Music Auditions

Auditions and Open House 2022-23

• Tuesday, November 15, 2022 - Audition/Music Major Day (Open House)
• Tuesday, March 7, 2022 - Audition/Music Major Day (Open House)

Music Department Audition Requirements

Audition Procedure: Auditions are required for all tracks of the Music Major. Once you have been accepted to Bloomsburg University, contact Dr. Charisse Baldoria, auditions chair, (cbaldori@bloomu.edu) for more information on format for submission.

Following are the audition requirements for the Department of Music by studio:

Brass Studio

1.  The student should know major scales over the practical range of the instrument.
2.  Sight Reading
3.  The student will perform a solo piece equivalent to PA District band audition material.

For example, but not limited to:

Euphonium
Arban: Carnival of Venice
Barat: Andante and Allegro
Barat: Introduction and Dance
Clarke: Any Cornet Solo
Corelli: Any Sonata (your choice) Editions Musicus
Etudes/Orchestral Excerpts: selected from Bordogni/Rochut Melodious Etudes,
Blazhevich, Tyrrell, Voxman Selected Studies, or Bach cello suites
Galliard: any Sonata (your choice
Mozart: Concerto for Bassoon, K.191 Editions Musicus
Marcello: any Sonata (your choice
Ropartz: Andante et Allegro

French Horn
Beethoven: Sonata
Glazunov: Reveries
Heiden: Sonata
Mozart: Concertos 1-4; Concert Rondo
Saint-Sens: Concertpiece; Romance, Op. 36
Scriabin: Romance
F. Strauss: Concerto, Op. 8; Nocturno, Op. 7
R. Strauss: Concerto No. 1

Trombone
Barat: Andante and Allegro
Corelli, any Sonata (your choice)
Etudes/Orchestral Excerpts: selected from Bordogni/Rochut Melodious Etudes,
Blazhevich, Tyrrell, Voxman Selected Studies, or Bach cello suites
Galliard, any Sonata (your choice)
Guilmant, Morceau Symphonique
Hindemith, Sonata
Jacob, Concerto
Mozart Concerto for Bassoon, K.191
Marcello, any Sonata (your choice)

Trumpet
Abran: Fantasie Brilliante
Balay: Petite Piece Concertante
Barat: Andante and Scherzo
Clarke: any cornet solo
Corelli: any sonata
Goedicke: Concert Etude
Handel: Aria Con Variazioni
Haydn: Concerto, 1 movement
Kennan: Sonata, 1 movement
Ropartz: Andante and Allegro

Tuba
Bach/Bell: Air and Bourre
Barat: Introduction and Dance
Etudes/Orchestral Excerpts: may be chosen from Marco Bordogni, Tyrrell, Blazhevich, or etudes of similar difficulty or from standard orchestra excerpt repertoire
Frackenpohl: Concertino
Haddad: Suite
Handel: Arm, Arm, Ye Brave
Handel: Honor and Arms
Lebedev: Concerto in 1 Movement
Marcello: Largo and Presto
Telemann: Adagio and Allegro
Vivaldi/Morris: Sonata #3 in A minor

If you would like to clear a solo, or have specific questions about your audition please call Dr. Stephen Clickard. 570-389-4286; Email: sclickar@bloomu.edu

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Guitar Audition Requirements

Perform two pieces from the classical guitar repertoire.  Studies by Matteo Carcassi, Fernando Sor, Mauro Giuliani, and Leo Brouwer are representative of the level of difficulty expected.

Demonstrate major and melodic minor scales in two octaves.  The use of scale fingerings by Andrés Segovia, Aaron Shearer, or from the Royal Conservatory (Toronto) series is encouraged. You can also find scale fingerings at the following address: www.matthewslotkin.com/scalefingerings.pdf

Be prepared to do a short sightreading exercise in the first position.

Auditions should be played on a classical (nylon string) guitar.

If you would also like to demonstrate your jazz ability, please feel free to prepare something in the style.

If you have not played classical guitar before, it is recommended that you go through a method book to get some reading practice and to learn about the technique. Aaron Shearer’s “Classic Guitar Technique, Vol. 1” is a good starter book. Good information about classical guitar technique can be found in Scott Tennant's "Pumping Nylon: A Technique Manual," which also is sold with a DVD that can be a helpful guide.

If you have questions about specific pieces or need suggestions, feel free to contact Dr. Matthew Slotkin: mslotkin@bloomu.edu

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Piano Audition Requirements

1.  Two solo pieces in contrasting styles.
2.  Major and/or minor scales.
3.  Sight-reading

If you have any questions, please email Dr. Charisse Baldoria at cbaldori@bloomu.edu.

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Percussion audition requirements

1. The student should perform basic Major Scales on the marimba (2 mallets).
2. The student should perform a concert or rudimental style snare drum solo.
3. The student must be able to match single pitches on the timpani when given on piano.
4. In addition to the snare drum solo, the student may perform a solo/etude piece on either timpani or marimba to display other strengths. (highly recommended for music ed auditions)
5.  Set players may also request an audition with the director of the Jazz Ensemble to enhance the possibility of their acceptance.
6.  Sight reading on snare drum is required.

Examples of snare etudes or solos, but not limited to:

Anthony Cirone, Portraits in Rhythm
Mitchell Peters, Intermediate Snare Drum Studies
Alfred's Drum Method Book 2
Solos by Vic Firth, Pratt, Schinstine, Wilcoxon, or Freytag.

For more information, please call or email Dr. Gifford Howarth, 570-389-4290, ghowarth@bloomu.edu

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String Studio (For students whose major instrument is an orchestral string instrument)

Violin
The student should be prepared to play the following:
1.  Two major scales in single notes (compass three octaves).
2.  Three minor scales in single notes (compass two octaves).
3.  Two Studies: suggestions; Kayser, No. 33, Mazas No. 35, Kreutzer, no. 13, or Fiorillo, No. 32.
4.  Two Solos: These should include a movement from a sonata or a concerto to demonstrate technical ability, and be preferably from two contrasting historical periods to demonstrate sensitivity to stylistic differences.*

*Suggestions: any movement from Vivaldi Concerto in A minor, or Allegro from from Bach's Unaccompanied Sonata No.III in A minor; any movement from Mozart's Sonata in E minor for violin and piano or any movement from Mozart's 3rd Concerto in G major for violin and piano.

Viola
The student should be prepared to play the following:
1.  C Major in single notes (compass three octaves).
2.  3 minor scales in single notes (compass two octaves).
3.  Two Studies: suggestions; Kayser, No. 33, Mazas No. 35, Kreutzer, no. 13, or Fiorillo, No. 32.
4.  Two Solos. These should include a movement from a sonata or a concerto to demonstrate technical ability, and be preferably from two contrasting historical periods to demonstrate sensitivity to stylistic differences.*

*Suggestions: any movement from Teleman's Concerto in G Major or any movement from Vivaldi's Concerto in D minor; any movement from Mozart's Sonata in E minor for Viola and Piano or Andante from Violin/Viola duo No. 2 by Mozart.

Cello
The student should be prepared to play the following:

1.  Major scales in three octaves and arpeggios in the keys of C, D, E, and E-flat which require the thumb positions.
2.  Etude representative in difficulty to those of Schroeder "170 foundation Studies," Dotzauer "113 Studies," Book 1, no. 20.
3.  Solos comparable to Bach Solo Suite No. 1, Vivaldi 6 Sonatas.
4.  Concertos equal in difficulty to the Vivaldi in E minor or A minor, and Goltermann Concerto #4 in G.

Double Bass
The student should be prepared to play the following:
1.  Major scales other than those requiring the thumb position.
2.  Etudes comparable to those from Simandl "Thirty Etudes for the Double Bass" Book 1.
3.  Solos equal to Gallliard's "Adagio and Allegro" or contrasting sonata movements by Marcello, Vivaldi, or Corelli.

For more information concerning cello or bass, please contact Dr. David Tedford, 570-389-4289 or email: dtedford@bloomu.edu

Voice Studio

1.  Sing two Art Songs, memorized, on the level of "24 Italian Songs and Arias". One song in English, one song in another language--bring an extra copy of your music to the audition (bring your accompanist, or accompaniment tape, or you may request an accompanist - music must be sent ahead of your audition)
2.  Vocalize diatonic scales in octaves and fifths, and triads within comfortable vocal range, using standard Italian vowels (ah, eh, ee, oh, oo).
3.  Present a list of repertoire previously studied, noting if those pieces that were performed in public.

For more information please call or email, either, Dr. Alan Baker, 570 389-4288, abaker@bloomu.edu

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Woodwind Audition Requirements

1.  The student should know major scales over the practical range of the instrument.
2.  The student will perform a solo piece equivalent to PA District band audition material.

For example, but not limited to:

Flute:
Mozart - Concerto for Flute, 1st movement.
Handel - Sonatas for Flute
Bach - Sonatas for Flute

Oboe:
Vivaldi - Sonatas
Albinoni - Sonatas
Mozart - Concerto for Oboe, 1st movement.
Corelli - Concerto for Oboe

Clarinet:
Mozart - Concerto for Clarinet, 1st or 3rd movement
Weber - Concertino for Clarinet
Brahms - Sonatas

Saxophone:
Eccles - Sonata
Creston - Sonata
Handel - Concerto
Corelli - Concerto

Bassoon:
Vivaldi - Sonata
Teleman - Sonata
Mozart - Concerto, 1st or 3rd movement
Weber - Concerto, 1st movement

For more information concerning the woodwinds studio, please call or email Dr. Tracey Schmidt, 570-389-4290, tschmidt@bloomu.edu