Music Admissions & Scholarship Auditions

Priority Consideration Deadline: February 25, 2023. 

Video 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.  

Percussion auditions are closed for the 23-24 academic year. Please contact Dr. Patrick Roulet with questions or concerns. Thank you for your interest and please consider auditioning in the future.

February 3, 4, 24, 25, 2023. 

All live auditions will take place in the Performing Arts Center (PA/PAC) on North Campus Download or use an interactive campus map. Live audition rooms will be given to students at check-in.

Students must check-in for their audition in the Performing Arts Center (PA/PAC) Lobby, check-in is available starting at 8:15 am. The check-in table will be clearly marked with a medium blue tablecloth and several signs. Students are encouraged to arrive a minimum of one hour before their audition time to check in and warm up. 

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. 

Practice Rooms

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 30 min before their audition time. Piano students will be assigned 40 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.

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.

Video submissions are accepted for all students who cannot attend on-campus auditions. We strongly encourage students to attend live auditions if they can. Submit videos as shared links to either Youtube or Vimeo through the audition form. Videos that are not public should be shared as unlisted links rather than private. Links should remain active until audition results are received. 

Each selection/requirement may be recorded separately, and students will be able to include multiple links in the audition form.  Introductions to videos are not required. Students should plan for their instrument to fully be in the frame. Piano auditions should record videos where their hands and at least their upper body are in the frame, piano music should be memorized.

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. 

Acceptance to the composition major has two parts: an audition on a primary instrument or voice and the submission of a composition portfolio. Prospective composition majors must submit a successful portfolio of original compositions to be accepted to and begin the Bachelor of Music Composition major. See the Audition Requirements section for portfolio details and area audition requirements.

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. 

Degrees & Advising

Students are encouraged to also explore the Prospective Music Stage page for introductory 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.

Travel and Accommodations and Parking

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

Please review the information on the College of Fine and Performing Arts Getting Here page. We will not supply a parking code for audition days. Please note, that visitors will most likely need to park in the C/CR lots on Friday audition days.  Some students with large instruments may prefer to be dropped off next to parking lot 11G and check in while their guests/family park and walk to the PAC. See the CFPA Getting Here page and Visitor Parking Guide for assistance locating 11G.

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!

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)

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

• Items 1-3 must be performed finger-style in a classical playing position (with a footstool or support) on a nylon string classical guitar.
• Item 4 may be performed on any guitar in a sitting position of the applicant’s choice.
• Scale notation, tablature, and fingering resources are available for free through our Google Drive folder.
• Giuliani resources are available for free through our Google Drive folder.
• 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. 
• Leo Brouwer's Estudio Sencillos is available via Sheet Music Plus.

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 auditions are closed for the 23-24 academic year. Please contact Dr. Patrick Roulet with questions or concerns. Thank you for your interest and please consider auditioning in the future. 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.

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, 20^th/21^st Century Classical periods only.

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

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.

See the audition requirements table after viewing the information under your preferred modality. Audition resources are located below the audition requirements table. 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.

Audition Resources

Audition Requirements

• What is an art song?
• What are classical folk songs?
• What is an aria?

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. 

• Sight singing exercises
• Sight reading tips
• Pitch Matching - see ear training

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.

• The Barret Oboe Method
• The 48 Ferling Studies
• Oboe Solos from the standard oboe repertoire
• International Music Score Library Project.

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. 

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.

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.