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Undergraduate Music Application Guidelines

Music auditions are given at George Mason University to determine a student's eligibility to enter one of the music degree programs. Each person desiring to audition will be given a 10-minute block of time (20-minute block for those desiring to enter the performance concentration at the junior level; see number 8 below) on a specific day when a committee of the music faculty will be available to conduct the audition.

Upon acceptance, all students will be requried to take a placement exam prior to classes. Students may study for the exam here.

Following is the sequence of events:

1. Apply for admission to the University through the Office of Admissions (993-2400). You may audition before making application for admission; however, passing an audition does not guarantee your admission to the University.
2. Complete and submit an Audition Application using the link below. This application provides the Music Department with information concerning your musical background and allows you to select an audition date. You will be notified of the time and location of your audition approximately two weeks prior to the date you selected.
3. The audition will consist of four parts:
   1. Be prepared to perform two selections in contrasting styles (slow-fast, Baroque-20th Century, Italian-English, etc.) totaling between 5 and 10 minutes. Selections need not be memorized, although this is sometimes advantageous.
   2. Be prepared to demonstrate your sight-reading ability on your instrument or voice.
   3. Instrumentalists: be prepared to play all major scales covering the range of your instrument.
   4. Instrumentalists: be prepared to match pitches vocally and to sing a major scale.
4. Vocalists should perform with piano accompaniment. Please ascertain your accompanist's availability for your audition. (The University does not provide accompanists.) A list of local accompanists is available upon request.
5. Please bring one original copy of your music to the audition for the audition committee.
6. You will be notified of the results of the audition by letter, unless you choose to audition the week before classes begin in which case you will be notified at the time of the audition.
7. For transfer students who have applied-music credits they wish to transfer to GMU, the audition will also serve to determine how many of those transfer credits may be used towards the GMU applied-music requirement. (Disallowed credits [i.e., credits that the audition committee does not accept in fulfillment of the GMU applied music requirement] may be used as electives.)
8. Entrance to the Performance Concentration (B.M.): Transfer students and present GMU students who have earned or are presently earning their eighth applied music credit on a major instrument and who desire to enter the performance concentration must prepare 30 minutes of music appropriate to the instrument and representing various genres and style periods. (For transfer students this audition will serve for admission to the Department of Music as well as consideration for acceptance into the performance concentration on the junior level.) Works requiring accompaniment must be performed in this fashion. (The University does not supply accompanists.) Memorization is required on those instruments that traditionally call for it (e.g., voice, piano, guitar). Sight reading ability will also be tested. The audition will last approximately 20 minutes. Auditionees must bring one copy of their music for the audition committee to use.

Scholarship Information

Any students wishing to be considered for a scholarship awarded by the University for the Fall 2008 semester must submit their application for admission by December 1, 2007. Scholarships awarded by the Music Department are based upon the entrance audition and are awarded on an on-going basis. Earlier audition dates are recommended, but not required.

Should you have further questions regarding auditions, please contact the Department of Music (703-993-1380) or Melinda Englert, Audition Coordinator (703-993-1392).

Apply for an Undergraduate Music Department Audition Online