1. What should I wear for my audition? You should dress professionally. For men, a dress shirt and tie, dress pants and dress shoes. Jackets are optional. For women, a dress or skirt of appropriate length with dressy blouse or sweater, and dress shoes. Women auditioning on instruments such as bassoon, cello, percussion, etc. are welcome to wear dress pants.
2. Should my music be memorized? Memorization is required for all vocal and piano auditions and recommended for all other instruments.
3. Do I need to provide an accompanist? A professional accompanist is provided, without charge, for vocal auditions. All instrumental auditions are performed without an accompanist. Vocalists will have a chance to speak with (but not rehearse) the professional accompanist for a few minutes to go over tempo, repeats, etc.
4. Do I need to bring copies of my music? Multiple copies are not necessary, but you must have originals of your music with you, even if you are using photocopies.
5. Where can I warm up? McAlister Conservatory is open from 6 AM until midnight for practice. Pianists may use available rooms on the first or second floor. All others use available rooms on the first floor. On the audition day, you will use a designated warm up room just prior to your audition.
6. How long is the audition? Voice auditions are 15 min, piano auditions are 20 min. All others vary from 20 to 45 min.
7. Will there be any theory testing done on the audition day? Yes, there is a brief music theory fundamentals test. Its purpose is to determine the readiness of our prospective students to begin our Music Theory and Aural Skills class sequence. The test is pass/fail, and both accuracy and time will be considered in determining the results. Even if you have taken theory classes before, the test is mandatory for all auditioning students. For those auditioning in voice, there will also be some sight singing and rhythm exercises during the audition.
8. When will I be notified of my admissions decision? Early action applicants will be notified by December 31st. Regular action applicants will be notified by March 31st. Please note no one can provide specific information regarding acceptance or possible scholarship awards on audition days.
9. Is there a student I can email? Yes! Please feel free to email them now with questions about the ensembles, life as a music major, etc.