Audition Requirements
Auditions occur in the studios and performing spaces of the Moody Music Building.
For instrumentalists, the audition must include at least three works of contrasting style that exhibit musical and technical difficulty appropriate to college music study. For singers, the audition program must include several works (5-6 selections) which demonstrate an understanding of the classical vocal style (i.e., classical art songs and arias sung in a variety of styles and languages, including English.)
Auditions in more than one area are discouraged.
Students should plan to spend at least a half-day on campus for an audition. On audition day, students will have the opportunity to meet with various members of the faculty and staff and to tour the facilties. Parents will have the opportunity to meet with members of the faculty and administration.
Basic Musicianship and Music History Exam:
The audition day includestwo preliminary examinations, one in basic musicianship and one in music history. The tests are rudimentary in nature. The musicianship test will measure your ability to recognize, notate, and take down in dictation such things as scales, modes, intervals, triads, and tonal melodic fragments. The music history test is designed primarily to measure your ability to write English prose. Please note that these tests are separate from the diagnostic tests in theory and history which are administered at the start of the semester should a candidate be accepted and enroll in the School of Music.
Students who cannot audition in person because of distance from campus may audition by tape. Taped auditions must follow the same format as live auditions and must be recorded on a compact disc, a high-quality audio cassette, or VHS tape. Tapes must be accompanied by a completed audition application with “Taped Audition” written at the bottom.
For those pursuing graduate study in Composition, Musicology, or Theory, a performance audition is not required. Admission to the Composition programs requires the submission of a portfolio including compositions of varying size and instrumentation. Admission to the Musicology and Theory programs requires the submission of recent scholarly work and an essay describing the applicant’s current research interests. Please send portfolios to the following faculty:
Composition
Dr. Craig First
cpfirst@music.ua.edu
(205) 348-4877Theory
Dr. Stephen Peles
speles@bama.ua.edu
(205) 348-147
Scheduling an Audition
Spring 2012 Audition dates for All Areas:
- Saturday, November 12, 2011
- Saturday, January 14, 2012
- Monday, February 20, 2012
- Saturday, March 3, 2012
To audition, students must submit an audition request by regular mail or online and contact the above indicated instructor or area.
GRADUATE STUDENTS click here for the online form
GRADUATE STUDENTS click here for the regular-mail audition form
Forms must be received two weeks before the audition date to guarantee a place.
To inquire about late admission, contact the Director of the School of Music.
More Information
Further information about the School of Music can be found in the UA Graduate Catalog, by calling the School of Music, or by exploring this web site.
- School of Music
The University of Alabama
Box 870366
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0366
(205) 348-7110