Audition Information and Requirements

Students desiring to major or minor in music must successfully audition for acceptance into the Music Department. Students may audition on-campus, off-campus or electronically. Audition requirements for each music degree and applied performance area are listed below. To be considered for a music scholarship, students must audition and be admitted to The University of Tampa by March 1.

On-Campus Auditions

On-campus audition dates are posted on the Music Department website here. Prospective students should first sign up on these dates. Campus tours and placement exams will be given according to the schedule for on-campus audition dates. If these dates are not convenient, the prospective student may schedule an on-campus audition for an alternate date by contacting the specified area director from the audition requirements list. Placement exams are not administered during alternate audition dates, but will need to be taken before the start of the first semester of enrollment. On-campus auditions are preferred for music scholarship consideration.

Off-Campus Auditions

For off-campus auditions, students may send in a video file documenting their unedited performance of the requested audition material, or by arranging an audition through Skype, or by auditioning off-campus with an area director. Prospective students who are auditioning through video file, Skype or live off-campus audition must follow the same requirements for content of their auditions as those auditioning on-campus (with the exception of sight reading). Placement exams are not administered through off-campus auditions, but will need to be taken before the start of the student’s first semester of enrollment.

Recorded Video Auditions
 

Recorded video auditions should be in a continuous take, without editing. Before beginning to perform, the prospective student should state their name and intended major on the recording. Depending on the file size, video auditions may be submitted on a data CD/DVD or an encoded DVD. Audio must be clearly audible and without distortion. Media should be clearly labeled with name, contact information and intended major or minor.

Materials should be sent to:

Department Chair
Department of Music, Box 92F
The University of Tampa
401 W. Kennedy Blvd.
Tampa, FL 33606 

Audition Requirements

Audition Requirements for a Bachelor of Arts in Musical Theatre

Two contrasting musical theatre selections, one or two short monologues and a description of your dance or movement background. For on-campus auditions – pianist provided, CD player provided if recorded accompaniment is preferred.
area co-directors for musical theatre auditions: Hein Jung  and Michael Staczar

Audition Requirements for a Bachelor of Music in Performance or Music Education 

Voice: one aria and two contrasting art songs (all memorized, two in different foreign languages); for on-campus auditions – pianist is provided, CD player provided if recorded accompaniment is preferred
area director for voice auditions: Hein Jung

Piano: see information under Keyboard Studies Page
area director for piano auditionsGrigorios Zamparas

Woodwinds and Brass: grade V, VI, or VII solo or first movement of a standard concerto, major scales (two octaves), and sight reading. Accompanist is not required
area director for woodwinds and brass auditionsJeffrey Traster

Percussion: grade V, VI, or VII solos and/or etudes demonstrating proficiency in snare drum, timpani and mallet percussion (drum set optional); major scales on mallets; sight reading
area director for percussion auditions: Jeffrey Traster 

Orchestral Strings: major scales (three octaves); two contrasting movements of J.S. Bach solo sonata; one movement of a standard concerto
area director for orchestral string auditions: Kira Horel 

Harp: four octave arpeggios in fluent tempo; one etude of Grandjany, Bochsa, Lariviere, Salzedo or Pozzoli; one standard harp solo work originally written for harp
area director for harp auditions: Kira Horel 

Classical Guitar: on nylon-string classical guitar, perform major and minor scales (Segovia edition or play two octaves from the 6th and 5th string root around the circle of fifths); one etude by Carcassi (op. 60), Sor (Segovia edition) or Villa-Lobos; one minor work (by Bach, Carulli, Milan, Tarrega) or a standard/jazz ballad from the Real Book (e.g. Misty. Play the melody harmonized "chord-melody" unaccompanied; 1-2 minutes); right-hand studies (1 – 10 or 81 – 90) (Giuliani); sight-reading
area director for classical guitar auditions: Kira Horel 

Contemporary Keyboard: perform all major, natural minor, and mixolydian scales (two octaves); right hand melody and left hand comping for a 12-bar blues standard and a non-blues jazz standard; right hand comping and left hand walking bass over a circle of fifths progression; sight read melody and chord changes for a lead sheet of moderate difficulty
area director for contemporary keyboard auditions: Bradford Blackburn 

Contemporary Guitar: on electric guitar perform all major, minor, mixolydian, dorian and pentatonic scales (two octaves); melody and comping for a 12-bar blues standard (i.e., Sonnymoon for Two) in Bb or F; melody, chord changes, and a simple solo chord/melody arrangement (1-2 minutes) for a jazz standard (i.e, Satin Doll, All the Things You Are); sight read a combo or big band chart that includes a lead line and a chord section
area director for contemporary guitar auditions: Bradford Blackburn 

Contemporary Bass: on upright bass or electric bass, perform all major, natural minor, and mixolydian scales (two octaves); melody and walking bass line for a 12-bar blues standard (i.e., Things Ain’t What They Used to Be) and a non-blues jazz standard (i.e., Green Dolphin Street); sight read a big band chart of moderate difficulty
area director for contemporary bass auditionsBradford Blackburn 

Contemporary Percussion: on drum set perform a composed solo; improvised unaccompanied demonstration of different styles: rock, funk/R&B, blues, jazz, world; sight read a chart chart of moderate difficulty; on hand drums perform basic conga tones and patterns
area director for contemporary percussion auditions: Bradford Blackburn

 

Audition Requirements for a Bachelor of Arts in Music or Music Minor

 

Voice: two contrasting songs, one must be an art song or aria (both memorized); for on-campus auditions – pianist provided, CD player provided if recorded accompaniment is preferred
area director for voice auditions: Hein Jung 

Piano: two memorized pieces of contrasting styles, with matching scales (four octaves, hands together)
area director for piano auditions: Grigorios Zamparas 

Organ: two pieces of contrasting style, one of which is by J.S. Bach
area director for organ auditions: Ryan Hebert 

Woodwinds and Brass: etudes or a solo demonstrating contrasting musical styles; major scales and sight reading; accompanist is not required
area director for woodwind and brass auditions: Jeffrey Traster 

Percussion: solos and/or etudes demonstrating proficiency in snare drum, timpani and mallet percussion (drum set optional); major scales on mallets; sight reading
area director for percussion auditions: Jeffrey Traster 

Orchestral Strings: major scales (three octaves); etude; one movement of a standard concerto
area director for orchestral string auditions: Kira Horel 

Harp: 4-octave arpeggios in fluent tempo; one standard harp solo work originally written for harp
area director for harp auditions: Kira Horel

Classical Guitar: on a nylon-string classical guitar, perform major and minor scales (Segovia edition or play two octaves from the 6th and 5th string root around the circle of fifths); one etude by Carcassi (op. 60), Sor (Segovia edition) or Villa-Lobos; one minor work (by Bach, Carulli, Milan, Tarrega) or a standard/jazz ballad from the Real Book (e.g. Misty. Play the melody harmonized "chord-melody" unaccompanied; 1-2 minutes); right-hand studies (1 – 10 or 81 – 90) (Giuliani); sight-reading
area director for classical guitar auditions: Kira Horel

Contemporary Keyboard: perform all major, and natural minor scales (two octaves); right hand melody and left hand comping for a 12-bar blues standard; right hand comping and left hand walking bass over a circle of fifths progression; sight read chords on a lead sheet
area director for contemporary keyboard auditions: Bradford Blackburn 

Contemporary Guitar: on electric guitar perform all major, minor, mixolydian, dorian, and pentatonic scales (two octaves); melody and comping for a 12-bar blues standard (i.e., Sonnymoon for Two) in Bb or F
area director for contemporary guitar auditions: Bradford Blackburn

Contemporary Bass: on upright bass or electric bass, perform all major and natural minor scales (two octaves); melody and walking bass line for a 12-bar blues standard (i.e., Things Ain’t What They Used To Be)
area director for contemporary bass auditions: Bradford Blackburn

Contemporary Percussion: improvised unaccompanied demonstration of different styles: rock, funk/R&B, blues, jazz, world
area director for contemporary percussion auditions:  Bradford Blackburn



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