Auditions

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Auditions and FAQs

To become an official music major and be considered for music scholarship awards, you must schedule an audition and interview with members of the music faculty. The first step is to schedule your time. Below are primary audition days when the full-time faculty panel will be present to meet you. If you cannot be present on one of those days, notify our office and we will try to schedule an alternate time for you.

 

  • January 26 and 27, 2018
  • February 23 and 24, 2018
  • March 16 and 17, 2018

 

Scheduling Your Music Major Audition

Call the Music Office at 318-869-5235 or email to schedule a time for your audition and brief interview with the faculty, or start by applying here.

When you come to the audition, you will also be taking placement tests in music theory and piano. If you choose to become a student at Centenary College, these tests will help us advise you for your first semester. We understand that there is a great variety in the backgrounds and experiences of students wishing to study music. We do not expect everyone to have the same skills, but we want to help prepare you to do your best in your first year of college music study.

 

Repertoire for Music Major Auditions

All applicants will be asked to sight-read a short excerpt.

 

Brass and Woodwinds

Major scales; two brief selections (one lyrical, one technical), or a movement from a major concerto.

 

Organ

At the organ: three hymns and two selections of the applicant's own choosing. At the piano: Major and minor scales and arpeggios, and two selections of the applicant's own choosing.

 

Percussion

Major scales: two octaves on a mallet instrument; plus snare drum, timpani, and melodic percussion selections.

 

Piano

Three contrasting selections, one from each of the following style periods: Baroque, Classical, and Romantic/Twentieth Century. All selections are to be memorized.

 

Strings

Major Scales (C, G, D, A, F, B-Flat, E-Flat, A-Flat); two brief selections (one lyrical, one technical), or a movement from a major concerto.

 

Composition

Bring examples of your compositions in score form, if possible. Perform one selection on your major instrument.

 

Voice

Two contrasting selections, memorized. Art songs or arias are preferred. If possible, one selection should be in a language other than English.

 

For Non-Majors

If you do not wish to major in music, but wish to be part of one of our ensembles, call the music office at 318-869-5235 or send us an email. We will schedule a time for you to meet with one of our ensemble directors at a time convenient for you. If you have a campus visit already planned, please let us know.

We do have some scholarships available for non-majors, but you should schedule your audition for us before you complete your financial aid package at Centenary, or it may not be possible to consider you for a music scholarship.

 

Ensemble Audition Repertoire

 

Brass and Woodwinds

Major scales and one brief selection.

 

Percussion

Major scales on a mallet instrument and one snare drum or keyboard selection.

 

Strings

Major Scales (C, G, D, A, F, B-Flat, E-Flat, A-Flat) and one brief selection.

 

Voice

For either Camerata or Centenary College Choir, the director will hear you perform one brief selection of your choice, then will vocalize you to check your range, and hear you in a short sight-reading excerpt.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I become a Music Major?

AUDITION AND INTERVIEW: For admission to the music school, you need to audition for the music faculty and complete an interview with them. The School of Music is interested in your career aspirations and the musical experiences you have already had. Any information you wish to provide us about your musical and scholastic background is welcome. You must also take the piano and theory placement exams.

The School of Music will notify you of your acceptance status as a music major after you have completed the above steps.

Do I need to Audition?

YES. All candidates for a music degree must pass an audition in their major performing medium in order to be admitted to the Hurley School of Music.

If you do NOT plan to be a music major, but wish to play in one of the performing ensembles, you must audition for the conductor of that ensemble. Some smaller scholarships may be available for non-major ensemble participation, depending on your skill and area of specialty.

If you do NOT plan to be a music major, but just plan to take private lessons or a class, and do not plan to play in an ensemble, you do not need to audition.

How do I Schedule an Audition for the Hurley School of Music?

If you are coming to Centenary specifically for a Hurley School of Music audition, you should make every effort to be present on one of our primary audition dates. The music office will schedule you for your audition on those days. Please call the School of Music at 318.869.5235.

If you cannot be present on one of the primary audition dates, or if you are planning to audition in conjunction with a campus visit on another date, the Admissions Office will make those arrangements for you. Please ask them. To schedule a visit, call Admission: 318.869.5131.

What do I need to prepare for my Audition?

Repertoire requirements for a School of Music audition are listed above.

What about auditions for the Centenary Choir?

You may audition for the Centenary Choir on one of our primary audition dates. We have two different choral groups: Camerata and Centenary Choir. Dr. David Hobson is the Director of the Centenary Choir. Dr. Cory Wikan is the Director of Camerata. If you audition on one of the primary audition dates, both choral directors will be present to hear your audition.

The Centenary Choir is made up of both music majors and non-music majors. If you are a non-major, and wish to schedule an individual audition for a choral group, separate from regular auditions for the School of Music, contact Dr. David Hobson, Director of Choral Activities at Centenary. He will be glad to speak with you about scheduling an audition. He may be reached by calling the Centenary Choir office at 318.869.5200 or by email.

Do not forget that if you plan to be a music major, you must schedule an audition for the Hurley School of Music. Admission to the Hurley School of Music and admission to the Centenary Choir are two separate things. You may audition for only one, or both at the same time, but an audition for the Choir alone is not the same as an audition for the School of Music.

What are the theory and piano placement tests?

Both of these tests help us schedule our Freshman Music Theory and Class Piano sections for the fall semester. The tests are used to determine what your music background has been before you arrive at Centenary. The tests will also help us assess our effectiveness in teaching you the skills you need by the time you graduate. We understand that there is a large variation in backgrounds and experiences of students wishing to study music. We do not expect everyone to have the same skills.

The piano placement test takes place in one of the piano studios. One of the piano faculty members will listen to you alone. You will be asked to demonstrate your basic level of piano skill, beginning with simple navigation around the keyboard. If you do well, you will be asked to play some scales and to sight-read. The initial exam is very brief, and the teacher will stop if you are unable to complete the next task. Students with previous piano study who have a prepared solo piece should plan to play that selection. If you do well on this test, you may have the opportunity to skip some of the sections of Class Piano. Passing the complete exam could earn you your Piano Proficiency, making you eligible to skip Class Piano altogether.

The theory placement test takes place in one of the classrooms after your audition. The exam will test your knowledge of music theory, beginning with more elementary skills, and progressing to more difficult information. Advanced students have the opportunity to test out of some of the Freshman Theory requirements. AP Theory students who scored a 4 or 5 in AP theory will receive credit hours.

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