Audition Requirements
Audition Process
The audition consists of a performance by the prospective student on his or her respective instrument, as well as a brief aural skill/sight-reading exam. Please fill out the Music Major or Minor Audition Request Form or email music@rollins.edu to arrange an audition.
Note: For prospective students applying to the Hamilton Holt School, the audition is required for both admission and into the Rollins Department of Music as well as scholarship consideration. For prospective students applying to the College of Liberal Arts, auditions are required for scholarship consideration, but not required for admission into the department.
Scholarship Audition Dates
November 3rd and 4th, 2023
January 26th and 27th, 2024
February 16th and 17th, 2024
March 1st and 2nd, 2024
To secure an audition date/time, review the requirements below, then fill out the audition form.
Audition Requirements
Piano
1. All major and harmonic minor scales, hands together, two octaves in parallel motion.
2. Arpeggios in major and minor keys, hands together, two octaves in parallel motion.
3. Two pieces of contrasting characters chosen from the standard piano repertoire as defined by Maurice Hinson’s Guide to the Pianist’s Repertoire. Works such as a Two- or Three-part Invention by J. S. Bach, a movement from a sonata by W.A. Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert, or a solo work by a 19th or 20th composer represent the required standard.
4. Audition requirements outlined above represent minimal requirements; candidates are welcome to substitute works of greater difficulty in their auditions.
Percussion
1. Prepare one solo snare drum piece.
2. One solo mallet work.
3. Optionally a solo timpani piece.
Strings (violin, viola, cello, double bass)
Two contrasting pieces that total about 10 minutes in length.
Guitar (acoustic or classical)
One or two selections that best highlights your technical and musical accomplishments.
Vocal
1. One memorized art song or aria in English and one memorized art song or aria in a foreign language.
2. Sight-sing exercises.
3. Aural exercises.
Woodwind (bassoon, clarinet, flute, oboe, saxophone)
1. Two pieces of contrasting styles/time periods, which best display your technical and musical accomplishments totaling approximately 10 minutes. One selection should focus on your tone production and lyrical playing, while the second should demonstrate technical ability. One of these pieces can be an etude from the standard repertoire (Rose, Ferling, Milde, Andersen, Kohler, etc.) if desired.
2. All Major Scales and Arpeggios
Brass (horn, trombone, trumpet, tuba, euphonium)
Two selections from classical, etudes, or contest type repertoire.
Trumpet
1. Major and minor scales
2. Any etude from Arban
Tuba
1. 12 Major Scales
2. Any etude from Rochut OR Bordogni.
3. Any prepared All State material.
Jazz/Contemporary
Brass/Woodwinds
1. Improvise on a 12 bar blues progression in F Major and Bb Major. (Concert keys)
2. Improvise over a ii-V-I vamp in various styles. (Key areas to be announced at the audition.)
3. Play from memory, the melody to one standard Jazz composition. You must also know the chord progression to the composition you have chosen.
4. Play from memory, the melody to one standard Pop composition. You must also know the chord progression to the composition you have chosen.
Electric Guitar/Bass
1. Improvise on a 12 bar blues progression in F Major and Bb Major. (Concert keys)
2. Improvise over a ii-V-I vamp in various styles. (Key areas to be announced at the audition.)
3. Play from memory, the melody to one standard Jazz composition. You must also know the chord progression to the composition you have chosen.
4. Play from memory, the melody to one standard Pop composition. You must also know the chord progression to the composition you have chosen.
5. Comp on these four styles: Swing, Samba, Funk and Son-Montuno, using the following chord progression in F Major: I-vi-ii-V.
Your Campus Visit
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