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Auditions

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Auditions and FAQs

To become an official music major and be considered for music scholarship awards, you must audition for members of the music faculty in addition to applying to Centenary College. Due to the pandemic, Hurley will not hold live auditions for Fall 2021 applicants. We look forward to reviewing a recording of your work. Following are some guidelines.

  • Video is required, no audio-only recordings. Smart phones create recordings that are relatively good quality, both video and audio. 
  • Videos should include all elements listed for your primary instrument below. Instrumentalists, please play four major scales (two in flat keys, and two in sharp keys) and two minor scales (one in sharp, one in flat) of your choice.
  • Accompaniment tracks/recordings are acceptable as they are safer than recording with a live pianist.
  • Composers should send an audition recording on a primary instrument (that with which you are most proficient) and digital files of representative compositions.

 

Submitting Your Music Major Audition

Call the Music Office at 318-869-5235 or email to confirm that you will be sending an audition as part of your overall application to Centenary as a music major.

  • Please upload your recording (and composition files, if applicable) to a site (i.e. YouTube) or drive that can store your file(s) and allow for sharing with Hurley. 
    • Do NOT email large files or mail flash drives.
  • Please send a link (with access permission) to your audition file(s) in an email to: music@centenary.edu 
  • Please be sure your full name and desired area of study (i.e. B.A. in music with general studies or a performance concentration, choral concentration, sacred music concentration, or composition concentration; or a B.A. in Vocal Music Education) are included in the email.
  • We urge you to submit your audition recording as early as possible. Hurley offers scholarships to music majors. Since we do admission on a rolling basis, chances for significant scholarships are higher if we are able to consider your audition early in the admission cycle.

 

Repertoire for Music Major Auditions

 

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

Those who wish to minor in music are not required to provide an audition.

We do have some scholarships available for minors or those who wish to major in a discipline other than music, if they are part of an ensemble. We do require that you audition for scholarship consideration. See below for details.

 

Ensemble Audition Repertoire

**To audition for Centenary College Choir, contact Dr. Dave Hobson. To audition for Centenary Camerata, contact Dr. Cory Wikan. To audition for Centenary Wind Ensemble and/or Hurley Orchestra, email music@centenary.edu.

 

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.

Information for scheduling an audition at the Hurley School of Music is listed above.

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.

Information for scheduling an audition at the Hurley School of Music is listed above.

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.

How do I make audition recordings if I cannot get together with a live accompanist?

We understand that it may be difficult to get together with a pianist during this time. Do not worry, here are some sites that you may use to purchase accompaniment tracks for your audition:

There is also an app with a subscription service that you may use:

If you cannot find the accompaniment tracks for the repertoire that you will be presenting, or if you need them in a different tempo, please reach out to Dr. Sridhar for a list of pianists that will be able to provide you with accompaniment tracks with a quick turnaround time.

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