Fall 2024 Audition Information | School of Music

Forms to be completed when you arrive for your audition:

Choral Hearings for choral ensembles will take place Thursday and Friday, August 15-16, from 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM and 1:30 - 4:00 PM in Sheryl Crow Hall located in the Sinquefield Music Center room 132. Hearings are for all new students interested in joining a choral ensemble for the Fall Semester, as well as any returning students interested in auditioning into University Singers who did not audition this past Spring. Returning members of University Singers are not required to audition in the first round but will participate in call-back auditions. University Singers' callbacks are scheduled for Sunday, August 18th, from 4:30 to 6:00 pm in SMC 132 (Sheryl Crow Hall). Music to prepare for callbacks will be emailed one day in advance. Students interested in ensembles not requiring an audition (Choral Union and Sankofa Chorale), should still sign up for a hearing time listed below to ensure proper vocal part assignment.

Please sign up for an audition time here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0B4BAFA823A0FF2-48373032-choral

At the hearing, singers are asked to:
•    Fill out an audition form provided at the audition time.
•    Perform a solo of any style that best demonstrates your vocal abilities. Feel free to sing a classical, musical theater, original composition, or folk/traditional song. If you cannot prepare a solo, we will vocalize you to determine your range for your ensemble placement. A collaborative pianist will be provided. Please bring printed music for the accompanist.
•    Demonstrate your sight-reading skills.
•    Demonstrate your tonal memory skills.

The entire process takes about seven minutes. The choral faculty will still be hearing late auditions during the first week of classes. If you missed the audition dates, please email Dr. Boyd (boydba@missouri.edu) or Dr. Adams (k.adams@missouri.edu).

Please contact Dr. Brandon A. Boyd, Director of Choral Activities, at boydba@missouri.edu for questions regarding Choral Ensemble Hearings.

Lesson placement for new voice majors and non-music majors (space permitting) along with optional Opera Workshop auditions, will take place Friday, August 16, from 2:00-5:00 pm in McKee 204. Auditions will be six minutes in length.

Please sign up for an audition time here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0B4BAFA823A0FF2-49817771-voice

Preparation: for voice studio placement only (no Opera Workshop) please prepare a song or aria that has printed sheet music (Classical, Musical Theater, Standard). If you do not have a prepared selection, you will be asked to sing the first verse of "My Country, 'Tis of Thee." A collaborative pianist will be provided: please bring a copy of your music for them.

If, in addition to studio placement, you want to sing for placement in Opera Workshop, you should bring two selections, one in English and the other in a foreign language, Italian preferred. In addition, you should bring a short monologue or other reading. It can be a speech from a play, a poem, a brief descriptive story, or even a comic monologue. Something that shows comfort with speaking. Memorize your speech if possible.

Acceptance: Music Major teacher assignments will be posted by Tuesday, August 20. Non-major acceptances will be posted by Thursday, August 22. Private lessons will begin no later than the second week of classes.

Questions? Please contact Prof. Steven Tharp at Tharpst@missouri.edu.

Opera Workshop Auditions, including auditions for the Fall Scenes Program and the March 2025 production of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Yeomen of the Guard, will take place for returning students on Saturday, August 17, from 1:00 to 6:00 PM in SMC 132 (Sheryl Crow Hall). Auditions will be eight minutes in length.

Please sign up for an audition time here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0B4BAFA823A0FF2-49818778-opera

Preparation: Bring two arias or theatrical songs if possible. One in English is sufficient, but it would be nice to hear an additional song or aria in Italian. In addition, you should bring a short monologue or other reading. It can be a speech from a play, a poem, a brief descriptive story, or even a comic monologue. Something that shows comfort with speaking. Memorize your speech if possible.

Acceptance: the roster for Opera Workshop will be posted by Monday, August 19 in the morning. The casts for Opera Scenes and the Cast for Yeomen will follow a few days later. Opera Workshop will begin meeting on Monday, August 19 at 3 pm in McKee 204.

Questions? Please contact Prof. Steven Tharp at Tharpst@missouri.edu.

Forms to be completed when you arrive for your audition:

All new and returning instrumental students are required to audition for ensemble placement at the beginning of the Fall Semester. Non-music majors interested in joining University Band will not need to audition.

String, wind, and percussion auditions will be held in the Sinquefield Music Center:

Thursday, August 15
• 5:00-6:30 PM – Trumpet (SMC 130)

Friday, August 16
•    9:00 AM-12:00 PM – Strings (SMC 385)
•    11:30 AM-2:45 PM – Saxophone/Clarinet (SMC 383)
•    10:00 AM-1:00 PM – Percussion (SMC 130)
•    1:00-3:30 PM – Strings (SMC 385)
•    3:00-5:00 PM – Flute/Oboe/Bassoon (SMC 383)
•    3:00-5:00 PM – Trombone/Tuba/Euphonium (SMC 130)
•    5:00-7:00 PM – Horn (SMC 130)

Please sign up for an audition time here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0B4BAFA823A0FF2-49818943-concert

Wind and Percussion Audition Excerpts:

*String Audition Excerpts:

*Incoming first-year string players should prepare the excerpts for their instrument OR contrasting excerpts from a solo work of their choice not to exceed 5 minutes in length demonstrating technical command and expressive range. Returning string players should prepare the excerpts for their instrument only.

**Violins interested in being considered for the Concertmaster position for Scheherazade on the first orchestra concert must prepare the “Concertmaster” excerpts. All other Violins should prepare the “Violin” excerpts.

Questions? Please contact Brooke Danielsen at danielsenb@missouri.edu.

Forms to be completed when you arrive for your audition:

Auditions for big bands will include 1-3 sight-reading examples selected from classic jazz charts. Students are also encouraged to learn one (or two) of the posted jazz etudes. Improvisation is also encouraged, but optional for students comfortable with soloing. Chord changes for the etudes are provided and can be used to improvise over. Auditions for combos will include improvisation on 1-2 tunes of the student’s choice. Students should select tunes that they are comfortable with and demonstrate their abilities. Jazz big bands and combos are open to students of any major.

Rhythm Section participants (piano, guitar, bass, drums and vibes) will audition together.

Jazz audition schedule on Friday, August 16:
• 4:00-5:30 PM – All Rhythm Section participants (SMC 385)
• 12:00-4:00 PM and 5:30-7:00 PM (10-minute slots) – Trumpet/Trombone/Saxophone/Vocals (SMC 306)

Please sign up for an audition time here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0B4BAFA823A0FF2-49818944-jazz

Audition Requirements
Instrumentalists:
•    Sight-reading (big band only)
•    Improvisation (required for combo, optional for big band)
•    Players select a tune of their choice. Performers newer to improvisation are encouraged to improvise over a blues. More advanced improvisers are encouraged to select a more challenging tune.
•    Prepared Etude (optional for big band - available at https://music.missouri.edu/ensemble/jazz-ensembles) Prepared etudes can be used to help determine chair and/or band placement. They are encouraged but not a required part of the audition process.
Rhythm Section Members:
•    Various grooves at a variety of tempos (swing, shuffle, bossa nova, funk, ballads, etc.)
•    Sight-reading (big band only)
•    Soloing (optional – if demonstrating solo ability, be prepared to solo over the form of a song, as well as trade 4 or 8 bar phrases).
Vocalists:
•    Two pieces, memorized (one medium-up tempo swing, 32 bars maximum; one ballad, 16 bars maximum)
•    Improvisation is optional
•    If you have selected a tune that falls outside the Great American Songbook, please have your own accompaniment prepared.

Questions? Please contact Dr. Sam Griffith at GriffithSV@missouri.edu.

Auditions for lesson placement for non-music majors will take place by appointment only on Friday, August 16. Please email Dr. Peter Miyamoto at miyamotop@missouri.edu by Thursday, August 15 to schedule an appointment on Friday.

Requirement to audition: 3 years of previous classical-style study.

Preparation: Be prepared to play two contrasting classical-type selections – at least one must be memorized. Neither has to be long—in fact, shorter is better. You will be asked to sight-read a simple piano piece.

Acceptance: If qualified, student is placed on waiting list until the third day of class, pending space in piano studios.

Piano students who have previously auditioned and been accepted to a piano program do not have to audition again in August. If you have not already auditioned on piano as a music major or minor, please contact Dr. Peter Miyamoto at miyamotop@missouri.edu to schedule an audition.