Apply to Florida Southern.
You can audition once you've applied, whether you've been accepted academically or are still pending an admission decision.
Music Auditions
Auditions give us a chance to hear you firsthand and you a chance to check us out,
too. Talk with our faculty. See how it feels to be a music student at Florida Southern
College. An audition is required of all students applying as music majors.
How Music Auditions Work
Auditioning for a BFA theatre program at Florida Southern is a multi-step process:
Register for your audition.
Complete the registration form to reserve your audition. If none of the listed dates work, choose "Alternate Date" and the Department of Music will reach out to schedule.
Prepare your requirements.
Review the requirements for your instrument below and prepare your pieces and scales.
Audition and be considered for a scholarship.
Every music major applicant is automatically considered for a talent-based scholarship at their audition.
Receive your artistic decision.
Academic and artistic decisions are sent separately. All advancing applicants are considered for both program acceptance and scholarships.
Save your spot.
Admitted students have until May 1, the National Candidate Reply Date, to submit their enrollment deposit.
Music Scholarship Criteria
This audition is for students who have already applied to and been academically accepted to Florida Southern College, or who are awaiting an admission decision.
Music scholarships are awarded annually based on student talent, department need, and each student's total financial package. Auditions for talent-based music scholarships are held throughout the year before your intended enrollment at Florida Southern. All music major applicants are automatically considered for scholarships.
Scholarships are awarded to students planning to pursue majors in:
Requirements: Audition Requirements By Instrument
Find your instrument below and review the requirements for your intended degree. In most cases, Music Performance applicants have a more extensive set of requirements than applicants for other degrees and non-majors auditioning for ensemble scholarships or applied lessons.
Classical Guitar
All Degrees (Music Performance, Bachelor of Arts, Music Education, Music Management)
- Two solo pieces in contrasting styles. Suggested works include pieces by Carcassi, Sor, Giuliani, Bach, Brouwer, Aguado, Tarrega, Villa-Lobos, and others. Students with technical skill in genres other than classical may supplement their audition with a piece that reflects their abilities, such as modern fingerstyle arrangements or jazz selections.
- Three major scales of your choice from Segovia Diatonic Major and Minor Scales.
Non-Majors
- Audition music will be provided for ensemble scholarships or applied lessons.
Jazz Guitar (Music Majors)
- Two contrasting selections (blues, jazz standard, and ballad). For each selection, perform the head, comp for one chorus, return to the head, and end accordingly.
- Two major scales, one harmonic minor scale, and one melodic minor scale.
- Sight-reading, sheet music provided at the audition.
Music Performance (Three Art Songs)
- One English art song.
- One art song in Italian, German, French, or Spanish.
- One art song of your choice in Italian, German, French, or Spanish.
All Other Degrees (Bachelor of Arts, Music Education, Music Management) — Two Songs
- One English art song.
- One art song in Italian, German, French, or Spanish.
Suggested literature: Art songs by Handel, Mozart, Schubert, Schumann, Debussy, Fauré, Quilter, Copland, and Burleigh. Songs from the Twenty-Four Italian Songs and Arias anthology are also acceptable. All songs must be memorized.
Music Performance
- First movement of any Mozart horn concerto, or R. Strauss Concerto No. 1.
- Any contrasting work.
- Two or more excerpts from the following (available free with sample recordings at hornexcerpts.org):
- Strauss, Till Eulenspiegel, horn 1, beginning of rehearsal 1
- Brahms, Symphony No. 1, horn 1, movement 2, mm. 90 to 105
- Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 5, horn 1, movement 2, mm. 8 to 28
- Beethoven, Symphony No. 3, horn 2, movement 3, mm. 163 to 205
- Scales, ascending and descending, full range of instrument: chromatic and 12 major scales.
All Other Degrees and Non-Majors
- Two contrasting selections demonstrating both lyricism and technical dexterity.
- Scales, ascending and descending, full range of instrument: chromatic and 2 major scales.
Suggested literature: Kopprasch 60 Studies for Horn; Maxime-Alphonse 200 New Melodic and Gradual Studies, Book 1 or 2; Max Pottag etude books; any Mozart horn concerto (1st movement exposition, 3rd movement of 2, 3, or 4); Strauss Horn Concerto No. 1; Haydn Horn Concerto No. 1 or 2.
Music Performance
- Two contrasting selections demonstrating both lyricism and technical dexterity.
- Scales, ascending and descending, full range of instrument: chromatic and 12 major scales.
- Jazz improvisation, as you are able.
All Other Degrees and Non-Majors
- Two contrasting selections demonstrating both lyricism and technical dexterity.
- Scales, ascending and descending, full range of instrument: chromatic and 2 major scales.
- Jazz improvisation, as you are able.
Suggested literature: Haydn Concerto in E-flat; Goedicke Concert Etude; Arutunian Concerto; H.L. Clarke Carnival of Venice; Balay Prelude et Ballade; Handel/Fitzgerald Aria con Variazioni; Arban etudes from 14 Characteristic Studies (from Arban's Complete Method); Goldman etudes from Practical Studies for Trumpet.
Music Performance
- Two contrasting selections demonstrating both lyricism and technical dexterity.
- Scales, ascending and descending, full range of instrument: chromatic and 12 major scales.
All Other Degrees and Non-Majors
- Two contrasting selections demonstrating both lyricism and technical dexterity.
- Scales, ascending and descending, full range of instrument: chromatic and 2 major scales.
Suggested literature (Trombone): Galliard Sonatas (one), Grafe Grand Concerto, Guilmant Morceau Symphonique, Ropartz Andante and Allegro, Hasse Suite, Barat Andante et Allegro, Telemann Sonata in F minor, Rimsky-Korsakov Concerto, David Concertino; or etudes from Rochut Melodious Etudes Book I, Tyrell 40 Progressive Studies, Blazhevich Clef Studies.
Suggested literature (Euphonium): Galliard Sonatas (one), Guilmant Morceau Symphonique, Ropartz Andante and Allegro, Barat Andante et Allegro; or selections from Tyrell Advanced Studies, Kopprasch 60 Selected Studies, Rochut Melodious Etudes Book 1.
Suggested literature (Tuba): Bach/Bell Air and Bourree, Haddad Suite for Tuba, Beethoven/Bell Variations on Judas Maccabaeus, Jacob Tuba Suite, any Wilder Sonata or Suite; or selections from Tyrell Advanced Studies, Blazhevich 70 Studies, Kopprasch 60 Selected Studies.
Requirements are the same across degrees, including non-majors auditioning for ensemble participation.
- A prepared solo on snare drum, timpani, and mallet percussion (all three required). For mallets, you may choose either two-mallet or four-mallet repertoire; you need not do both.
- Scales, ascending and descending: 12 major scales.
Suggested Literature
Snare Drum
Concert Etudes by Delecluse, Cirone, Peters, Firth; Portraits in Rhythm, Cirone; Douze Etudes, Delecluse; Solo Snare Drummer, Firth; Intermediate Snare Drum Studies, Peters
Timpani
Solos by: Vic Firth, Beck, Goodman, Peters, Hochrainer. Solo Timpanist, Firth. Any solos by John Beck. Etudes from Modern Method for Timpani, Goodman. Etuden fur Timpani, Hochrainer. Any solos by Mitchell Peters
Mallets
You can choose either two or four mallet repertoire. You do not have to do both.
- Two-mallet solos by Goldenberg, Peters, Hatch, Zivkovic Modern School for Xylophone, Goldenberg Fundamental Method for Mallets, Peters Funny Mallets, Zivkovic. Any solos by Earl Hatch
- Four-mallet solos by Stout, Peters, Gomez, Abe Any solo by Gordon Stout Any solo by Mitchell Peters Rain Dance, Mbira Song, Alice Gomez Any solo by Keiko Abe
Requirements apply across all degrees (Music Performance, Bachelor of Arts, Music Education, Music Business), with the scale exceptions noted below.
Repertoire
- One composition from the Baroque period.
- One movement of a sonata from the Classical period, in sonata form with an exposition, development, and recapitulation.
- One composition from the Romantic, Impressionist, or Contemporary period.
- Sight-reading, at the discretion of the audition panel.
Scales
- All major and minor scales (harmonic minor), hands together, four octaves in 16th notes ascending and descending, at a minimum speed of quarter note = 88.
- Bachelor of Arts and Music Education: scales in two octaves.
- Music Business: scales in two octaves, all major keys, no minor keys.
Suggested Literature: Baroque: Bach inventions or dance movements; compositions by Scarlatti, Couperin, or Rameau. Classical: Haydn, Mozart, or Beethoven.
Music Performance
- Two contrasting selections demonstrating both lyricism and technical dexterity.
- Scales, slurred and/or tongued, from your lowest to highest range and back, with your choice of starting and ending pitches: chromatic and 12 major scales.
All Other Degrees and Non-Majors
- Two contrasting selections demonstrating both lyricism and technical dexterity.
- Scales, ascending and descending, full range of instrument: chromatic and two major scales of your choice.
Suggested literature: J.S. Bach Sonatas, Handel Sonatas, Telemann Sonatas or Fantasies, Mozart Concertos or Andante in C, Flute Music by French Composers (Schirmer), Debussy Syrinx, etudes from Selected Studies for Flute (Voxman, Rubank).
Music Performance
- Two contrasting selections demonstrating both lyricism and technical dexterity.
- One fast movement from a concerto or sonata.
- One movement from a piece of contrasting period or style.
- One etude from Forty Progressive Melodies (Barret Oboe Method) or 48 Famous Studies (Ferling).
- Scales, ascending and descending, full range of instrument: chromatic and 12 major scales.
All Other Degrees and Non-Majors
- Two contrasting selections demonstrating both lyricism and technical dexterity.
- Scales, ascending and descending, full range of instrument: chromatic (from low B-flat to high F, slurred) and two major scales of your choice.
Suggested literature: Cimarosa, Marcello, Handel, Telemann, Haydn, or Mozart.
Music Performance
- Two or three contrasting selections demonstrating lyricism, technical dexterity, and an understanding of at least two different musical styles (Classical, Romantic, 20th century, French, German, Italian, and so on).
- Scales, ascending and descending, full range of instrument: chromatic (low E to high G, slurred) and 12 major scales.
All Other Degrees and Non-Majors
- Two contrasting selections demonstrating both lyricism and technical dexterity.
- Scales, ascending and descending, full range of instrument: chromatic (low E to high G, slurred), and two three-octave major scales (your choice from E, F, F#, G, A-flat, A), played both slurred and articulated.
Suggested literature: Weber Concertino or Concertos, Mozart Concerto, Finzi Five Bagatelles, Tartini Concertino, Wagner Adagio, Concert and Contest Collection (Voxman, Rubank), 16 Grand Solos de Concert (Southern Music Co.).
Music Performance
- Two contrasting selections demonstrating both lyricism and technical dexterity.
- One etude of your choice.
- Scales, ascending and descending, full range of instrument: chromatic and twelve major scales.
All Other Degrees and Non-Majors
- Two contrasting selections demonstrating both lyricism and technical dexterity.
- Scales, ascending and descending, full range of instrument: chromatic and two major scales of your choice.
Suggested literature: Mozart Concerto in B-flat, Weber Concerto, Telemann Sonata in F minor, Galliard or Marcello Sonatas, Vivaldi Concertos, etudes from Weissenborn 50 Studies.
Music Performance
- Two contrasting movements from standard solo repertoire by different composers, demonstrating lyrical phrasing and technical proficiency. Suggested works, or other works of comparable difficulty, are acceptable.
- One étude from Voxman Selected Studies, Ferling 48 Études, Mule 18 Exercises d'après Berbiguier, or Karg-Elert 25 Caprices.
- Scales, ascending and descending, full range of instrument: chromatic and 12 major scales.
- Jazz improvisation (optional): improvise on a blues or standard jazz tune. Jamey Aebersold or similar accompaniment may be used.
All Other Degrees and Non-Majors
- Two contrasting selections demonstrating both lyricism and technical dexterity.
- Scales, ascending and descending, full range of instrument: chromatic and 2 major scales.
- Jazz improvisation (optional): improvise on a blues or standard jazz tune. Jamey Aebersold or similar accompaniment may be used.
Suggested literature: Bozza Aria, Creston Sonata, J. Rueff Chanson et Passepied, etudes from Selected Studies for Saxophone (H. Voxman, Pub: Rubank), 48 Studies after Ferling (M. Mule, pub: Leduc), 27 Virtuoso Studies for Saxophone (L. Bassi, pub: Carl Fischer).Heiden, Eccles/Rascher, or Handel/Mule; concertos by Glazounov or Ibert; Maurice Tableaux de Provençe; VillaLobos Fantasia.
Music Performance
- The first or third movement from a standard concerto or sonata.
- Two contrasting movements of unaccompanied Bach.
- Scales: same as the other music major requirements, except four octaves for cello.
All Other Degrees and Non-Majors
- Two compositions in contrasting styles, including a movement from a standard concerto or sonata (one composition for non-majors).
- Scales: any major scale and one melodic minor in three octaves, your choice.
Music Performance
- Two contrasting solo works from the standard repertoire, such as Eccles, Dragonetti, or Koussevitsky.
- An orchestral excerpt from Haydn, Mozart, or Beethoven.
- One major and one melodic minor scale, three octaves.
All Other Degrees and Non-Majors
- A solo work from the standard repertory, such as Eccles, Dragonetti, or Koussevitsky.
- An orchestral excerpt from Haydn, Mozart, or Beethoven.
- One major and one melodic minor scale in at least two octaves.
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