Bachelor of Music: Performance

Auditions Requirements 2022-2023

Last Updated: September 2022

Prospective students interested in the Bachelor of Music in Performance will complete a live audition OR submit video recordings of the categories listed below. With each video submission, state your full name and the music program for which you are auditioning. You may also submit a resume or other materials that you feel are relevant for the Music Department Audition Committee.

  • Live Auditions: When participating in a live audition, you will complete your Audition, Theory Placement Test, and participate in interviews (if required by your program) on your audition day. We highly encourage this option.
  • Recorded Auditions: Students who choose to submit a recorded audition must complete a Zoom Sightreading test, Zoom Theory Placement Test, and Zoom interviews (if required by your program). The department will contact you to schedule these sessions after your application is approved. Students will not be considered for admission until these steps are completed.

Brass, Harp, Woodwind and Percussion Instruments

Contact: Douglas Bianchi, ad3364@wayne.edu
Brass and Woodwinds

1. Scales: Select one major, one minor and chromatic scale throughout the range of the instrument

2. Music Selections:

  1. Two prepared etudes in contrasting tempo and style.
  2. Two prepared solo works from different eras. One must be a complete concerto, sonata, or suite.

Percussion
Demonstrate percussion skills on snare drum, marimba or xylophone, and timpani, as follows:

Snare Drum:

  • Double Stroke Roll, open-closed-open (slow-fast-slow)
  • Multiple Bounce Roll (buzz) pp-ff-pp
  • Single and double paradiddles, flams accent, flam taps, single ratamacue
  • Solo snare drum piece
  • Solo suggestions:
    • Portraits in Rhythm by Cirone (any etude)
    • Douze Etudes pour Caisse-Claire by Jacques Delécluse (any etude)
    • Fourteen Contest Solos by Pratt (any of these)
    • or any solo of comparable difficulty *(if auditioning for performance the student is strongly encouraged to perform a non-rudimental solo)
  • Sight reading

Marimba or xylophone:

"¢ Major scales, two octaves, keys of C,G,D,A,E,F,Bb,Eb,Ab
"¢ Two or four-mallet solo *(4 mallet solo is required if auditioning for performance)

  • Solo suggestions:
    • Furioso and Valse by Hatch
    • Violin Sonata No.3 in F by G.F. Handel (2nd movement)
    • Tambourin Chinois by Kreisler
    • Yellow After the Rain by Peters (4 mallet)
    • Rain Dance by Rife/Gomez (4 mallet)
    • (or anything comparable)
  • Sight Reading

Timpani

  • Solo for 2, 3 or 4 drums
  • Solo suggestions:
    • Introduction and Allegro by Goodman
    • The Solo Timpanist by Firth (any etude from this)
    • Three Designs for Three Timpani by Muczynski
    • Sonata for Timpani by Beck
  • Students may be asked to tune intervals (live audition only)

(Students are responsible for all music)

Harp
1. Scales: One major and one minor scale with arpeggios (or representative etudes)
2. Music Selections: Two prepared solos in contrasting musical styles

Strings

Contact: Prof. Kypros Markou, aa0952@wayne.edu
Violin
"¢ One 3-octave major and one melodic minor scale, with arpeggios
"¢ One movement from solo Bach sonatas and partitas
"¢ An etude of applicant's choice
"¢ One concerto movement or single-movement solo piece

Viola
"¢ One 3-octave major and one melodic minor scale, with arpeggios
"¢ One movement of solo Bach
"¢ An etude of applicant's choice
"¢ One concerto movement or single-movement solo piece

Cello
"¢ One 3-octave major and one melodic minor scale, with arpeggios
"¢ One movement from the solo Bach Suites
"¢ An etude of applicant's choice
"¢ One concerto movement or single-movement solo piece

Bass
"¢ One 2-octave major and one melodic minor scale, with arpeggios
"¢ One movement of solo Bach or an etude of applicant's choice
"¢ One concerto movement or single-movement solo piece

Classical Guitar

Contact: Prof. Brian Roberts, ad9294@wayne.edu
1. Scales: Major and minor scales in several positions

2. Music Selections: Applicants should demonstrate technical ability consistent with the satisfactory completion of method books such as Frederick Noad: Book 1 - Solo Guitar Playing, Julio Sagreras Book 1, or similar methods.

"¢ Perform, from memory, studies and/or etudes such as those by Aguado, Brouwer, Carcassi, Giuliani, Sor, and Tarrega

"¢ Demonstrate knowledge of chord types in several positions


Voice

Contact: Prof. Jonathan Lasch, gl0475@wayne.edu

1. Music Selections: Three prepared pieces in different historical and contrasting styles. Song selections must be memorized. It is preferred that vocal applicants record with an accompanist or with a backing track.

  1. One English art song
  2. One foreign-language art song (preferably Italian),
  3. One other song (in any language) or aria appropriate to the auditionee's level.

Piano

Contact: Prof. Robert Conway, ad4914@wayne.edu
1. Scales: Select four major scales with arpeggio, four octaves, two white key, two black key; four minor scales with arpeggio, four octaves, two white key, two black key; chromatic scale, four octaves

2. Music Selections: From memory, three works representing any three historical styles. Examples:

"¢ Baroque - a Sinfonia or Prelude and Fugue from The Well-Tempered Clavier by Bach
"¢ Classical - a pair of Sonata movements by Beethoven, Haydn, or Mozart
"¢ Romantic - standard work of medium difficulty, e.g., an Intermezzo by Brahms; a Mazurka, Prelude, Waltz, or Nocturne by Chopin; a selection from Songs Without Words by Mendelssohn; an Impromptu by Schubert
"¢ Impressionistic - a standard work of medium difficulty by Debussy, Faure, or Ravel
"¢ Contemporary - a piece from Bartok, Mikrokosmos, Book VI; Schoenberg, Six Little Piano Pieces Op. 19; Prokofiev Sarcasms; Barber Excursions; Copland, Piano Blues


Organ

Contact: Norah Duncan IV, ac8468@wayne.edu
1. Scales: Chromatic, major and minor scales and arpeggios, two octaves (piano only)

2. Music Selections: Two prepared pieces in contrasting musical style, performed on either organ or piano

"¢ For organ, selections should be at the level of J.S. Bach's simpler Preludes or standard hymns

"¢ For piano, selections should be at the level of Bach's two-part Inventions or a simpler sonata by Mozart


For guideline and requirement questions please contact: 313-577-1783 or mickayla.chapman@wayne.edu.