Scholarship Auditions & Applied Area Placements
Use this page to sign up for a Music Department scholarship audition or an applied area placement. The two ask for the same materials and differ only in their deadlines.
Which one applies to you
- Scholarship audition. For applicants seeking a Music Department scholarship. These run on fixed deadlines during the application season.
- Applied area placement. For admitted students ready to start lessons in their principal area. A placement can happen any time up until the end of the first week of the fall or spring semester.
A scholarship audition also counts as your applied area placement, so completing one covers both.
2026–2027 status
Scholarship auditions for the 2026–2027 academic year are closed. Applied area placements remain open: you can complete one any time up until the end of the first week of the Fall semester.
What to prepare
The materials are the same for both. What to prepare depends on your area.
Classical
| Area | What to prepare |
|---|---|
| Piano | 2 or 3 works of contrasting styles, at least one memorized. Choose from the standard classical repertoire, no more than 10 minutes in total. 20th- and 21st-century works are welcome. Individual movements of multi-movement works, such as sonatas or suites, are acceptable. |
| Voice | 2 contrasting selections totaling no more than 10 minutes. At least one song in a language other than English. Classical songs or arias, folk songs, and musical theater selections are preferred. Selections should be memorized and sung with accompaniment. |
| Percussion | 2 contrasting works totaling no more than 10 minutes (sections of works are acceptable to stay within the time). Show a contrast of instruments, such as snare drum and marimba. |
| All other instruments | 2 contrasting works totaling no more than 10 minutes (sections of works are acceptable to stay within the time). |
Jazz
| Area | What to prepare |
|---|---|
| Drums | Demonstrate the following styles: medium tempo swing, up-tempo 50s bebop, medium tempo jazz waltz, bossa nova (medium), Afro-Cuban (medium to fast), funk, and hip hop (any tempo). Bluetooth access will be provided for backing tracks. |
| All other instruments | 2 contrasting works totaling no more than 10 minutes (sections of works are acceptable to stay within the time). You will also demonstrate improvisation skills. Bluetooth access will be provided for backing tracks. |
Composition and production
| Area | What to prepare |
|---|---|
| Composition | 2 original compositions (PDF scores and audio) that best represent your musical potential and creativity. Any genre or instrumentation. We are looking for both scores and recordings (MIDI export from your notation program is fine). |
| Production | 2 original songs (audio only) that best represent your musical potential and creativity. Any style is welcome. |
Online submission instructions
For online materials, submit links rather than files. Host your videos, scores, or audio anywhere and paste the links into the form.
Performers
Submit links to high-quality videos of your performance. We should see you and your instrument fully, and the audio should let us hear your tone clearly. Links can come from any video-sharing platform, such as YouTube.
Composers
Submit a link to your PDF scores and links to the corresponding recordings. MIDI recordings are fine if your music has not been performed live. Any file-sharing or audio-sharing platform works, such as SoundCloud, Spotify, or YouTube.
Music producers
Submit links to high-quality audio of your songs. Links can come from any audio-sharing platform, such as SoundCloud, Spotify, or YouTube.
Sign up
Submit your materials or request a placement date using the form below. For questions, contact the music office.