All auditions last 10-15 minutes and are conducted privately with a small group of music faculty. Audition results will be mailed as soon as possible following the audition.

Contact Connie Bailey in the Music Department office (baileyc@umbc.edu or
410-455-2942) to arrange for a departmental audition. Students interested in early acceptance to UMBC should audition in November.

Students interested in applying and auditioning for the Linehan Artist Scholars program should contact Barbara Shahpazian, Associate Director of Scholarships, for applications and audition scheduling (410-455-3813) by December 15, 2011.

Students interested in applying for the Linehan or other, talent-based scholarships are required to audition in February.

• Two memorized classical art songs or arias in contrasting styles. We recommend that one piece be in English and one be in a foreign language to be considered for a scholarship.
• The faculty will be listening for clarity of tone and diction, flexibility in the voice, and interpretive/dramatic elements as they apply to your selections.
• Please send copies of your scores to our pianist via Connie Bailey in the Music Department Office the week before your audition date.
• Sightreading will be included in the audition

• 2 pieces in contrasting styles
• 2 scales, 2 octaves (defined by the faculty committee)
• Sightreading will be included in the audition

• Two pieces/movements in contrasting styles (i.e. two contrasting movements from a concerto; a movement of a concerto and a movement of Bach’s unaccompanied works; a show piece and a slow work; a movement of a concerto and a movement of a sonata; two contrasting movements from a sonata)
• An etude
• Three octave scales and arpeggios (all major and minor keys)
• Sightreading will be included in the audition.

• snare drum - rudiments and a prepared solo
• mallets (marimba, xylophone, etc.) - two-octave major scales, a prepared two-mallet solo, a prepared four-mallet solo if possible
• timpani - a prepared solo
• drumset - optional

You may be given some sight-reading on snare drum and mallets. If you play drumset, we’d like to hear that as well; however, do not prepare a drumset solo.

• Two prepared pieces: 1) A mid-tempo jazz standard (Students applying for Jazz Performance must include improvisation). 2) A piece demonstrating instrumental facility. Examples include an up-tempo jazz composition, a classical etude or repertoire, a jazz transcription, or a solo arrangement.

• 12 major scales and chromatic scale.
• Basic seventh chord arpeggios (root position) in all keys. Piano and guitar also need to demonstrate voicings.
• Sightreading
  
  
• Jazz percussionists:
  Snare Drum - 26 Percussive Arts Society International drum rudiments
  Mallet Percussion - All major scales, two octaves; Chromatic scale, two octaves; sightreading
  Drumset - Demonstrate a variety of grooves and tempi; prepare a solo piece for jazz drumset (example: jazz etude or transcription); Soloing: trading fours with yourself (alternate 4 bars soloing/improvising--and 4 bars playing time) at medium swing tempo, metronome marking quarter note = 120-160; Sightreading, chosen from a standard big band chart.

In addition to the above instrumental/vocal audition requirements

• Improvisation is optional
• Provide a portfolio of no more than 5 compositions (and recordings, if available). Please deliver these materials at least 1 week prior to the audition to:
  UMBC Department of Music
  ATTN: Connie Bailey
  1000 Hilltop Circle
  Baltimore, MD 21250
  

In addition to the above instrumental or vocal audition requirements

• Improvisation is optional.
• Provide a CD or DVD demonstrating your best recording efforts. Documentation describing the contents of the recording and your role in the production should also be included. Please also describe any other pertinent experience such as software design, sound production etc. that you might have. Please deliver these materials at least 1 week prior to the audition to: UMBC Department of Music
  ATTN: Connie Bailey
  1000 Hilltop Circle
  Baltimore, MD 21250