulky or oversized sweatpants or sweatshirts are permitted. Candidates should bring jazz shoes if they have them. Bare feet is also appropriate. Street shoes may not be worn on the dance floor.

Candidates for the Design and Technology Program will present a portfolio of their work to the faculty. It may be in an electronic or hard copy format. The portfolio should show your previous theatrical and artistic projects in a detailed and organized manner. Any artwork that is an example of your creative process is encouraged.

The presentation allows candidates to share their interests, previous work experience, and career goals. Candidates should dress in a professional manner.

The BA in Theatre degree is designed to be a comprehensive overview of Theatre Arts. Our theatre degree combines theoretical and hands-on theatrical training with a broad, versatile liberal education. No audition is required for this degree; however, we do ask that you please fill out an audition request form so that we can schedule a time to meet with you regarding the program. You can read more about the program here: BA Theatre Careers Page.

Please feel free to reach out to David Gram for more details or to schedule a call to discuss this program further.

All video auditions for Theatre, regardless of selected program of study, should follow the audition guidelines outlined here.