Entrance & Scholarship Auditions

Who Should Audition?

  • Students wishing to begin a music major or minor
  • Students interested in music scholarships (open to all WWU students, regardless of major)

Students should plan to audition the same year they apply to WWU.

Graduate students should visit the information on our Master of Music page.

Audition Checklist

Select each link to jump to the next section.

General Audition Information

Select the boxes below to navigate to each menu item within the General Audition Information section.

 

At Entrance & Scholarship Auditions, students complete an audition for major/minor acceptance and/or scholarships. Students must complete an audition on their primary instrument or voice, regardless of program interest. Prospective composition majors must also submit a portfolio for consideration. 

We host auditions each year for students to begin a music major or minor the following fall quarter. Students who complete an audition are automatically eligible for music scholarships, including non-majors/minors. Mid-year applicants are also possible, students should note our core sequence begins each fall quarter.

Dates, Deadlines, and Results

Live Audition Dates

February 3, 4, 24, 25, 2023. 

Priority Consideration Deadline and Results

Priority Consideration Deadline: February 25, 2023. Auditions are accepted after the priority deadline, and students are admitted and offered scholarships on a space-available basis. We encourage students to submit or request an audition even if it is past the priority consideration deadline. 

Audition results are sent on a rolling basis to the email provided in the Entrance & Scholarship Audition Form. All students who meet the priority consideration deadline are given equal consideration and we will not fill studios before the deadline.

Major and Minor Acceptance Results

Major and minor acceptance results will be sent by March 10, 2023, for all students who met the priority consideration deadline. Students who audition after the deadline will be notified once a decision has been made. 

Scholarship Offer Results

Scholarship results will be sent by March 17, 2023, for all students who met the priority consideration deadline.  Students who audition after the deadline will be notified once a decision has been made. 

 

Live Audition Dates

February 3, 4, 24, 25, 2023. 

Live Audition Scheduling

Brass, Percussion, Voice, and Woodwind 

Students must select a live audition time slot through the Entrance & Scholarship Audition Form (Available November 1, 2022). 

Guitar, Piano, Strings & Harp

Students must select a live audition date preference through the Entrance & Scholarship Audition Form (Available November 1, 2022). Their area coordinator will email students directly to schedule their audition time based on their date preference. 

Audition Cancellation or Rescheduling 

Students can communicate directly with their area coordinator regarding audition rescheduling. Students who need to cancel their live audition should email their area coordinator and music@wwu.edu. 

Video Auditions

Video submissions are accepted for all students who cannot attend on-campus auditions. We strongly encourage students to attend live auditions if they can. Video submissions will be accepted through February 25, 2023.

Submission

Students must submit their video audition through the Entrance & Scholarship Audition form (Available November 1, 2022). Video auditions must be submitted as shared links only. Ensure your video-sharing settings are set to "Anyone with a link can view," and that the links remain active until you receive your audition results. Each selection/requirement may be recorded separately.  Introductions to videos are not required. We encourage you to prepare your videos carefully to make sure your instrument is fully in frame. 

 

Live Audition Day Details

Audition Location

All live auditions will take place in the Performing Arts Center (PA/PAC). Assigned audition rooms will be sent to students two weeks prior to their audition day. See below for parking information.

Arrival Time and Practice Rooms

Students are encouraged to arrive on campus a minimum of one hour before their audition time to check in and warm up.

Practice rooms will be available on a first-come, first-served basis for all students with the exception of percussions and piano. Percussion students will have access to percussion practice rooms about 45 min before their audition time. Piano students will be assigned 45-50 min of practice room time immediately before their audition time. Further details regarding the audition day will be sent via email to students roughly two weeks before the audition day.

Travel and Accommodations

The Bellingham area has several hotels that offer a WWU discount! Please visit the Accommodations website for further details.  

We encourage you to visit the Visitors Overview website to access campus maps and parking. Please note, paid parking close to the PAC may not be available on audition days. The C/CR lot is approximately a 15-minute walk from the PAC. Past auditioning students have opted to be dropped off next to the 11G parking lot/PAC before their guests have parked in the C/CR lots. Visit the WWU Campus Maps website to explore parking locations and maps.

Tours and Other Opportunities

Students who attend auditions on a weekday have the opportunity to sit in on ensemble rehearsals. Due to classroom sizes, it is not possible for students to sit in on academic courses such as music theory, aural skills, or keyboarding skills on audition days. 

Students are encouraged to sign up for a virtual or campus tour through the admissions office!

WWU Closures on Audition Days

If WWU must cancel live auditions due to inclement weather or other, students will be notified via email and text message.

Helpful Academic Information

Degrees & Advising

Students are encouraged to also explore the Degrees & Advising page for information on core sequences, sample schedules, degree overviews, and optional assessments.

Scholarship Required Enrollment

Scholarship recipients must enroll in private lessons and a major ensemble according to their area of study below. Private lessons will include an additional course fee to enroll. Major ensembles include band, orchestra, and choir. Jazz ensembles do not apply to this requirement unless the scholarship is from the jazz area.

  • Brass: Enrollment in an ensemble is required, lessons are optional for non-majors/minors and music minors.
  • Guitar: Enrollment in an ensemble and lessons is required for all recipients.
  • Percussion: Enrollment in an ensemble and lessons is required for all recipients.
  • Piano: Enrollment in lessons is required, ensemble enrollment is optional for non-majors/minors and music minors.
  • Strings: Enrollment in an ensemble and lessons are required for all recipients.
  • Voice: Enrollment in an ensemble and lessons is required for all recipients.
  • Woodwind: Enrollment in an ensemble and lessons is required for all recipients.
  • Jazz: Enrollment in an ensemble is required for all recipients.

Piano/Keyboarding Skills

Competency on the piano is not required for major or minor admission to the brass, percussion, string & guitar, voice, or woodwind area. Students in these programs build basic and intermediate skills on the piano through keyboarding skills courses.

Piano majors and those with extensive piano lesson experience will take an advanced and accelerated set of keyboarding skills courses.
Complete the audition checklist

Audition Requirements

Select the boxes below to navigate to your audition area.

Use the boxes above to review the audition requirements for your primary instrument or voice. Prospective composition majors have two parts to the audition process: an audition on a primary instrument or voice and the submission of a composition portfolio. Please contact the corresponding area coordinator listed under each tab for questions or concerns regarding audition material and submission.

Students interested in the Jazz Studies Minor should plan to complete a regular entrance audition on their primary instrument and can declare this minor after being accepted as a music major. 

Brass Audition Requirements

Email Gustavo Camacho with any questions you may have.

Horn

  1. Any solo or etude that demonstrates your current technical level on your instrument (What we are listening for: clean tonguing, fingerings, lip flexibility, range, rhythm accuracy, steady time)
  2. Any solo or etude featuring lyrical passages (What we are listening for: musical phrasing, constant air flow, tone quality, volume control)
  3. Major and minor scales and arpeggios through four sharps and four flats may be requested at the on-campus audition only (What we are listening for: basic knowledge of key signatures)

Trumpet​

  1. Any solo or etude that demonstrates your current technical level on your instrument (What we are listening for: clean tonguing, fingerings, lip flexibility, range, rhythm accuracy, steady time)
  2. Any solo or etude featuring lyrical passages (What we are listening for: musical phrasing, constant air flow, tone quality, volume control)
  3. Major and minor scales and arpeggios through four sharps and four flats may be requested at the on-campus audition only (What we are listening for: basic knowledge of key signatures)

Tuba

  1. Any solo or etude that demonstrates your current technical level on your instrument (What we are listening for: clean tonguing, slide positions, lip flexibility, range, rhythm accuracy, steady time)
  2. Any solo or etude featuring lyrical passages (What we are listening for: musical phrasing, constant air flow, tone quality, volume control)
  3. Major and minor scales and arpeggios through four sharps and four flats may be requested at the on-campus audition only (What we are listening for: basic knowledge of key signatures)

Tenor/Bass Trombone & Euphonium

  1. Any solo or etude that demonstrates your current technical level on your instrument (What we are listening for: clean tonguing, fingerings, lip flexibility, range, rhythm accuracy, steady time)
  2. Any solo or etude featuring lyrical passages (What we are listening for: musical phrasing, constant air flow, tone quality, volume control)

Guitar Audition Requirements

Email Eli Schille-Hudson with any questions or concerns. 

Please prepare the following:

  1. Any Major scale and any natural-minor scale, each spanning two octaves, played apoyando.
  2. Any exercise from Mauro Giuliani’s Centoventi Arpeggi, 1-10.
  3. One of the following:
    • Any study by Fernando Sor OR
    • Any study from Leo Brouwer’s Estudios Sencillos 
  4. A selection the applicant chooses to reflect their strengths as a musician. Any style is welcome; improvisations and original compositions also welcome.

Audition Details

Audition Resources

  1. Scale notation, tablature, and fingering resources are available for free through our Google Drive folder.
  2. Giuliani resources are available for free through our Google Drive folder.
  3. Fernando Sor  (opp. 6, 29, 31, 35, 44, 60) are available for purchase via Telca Editions, and for available for free through our Google Drive folder. 
  4. Leo Brouwer's Estudio Sencillos is available via Sheet Music Plus.

Percussion Audition Requirements

Email Dr. Patrick Roulet with any questions or concerns. Students may choose to audition for percussion and/or drumset as their primary instrument.

Percussion Concentration

Snare Drum (Required)
  1. Snare drum etude or solo  
  2. Closed buzz roll performed soft-loud-soft – 30 seconds 
  3. Double-stroke open roll performed slow-fast-slow – 30 seconds 
Mallet Percussion vibraphone, marimba or xylophone

(Optional- choose one or more from the list below)

  • An original song or composition of your own 
  • A piece of music that you have learned in music environments such as a family or community ensemble, jazz group, pop or rock band etc.  
  • A few minutes of you performing the style of music you are the most passionate about.
Timpani (optional)

Timpani solo or etude

Drumset Concentration

Snare Drum (Required)
  1. Closed buzz roll performed soft-loud-soft
  2. Double-stroke open roll performed slow-fast-slow
  3. Snare drum etude or solo
Drumset (Required)
  1. Demonstrate the following styles at various tempos: swing, mambo, bossa nova, samba, rock/funk
  2.  Trade four bars of solo with four bars of swing time at a medium tempo (32 bars)
  3. Drumset solo, etude, or transcription of a recorded drum solo
  4. You may also submit a video recording of a live performance with a school jazz ensemble
Mallet percussion (optional)

(Optional- choose one or more from the list below)

  • A solo, song, etude, or piece of music of your choice using two or four mallets
  • An original song or composition of your own.  
  • A piece of music that you have learned in music environments such as a family or community ensemble, jazz group, pop or rock band etc.  
  • A few minutes of you performing the style of music you are the most passionate about.

 

Piano Audition Requirements

Email Milica Jelača Jovanović with any questions or concerns. Students auditioning for scholarships only are encouraged to prepare for the music major requirements.  

Repertoire Difficulty

The minimum level of difficulty should be like the following:

  • Bach, “Short Preludes” & “Inventions” 
  • Clementi, Haydn, Mozart & Beethoven “Sonatinas”
  • Bartok “Mikrokosmos” Books 3 & 4

Sight Reading Assessment

Sight-reading will be evaluated for academic purposes at on-campus auditions but does not weigh into admission decisions.

Music Minor Requirements

Prepare the following:

  • One piece from the following style periods: Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Impressionistic, 20th/21st Century Classical.
  • One other contrasting piece. This may be from the jazz genre. 

All pieces must be memorized. At this time, prospective music minors cannot present personal compositions, pop, rock, or new-age piano music at auditions.

Music Major Requirements

Prepare the following:

  • One Baroque (~1600-1750) or Classical Period (~1750-1830) piece.
  • Two additional contrasting pieces. Select your pieces from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Impressionistic, 20th/21st Century Classica periods only.

All pieces must be memorized. At this time, prospective music majors cannot present jazz, pop, rock, new age, or personal compositions.

Strings & Harp Audition Requirements

Email Grant Donnellan with any questions or concerns. Accompaniment is not required.

Violin

  1. One movement of a Solo Sonata or Partita by J.S. Bach. 
  2.  One movement of a Major Concerto OR a Virtuoso Work. 
    • Concerto Examples: Beethoven, Brahms, Mendelssohn, Mozart, Saint-Saens, Sibelius, Tchaikovsky, Bruch, Barber, Vieuxtemps, Wieniwski, et al, 
    • Virtuoso Examples: Saint-Saens Havanaise or Introduction and Rondo Capriciosso, Wieniawski Polonaise Brillante, Sarasate Zapateado, Ravel Tzigane, Kreisler Praeludium and Allegro, et al. 
  3. One Etude: any of the etudes/caprices of Kreutzer, Rode, Fiorillo, Dont (op. 35) Gavinies, Paganini, Wieniawski (opus 10) or Ernst. 
  4. One scale of your choice, three or four octaves at a moderate tempo, six to eight notes per bow. 
  5. One major and relative minor arpeggio of your choice, three or four octaves. 

Viola

  1. 3-octave scale of your choice. 
  2. 1 movement of Bach Solo Suite. 
  3. 1 movement of a Sonata (by Brahms, Clarke, Schubert, etc.) or Concerto (by Walton, Bartok, Hindemith, Stamitz, etc.) demonstrating your current level of musicianship and technique. 

Cello

  1. 3 or 4-octave scale of your choice. 
  2. Etude by Popper or similar. 
  3. Two contrasting works from different stylistic periods. 
    • Eg. Bach Solo Suite and Sonata (by Brahms/Grieg/Shostakovich etc.) or Concerto (by Saint-Saens, Lalo, Dvorak, Haydn, etc.) or shorter concert work is also acceptable.

Double Bass

  1. 1 etude from Nanny’s “Complete Methods” book 1 OR solo of candidate’s choice. 
  2. Two contrasting orchestral excerpts (one by Mozart). 
  3. Scales through half, 1st & 2nd positions. 
     

Harp

  1. Two pieces of different styles, memorized. 
    • Examples; Handel Concerto in B-flat, Haydn Theme & Variations, Pescetti C Major Sonata, Pierne Impromptu Caprice, Debussy First Arabesque, selections from Suite of Eight Dances by Salzedo. 
  2. Major and melodic minor scales. 
  3. Sight reading at on-campus auditions only. 

Voice Audition Requirements

Email Dr. Richard Hodges with any questions or concerns. 

Video Auditions

Any student may submit a video audition, regardless of location. Please prepare the audition requirements below based on your degree and/or scholarship interest. Accompaniment is not required for video auditions. Students may be contacted by the voice area to schedule a zoom meeting for an interview, pitch matching, and sight reading. See the resources for pitch matching and sight reading below.

Live Auditions

Please prepare the audition requirements below based on your music degree and/or scholarship interest. Students should be prepared to sing their piece(s), along with pitch matching, sight reading, and engage in a short interview. Students are not required to have sight-reading experience, this is used as a tool to get a full picture of each auditioning student. We encourage students to review the audition resources below. Due to the 10-minute time slot, students may be stopped mid-way through their piece(s). If we stop you mid-way through any part of the audition, please know it does not reflect on the quality of what was offered. 

Accompaniment is not required for live auditions. A pianist will be available for live auditions and will sight-read pieces during the audition slot. 

Audition Requirements by Degree Interest

Please prepare the following requirements based on your degree and/or scholarship interest. All students will be automatically considered for scholarships. If you are also auditioning for the performance major, please prepare only the performance major requirements.

Interest Audition Requirement  
Scholarship Only, Non-Music Major/Minor Prepare one piece of your choosing, any genre or style.  
Music Minor Prepare one piece of your choosing, any genre or style.  
Music Major: General Music Studies (BA), Composition (BMus), Musicology (BMus), Music Education P-12 (BMus) Prepare one piece of your choosing, any genre or style.  
Music Major: Performance (BMus)

Prepare two pieces of contrasting styles from the following options:

We encourage your pieces to be from two different language traditions, but this is not required.

  

Audition Resources

Audition Requirements
Sight Reading and Pitch Matching

It is okay for students to not have experience with sight reading. Sight-reading and pitch matching are used as a tool for assessment to get a full picture of each student. 

Woodwind Audition Requirements

Email Lisa McCarthy with any questions or concerns. Accompaniment is not required. Students may be contacted for a zoom interview.

Flute

  1. Two contrasting etudes from "Melodious and Progressive Studies", Book one, revised by Robert Cavally or 25 Romantic Etudes, Opus 66 by Ernesto Kohler
  2. Flute solo of choice

Clarinet

  1. Two contrasting etudes from “32 Studies” by Cyrille Rose
  2. Clarinet solo of choice

Bassoon

  1. Two Weissenborn or Advanced Rubank études 
  2. Bassoon solo of choice

Saxophone

  1. Two studies from Ferling 48 Famous Studies, Rubank Selected Studies, Klose 25 Exercises or Niehaus Jazz Studies 
  2. Saxophone solo of choice

Oboe

Prepare and perform two pieces of your choice that demonstrate:​​​​​

  • your technical ability, your musical expressiveness, and contrasting in style, tempo, etc. 
  • music you love and connect with
Oboe Required Statement and Guidelines

Submit a statement about what it is you love about playing music, and the oboe in particular. We are interested in who you are, what music means to you, how long you’ve been playing, what kinds of musical experiences you’ve had, and how you envision music being part of your life at WWU and beyond.

Students are encouraged to review the following links for standard training methods and repertoire examples.

Composition Major Requirements

Acceptance to the composition major has two parts: an audition on a primary instrument or voice and the submission of a composition portfolio. If you have not reviewed your primary instrument/voice audition requirements, please do so now. 

Prospective composition majors must submit a successful portfolio of original compositions to be accepted to and begin the Bachelor of Music Composition major. Students who are not ready to submit a portfolio may audition for another other major or minor through Entrance & Scholarship Auditions! Please review the portfolio requirements and/or "Not Ready to Submit a Portfolio" sections below. 

Portfolio Requirements 

Prepare the following materials for your composition portfolio. Submit your portfolio items as shared links  (or a single link to a shared folder with all files) in the Entrance & Scholarship Audition form. Ensure the sharing settings are set to "anyone with the link can view," and that all links remain active/available until notified of the acceptance decision. 

  • 2-3 original compositions. There is no requirement in terms of musical style, but the compositions should be the best representation of the applicant's current interests and abilities. 
  • At least one composition should be notated (PDF format preferred). Audio recordings are required if a composition is not notated. Audio recordings for notated works are not required but are helpful.  

Not Ready to Submit a Portfolio

Students who are not prepared to submit a portfolio can still audition for another music major or minor! Students are encouraged to audition for at least the Bachelor of Arts major to get started in core major coursework if accepted to a studio on their primary instrument or voice. 

Students can submit a portfolio to apply to the composition major after beginning at WWU. However, please be advised that space in the composition program is limited in such cases and students are therefore not guaranteed acceptance. Please contact Dr. Charles Halka with any questions or concerns. 
Complete the audition checklist

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Students must apply to WWU through the Admissions Office. Students can audition for our program at any time before or after submitting an admissions application. Students do not need to wait for WWU acceptance to audition. Please note, acceptance to the music major or minor does not guarantee admission to the general university. Students must eventually be accepted through the WWU Admissions Office to enroll as a music major or minor and it is possible for a student to be accepted to our major or minor and not be admitted through the WWU Admissions Office.

No accompaniment is required to audition for our program. Instrumentalists will play without accompaniment. We will provide an accompanist for voice auditions, but this is optional. Students auditioning for the voice area may sing acapella, with the provided accompanist, or with a backing track/pre-recorded accompaniment. 

Yes! Students can audition on more than one instrument for scholarships and major/minor consideration. 

An entrance audition is required to start the music major and minor core classes. These classes include music theory, aural skills, and keyboarding skills, music education courses, composition courses, and music history courses. 

Students who choose not to audition for our program have many opportunities to participate in our department. Students can enroll in ensembles, music GURs, MUS 101, and applied/composition lessons. While students can enroll in University Choirs without an audition, all other ensembles will require an audition to enroll. Some studios may require a studio audition or instructor permission to join an applied area or to enroll in composition lessons. .

Students may provide recommendation letters as supplemental materials to their audition forms, but they are not necessary to audition for our program.

Please ask your supporters to submit recommendation letters to Music@wwu.edu with your full name and instrument/voice in the subject line after you have submitted the Entrance & Scholarship Audition form.

The Entrance & Scholarship Application form acts as an application for the music program. 

This audition process does not place students into ensembles. All students will complete ensemble auditions each year before the start of the academic year. Please visit the Ensemble and Ensemble Auditions page for more details.

Complete the Audition Checklist

Entrance & Scholarship Audition Form

Required fields are marked with an asterisk (*).

General Information

Before you go on, record your audition

Thanks for selecting the video submission option! If you have not already recorded your audition, please do so first and then complete this form once you are ready to submit your video audition.

Musical Background

Use the space below to describe any background you take to be formative in your development as a musician thus far.

You may (but are not required to) discuss your former teachers, music-making with family or friends, songwriting, composition, music production, ensemble playing, summer programs/festivals, theatre/musical theatre productions, or instrumental/vocal study outside the area in which you plan to audition.

You may also include any additional information you feel is important in representing yourself as a musician, student, or member of your community.

Please note that beyond the Audition Requirements for each area of study, our degree programs do not require any specific musical background as a condition of admission.

If you would like to provide a resume summarizing your musical, academic, or other accomplishments, you may do so in the field below. Please ensure the sharing permissions are “anyone with a link can view,” and that the link remains active until you have received your audition results via email.

Music Curriculum Background

This information does not weigh into admission decisions. Students should not worry if they have not completed college courses or AP exams.

The following questions help the music advisor determine whether students qualify for our music core equivalency assessments which students take before enrollment.

Other institutions sometimes combine written music theory and aural skills in the same course. If you have completed coursework for which that has been the case, you may list yourself as having transferrable credits in both subjects.

Piano/Keyboarding Background

The following question helps us determine whether to place you in beginning, intermediate, or advanced keyboarding skills.  Students in the brass, percussion, strings & guitar, voice, and woodwind areas are not required to have piano competency to be admitted as music students.

Music Degrees

At Entrance & Scholarship Auditions, students complete an audition for major/minor acceptance and/or scholarships. Students auditioning for major/minor acceptance should select the degrees they are interested in studying below. Students auditioning for scholarship consideration only should select “Non-Music Major/Minor.”  

Those accepted as a music major, or minor are eligible to start core classes for that degree in Fall 2023. While audition requirements are the same, consideration for each degree program is different. Students are not committed to these degree programs and will have the opportunity to confirm or decline their acceptance by May 2023 and prior to enrollment. Students are encouraged to explore the music major options.

Music Degree Choice

Live Auditions

Audition scheduling options will become available to select once you have indicated your "Audition Area," "Instrument," and/or "Voice Type" from the selections above.

Select your audition date preference below. Your audition time slot will be assigned based on your date preference and emailed to you by the audition area coordinator. If you have scheduling conflicts with audition dates, please list those under the scheduling conflict section below. We will do our best to accommodate your preferences.

Select your audition time below. Please select the earliest time possible. If there are no more time slots available, or you have a scheduling conflict with remaining time slots, please contact your corresponding audition area coordinator for assistance.  

Please select a time for your vocal audition.

Please select a time for your vocal audition.

Please select a time for your vocal audition.

Please select a time for your vocal audition.

Please list auditions conflicts, if any.

Please list your planned audition repertoire, if possible. Solo repertoire can be changed through the audition day and students do not need to notify us of the change before their audition.

Composition Portfolio

Portfolio materials must be submitted links rather than direct uploads. Please make sure the share settings are set to "anyone with the link can view" to ensure its accessibility. Applicants should make sure all links are active/available until they are notified of their acceptance.

Students who feel they are not prepared to submit a portfolio can disregard this section. The composition area will reach out to prospective students who did not submit a portfolio for options moving forward. Students who didn't submit a portfolio may be able to begin composition lessons to work on their portfolio, contingent on studio availability. 

Paste links below!

Video Submissions

 Please submit your video link(s) below. Ensure your video-sharing settings are set to "Anyone with a link can view," and that the links remain active until you receive your audition results.

Voice Auditions: Students may be contacted to set up a zoom audition for an additional interview, pitch matching, and sight-reading. See the audition requirements section for more information.

Paste your links below!

Looking for more information?

If you have any questions, we're happy to find you an answer. Call the Music Department Office 360-650-3130, or view the directory of faculty and staff.