For All Degrees Other Than Commercial Percussion:
The student should demonstrate his/her highest level of achievement on snare drum and marimba. Sight reading and major scales will be required. Timpani is encouraged for scholarship consideration, but not required.

• Snare Drum: Rudiments and one selection at the level of any all-state required solo or an etude from Portraits in Rhythm by Anthony Cirone
• Marimba: A four-mallet marimba solo, One selection at the level of any all-state required solo, or etude from Modern School for Xylophone by Morris Goldenberg
• Timpani: One selection at the level of any all-state required solo or an etude from The Solo Timpanist by Vic Firth.

Additional Requirements:

• Snare Drum: Rudiments and one selection at the level of any all-state required solo or an etude from Portraits in Rhythm by Anthony Cirone
• Marimba: Major scales and one selection at the level of any all-state required solo, or etude from Modern School for Xylophone by Morris Goldenberg
• Sight reading will be required on marimba and snare drum.

Applicants should demonstrate basic technique and show potential for further development. The audition will include demonstration of technical skills (scales and arpeggios), sight-reading, and performance of repertoire selections, which must be played from memory. Repertoire guidelines are listed below by degree program.

Applicants should bring the following to the audition: a completed audition form (will be sent by the Recruitment Coordinator for the School of Music after the student registers for an audition), a list of all repertoire studied in the last three years, and a letter of recommendation from their current piano teacher.

Repertoire Guidelines:

Bachelor of Music in Performance—ALL of the following:

• One selection representing the Baroque period (comparable to a prelude and fugue from the Well-Tempered Clavier by J. S. Bach, a sonata by D. Scarlatti, or a comparable work by Rameau or Couperin, etc.)
• One movement of a sonata by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, or Schubert (except shorter dance movements such as a minuets or scherzi)
• One Romantic work (Chopin, Liszt, Brahms, Schumann, Rachmaninoff, etc.) OR one work from the 20th or 21st centuries (Debussy, Ravel, Bartok, Prokofiev, Scriabin, etc.)

All other degree programs with emphasis in piano—ANY TWO of the following:

• One selection representing the baroque style (comparable to a two-part invention by J. S. Bach or a movement from a dance suite)
• One movement of a sonata by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, or Schubert (except shorter dance movements such as a minuets or scherzi)
• One Romantic, 20th-century, or 21st-century work of any length

The student should be prepared to play scales in the major keys and the chromatic scale in at least two octaves and should prepare a solo selection from the standard repertory, at the level of an all-state audition piece. The student is expected to demonstrate good basic technique and show potential for further development. Sight-reading will be included in the audition. Additional guidelines for some specific instruments:

Classical Guitar

Candidates must prepare two pieces from contrasting style periods; play major scales; play basic chords and play a provided sight-reading example. Classical guitarists admitted to the undergraduate program should demonstrate a degree of technical fluency and musical awareness appropriate to the level of audition literature.

Commercial Guitar

The student should have a selection prepared that will demonstrate his or her abilities, featuring melodic and harmonic elements. Pieces from the commercial or church music body of literature would provide appropriate selections. The student with jazz experience may choose to perform one of the following:

• 12 Bar Blues (ex. “Tenor Madness,” “Billie’s Bounce,” “Blue Monk”)
• Jazz Standard (ex. “Autumn Leaves,” “All of Me,” “Just Friends”)
• Latin Jazz (ex. “Blue Bossa,” “Song for My Father,” “The Girl From Ipanema”)

The student will be expected to perform one or more of the following: major scale, natural minor scale, blues scale, major and/or minor pentatonic scale. The audition will also include sight-reading an excerpt of printed music.

Harp

The student should be prepared to play two contrasting works from the standard repertory, e.g., Dussek: Sonatas, Bach-Grandjany: Largo from Violin Sonata No. 6, Dello Joio: Bagatelles.

The student should prepare two memorized, contrasting selections for the vocal audition. One selection should be from classical vocal literature, such as an art song or an aria from Twenty-Four Italian Songs and Arias – Schirmer, Inc., or The First Book of Soprano, Mezzo Soprano/Alto, Tenor, Baritone/Bass Solos – Schirmer, Inc. A suitable second selection would be a contrasting art song, folk song, or Broadway selection. Upon request an accompanist will be provided at the audition. The student is expected to demonstrate basic vocal technique and to show potential for further development. A sight-reading and ear-training exercise will also be included in the audition.

• Accompaniment Notes: Upon request, a professional accompanist will be provided. Recorded forms of accompaniment from our approved list are acceptable.
  • Approved forms include high quality instrumental or piano tracks on a CD (preferred) or MP3 audio file on your phone or audio device. (Aux cord provided) Internet and streaming capabilities are not available during the audition. YouTube videos used as accompaniment are NOT allowed. Please clearly label all tracks or have them on an audio playlist by themselves.
  • If requesting a Lee University accompanist, sheet music MUST be supplied. Chord charts or lead sheets will not be accepted. Vocal students are highly discouraged from accompanying themselves, as the committee would prefer that you focus your performance on your voice.

The student should be prepared to play all major scales and the chromatic scale throughout their range. Prepare two selections from the standard repertory at the level of an all-state audition piece that displays both lyrical and technical playing. The student is expected to demonstrate good fundamental technique, developing musicianship, and potential for further development. Sight-reading will be included in the audition. 

The following are suggestions from the standard repertory for each instrument. This is not an exhaustive list; students may choose other pieces. 

Trumpet
Etudes by Arban, Bordogni, Brandt, Charlier, Concone, Getchell, Snedecor, or Snidero 

• Arban: Various solos 
• Arutiunian: Concerto  
• Balay: Petite Piece Concertante 
• Goedicke: Concert Etude  
• Hansen: Sonata 
• Haydn: Concerto
  
• Hindemith: Sonata 
• Hummel: Concerto 
• Kennan: Sonata 
• Ropartz: Andante et Allegro

• Busser: Cantecor 
• Cooke: Rondo 
• Francoix: Canon in Octave 
• Mozart: Concerto No. 1, 2, 3, or 4 
• Saint-Saens: Romance Op. 36 
• F. Strauss: Nocturno 
• R. Strauss: Concerto No. 1 .

School of Music Graduate Admission/Audition Requirements

GRADUATE CONDUCTING

ADMISSION REQUIREMENT: Each student will conduct a minimum of one work for choir, band, or orchestra or some combination depending upon the student’s background experience and degree program as prescribed by the conducting placement committee.

GRADUATE INSTRUMENTAL PERFORMANCE

AUDITION REQUIREMENT:

1. The audition repertory will be selected from a program which represents at least two contrasting style periods and includes the following:
a. five representative excerpts from the standard orchestral repertoire  (non-orchestral instrumentalists may substitute a level-appropriate etude)
b. an entire sonata or similarly appropriate work from the repertory of the instrument
c. at least one movement of a major concerto from the instrument’s repertory

2. Sight-reading will be included in the audition.

3. The student will demonstrate the ability to perform at the graduate level.

4. The student will show the possibility of developing a graduate recital within one year of the exam.

5. The student will perform several major works from previous instrumental study.

6. The student will bring to the exam a copy of his/her undergraduate junior and/or senior recital program.

7. The student will provide a listing of all the instrumental literature and technical studies in his/her repertoire.

8. The student will sight read a composition of moderate difficulty selected by the jury.

GRADUATE PIANO PERFORMANCE

ADMISSION REQUIREMENT:

1. The audition repertory will be selected from a 60-minute program which must include the following:
a. a virtuoso etude by composers such as Chopin, Liszt, or Rachmaninoff
b. an entire classical sonata
c. a major romantic work, e.g. Chopin ballade
d. a major composition written after 1915.

2. The student will show the possibility of developing a graduate recital within one year of the audition.

3. The student will bring to the audition a copy of his/her undergraduate, junior and/or senior recital program.

4. The student will provide a listing of all the piano literature and technical studies in his/her repertoire.

5. The student will sight read a composition of moderate difficulty selected by the jury.

GRADUATE VOCAL PERFORMANCE

AUDITION REQUIREMENT:

1. The student will prepare a minimum of five (5) selections from which the committee will select the audition repertory. With prior notification, an accompanist is available upon request.
The five works must include the following:
a. an aria in the original language and key from an opera
b. an aria in the original language and key from an oratorio
c. three (3) art songs in the original language

2. The student will demonstrate the potential to perform a graduate recital within two years of the audition.

3. The student will bring to the audition a copy of the program from his/her undergraduate junior and/or senior recital

4. The student will provide a listing of all the vocal literature studied at the undergraduate level, plus any other pertinent materials that may validate his/her performance skills.

GRADUATE PERCUSSION

      Snare Drum: Delecluse #1 or #9, Scheherezade, Lt. Kije

      Xylophone: Porgy and Bess

      Timpani: Hochrainer Etude #50, volume 2 or equivalent and 2 contrasting orchestral excerpts

      Marimba: A movement by J.S. Bach and a solo demonstrating the highest level of technical achievement

      *If you wish to perform alternate repertoire for your audition, it must be approved by Dr. Harnsberger (  [email protected] ).