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College of Arts, Education, & Sciences
VAPA | Music

Wind Ensemble

Instrumental Audition Requirements

All instrumental musicians wishing to pursue a music degree at 四色AV are required to audition for admission. For more information about the audition process, please refer to the scholarships tab. For more information regarding specific instrumental requirements, contact the applied for that instrument.听

Non-major Instrumental Audition Requirements:听

Brass and Woodwind Major Audition Requirements

Piano Major Audition Requirements

Major/harmonic minor scales and arpeggios, parallel motion, 4 octaves.

Two memorized pieces in contrasting style from standard keyboard literature. The following examples may be used as a guideline:

Percussion Major Audition Requirements

Potential percussion students must represent themselves in the areas listed below. Though the list contains suggested repertoire, the student is not limited to the repertoire listed. Solos or etudes that show a similar level of technical and musical achievement may be used in conjunction or in substitution. If LMEA All-State materials are used for audition, the student should perform the complete etude/selection and not just the bracketed sections.


1. Snare Drum
Perform a concert/orchestral-style etude or solo. A rudimental-style solo may also be performed in addition to the concert solo/etude.

A selection from the following concert etude books would be appropriate:

A selection from the following rudimental etude books would be appropriate:

2. Keyboard Percussion - Marimba, Xylophone, and/or Vibraphone
Perform a two-mallet and/or four-mallet etude or solo.

A selection from the following list would be appropriate:

Two-mallet sight-reading will be requested.

3. Timpani
Demonstrate a basic knowledge of tuning timpani.听Perform a timpani etude or solo.

A selection from the following books would be appropriate:

4. Drum-set: Optional*
An audition on drum-set is not required but highly encouraged. Potential students should demonstrate the following basic styles/grooves:

  1. Rock/Funk
  2. Jazz/Swing
  3. Latin/World

Guitar Major Audition Requirements

*The tempo/speed at which the above criteria are satisfied does not matter/there is no specified time limit. The student may choose their tempo.

It is not necessary to have a background in reading sheet music. A motivated guitar student can learn how to comfortably read to this level in a short amount of time, provided that the first four criteria above (3-note-per-string scales, pentatonic scale, chromatic scale, fretboard note names) are met.

If you are an out-of-state or an international student seeking to audition, or you would rather audition at home then you may arrange a Skype call in which Professor Farmer will email you a few examples during the call.听听