All Instrumentalists and Vocalists

Students who wish to pursue a concentration in  Performance,  Music Education (Instrumental or Vocal), or Music - Liberal Arts must audition to be accepted to the School of Music.

For information and advice on the best way to record your audition video, please see our Guidelines for Digital Auditions. Please be sure to clearly announce your name and high school (or college/university) at the beginning of your video, and announce the title and composer of each new piece or etude or name of each new scale/arpeggio before you play it.

For instrument-specific audition requirements, please see below; click on the "Faculty Contact" name for their contact information. 

Brass

Faculty Contact: Dr. Christopher Heidenreich

Repertory:

• Perform two pieces of contrasting style. Pieces can be from either a movement from a piece of the standard repertoire, or from an etude book.

Scales and Arpeggios:

• Major scales may be required; please contact Dr. Heidenreich for more information.

Additional Information/Requirements:

• Sight-reading may be required; please contact Dr. Heidenreich for more information.

Scholarship Information:

• Please contact Dr. Heidenreich  for more information about scholarships for high and low brass students.

Flute

Faculty Contact: Prof. Shayla Blake

Repertory:

• Two contrasting excerpts from etudes or repertory pieces

Scales and Arpeggios:

• Three scales (preferably two major, one melodic minor)

• Chromatic Scale

Additional Information/Requirements:

• Sight-reading may be required; please contact Prof. Blake for more information.

Scholarship Information:

• Please contact Prof. Blake for more information about scholarships for flute students.

Guitar (Classical)

Faculty Contact: Dr. Cain Budds

Repertory:

• A work by Bach, Weiss, or Scarlatti

• An etude by Carcassi (25 Melodic and Progressive Etudes) or Sor (from the Segovia edition)

• A 20th Century work at the difficulty of a Villa-Lobos prelude

Works learned from tablature or by ear will not be accepted.

Scales and Arpeggios:

• Two major or minor Segovia scales, three octaves, using rest strokes and free strokes

Additional Information/Requirements:

A student must have at least 6 months of consistent guitar lessons from a qualified guitar instructor before auditioning to be a Guitar Major. Audition must be played on a nylon-string classical guitar. Good music reading skills are essential. You may be Invited to schedule a live audition via Zoom where you will be asked to sightread single-line melodies up through the 5th position.

Scholarship Information:

Scholarships may be available for classical guitar majors accepted to the program.

Guitar (Popular)

Faculty Contact: Dr. Cain Budds

Please contact Dr. Budds for audition information.

Percussion (Concert/Orchestral)

Faculty Contact: Dr. Gregory Lyons

Repertory:

• One snare drum solo (concert style)

• One keyboard percussion solo (two or four mallets)

• One timpani solo

• Multi-percussion solo (optional)

• Drum Set (optional)

Scales and Arpeggios:

• Major scales may be required.

Additional Information/Requirements:

• Rudiments and sight-reading may be required; please contact Dr. Lyons for more information.

Scholarship Information:

• Please contact Dr. Lyons for more information about scholarships for percussion students.

Piano

Faculty Contact: Dr. Steele Moegle

Repertory:

• Play two pieces of contrasting styles by memory

Scales and Arpeggios:

• A major and minor scale of student’s choosing, hands together (HT), four octaves, with accompanying major and minor arpeggios

Additional Information/Requirements:

• If submitting a video, the student’s hands must be visible 

• If the student wants to be considered for the Performing Arts Scholarship or an Accompanying Scholarship, they need to audition live, or live via Zoom.

• Students will be asked to sight-read

Scholarship Information:

To be considered for the Performing Arts Scholarship in piano, the student must have a scheduled audition before the end of February.   Accompanying scholarships can be awarded at the beginning of each quarter provided funds are available. Generally, these scholarships go to piano majors.  Remaining funds may be offered to non-majors.  

Reeds (Single and Double)

Faculty Contact: Dr. Christopher Heidenreich

Repertory:

• Perform two pieces of contrasting style. Pieces can be from either a movement from a piece of the standard repertoire or from an etude book, such as:

• Clarinet – 32 Etudes for Clarinet by Cyrille Rose

• Saxophone/Oboe – 48 Famous Studies for Oboe or Saxophone by Franz Wilhelm Ferling

• Bassoon – Bassoon Studies, Op. 8 by Julius Weissenborn

Scales and Arpeggios:

• Major scales may be required

Additional Information/Requirements:

• Sight-reading may be required.

Scholarship Information:

• Please contact for more information about scholarships for single and double reed students.

Strings

Faculty Contact: Prof. Borys Smolaga

Repertory:

• One solo piece (classical)

• One etude

Scales and Arpeggios:

• 2- or 3-octave scale in any key

Additional Information/Requirements:

• Sight-reading may be required.

Scholarship Information:

• Please contact for more information about scholarships for string students.

Voice

Faculty Contact: Dr. WeiShu Tsai

Repertory:

• Perform two pieces of contrasting styles, preferably by memory. Ideally, one of these pieces will be in a foreign language, and at least one will be in the classical style (if not both of them; please enquire about exceptions).

Scales and Arpeggios:

• None

Additional Information/Requirements:

• Students who wish to be considered for a scholarship must demonstrate sight-reading ability and may be invited to sing a short excerpt of music at sight (without prior preparation) in a live online audition. To practice, students should consult a collection of Bach Chorales and be able to sight-read their own part (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, or Bass); an accessible collection is freely available HERE.

• In preparation to submit their audition video, students should record themselves performing the repertory as listed above from memory with a full front view of the performer. Live piano accompaniment is preferred for digital auditions. No audio-only submissions will be accepted.

Scholarship Information:

There are a number of scholarships available to incoming students in voice that are awarded based on merit/performance ability as demonstrated in the audition. Students should schedule an audition before March 1 for best consideration.

You must submit a portfolio to apply to be a music major with a concentration in Music Industry Studies, or to declare Music Industry Studies as your minor. 

Every portfolio must include the following: 

• A narrative statement
  Please tell us about your background and that highlights interest in the music industry and your career goals. Help us to understand why you want to be part of the program. We want to make sure that we make room in this high-demand program for students who are serious about pursuing a career in the music industry. 

• A résumé  
  Please be sure to include any relevant experience that you may have working or volunteering in activities closely related to the music industry (ex. working as a party DJ, running the sound at your church, producing beats for your friends, etc.).  Please make sure to indicate the length of time you participated and your level of involvement. 

If you have any of the following items, please also include them with your portfolio when you apply: 

• Songs you have written (recordings, lead sheets, lyrics, etc.)

• Recordings of performances (as soloist, band member, etc. )

• Audio or video files of music you have produced, recorded, composed, music videos you have produced, etc.
  Please only send audio or video files (.wav, .mp3, .mp4, .mov, etc.); do not send project files.

• Links to your work online

• Letters of support from teachers or other professionals who are familiar with your work/experience; letters from family members or close friends aren't particularly helpful unless the letter writer is somehow involved in the music industry (or a closely-related field) and has been directly involved in your training or creative process.

• Other materials that showcase your talent and demonstrate your ability to succeed in the program

There is no performance audition required for students who wish to enter as Music Industry Studies majors, and we welcome students of all skill levels and abilities. However, you will be asked throughout your program of study to learn and perform music in various forms. Students that cannot demonstrate at least a basic level or musicianship upon entrance into the program will be required to demonstrate such experience through coursework, such as Beginning Guitar, Beginning Piano, Beginning Voice, Fundamentals of Music Theory, etc.; these courses will be additional requirements that must be completed before the student can proceed with the regular music coursework and in some cases, may not count toward degree requirements.

You will also study both popular and classical music throughout your college career.  You will develop at least some fluency and skill in classical music theory, history, and performance. 

If you are a performer, please note:

ALL MUSIC MAJORS & MINORS must audition before they are allowed to take private music lessons, so if you are a Music Industry Studies major or minor and intend to take private lessons your first quarter in residency, you should also submit an audition video (see the requirements above).

If you have any questions about what to submit as part of your application portfolio, or if you have any other questions about your portfolio or the application process, please contact Dr. Steele Moegle | mmoegle@latech.edu | 318.257.5275.