Music Scholarship Auditions for Incoming First Year Students
If you are an incoming first year student and plan to pursue a major or minor in music or simply enjoy music, you are eligible to audition for a music scholarship at St. Norbert College. For students interested in music, St. Norbert offers:
- Majors in music education, music performance and liberal arts with a music emphasis
- Minors in music and music for liturgists
- Certification in adaptive music education
- 14 ensembles in a variety of areas
Scholarship Audition FAQs
How Do I Apply for an Audition?
To apply for an audition, click here to go to the Scholarship Audition Form. Please fill out the form completely. Then we will send you an audition information packet in the mail with all your audition details, including a map to Abbot Pennings Hall of Fine Arts and a schedule for your audition day.
The audition dates are:
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Do I need to be admitted to St. Norbert to audition?
No, you don't. However, you will need to have applied to the College before you can audition. Once you audition you will need to be admitted to the College to be considered for a music scholarship.
What will I be asked to do at music scholarship auditions?
The scholarship day includes three areas: performance, theory and personal interview. You will audition for a panel of music faculty members, who will also conduct a short personal interview to learn about your musical background and plans for study at St. Norbert. You will also be asked to take our Comprehensive Musicianship Assessment Exam.
What is the Comprehensive Musicianship Assessment Exam?
All students applying for admission to an undergraduate program who are interested in taking courses in music must take the Comprehensive Musicianship Assessment Exam, a thirty minute test covering music theory (intervals, scales, chords, rhythm, and meter) and aural skills (sight-singing and melodic dictation). This exam is diagnostic; the results are used to help evaluate skills in music theory and aural skills ability of potential incoming students. In some cases, exam results may be used for course placement. The results of the Comprehensive Musicianship Exam do not affect probability of admission.
Sample Test
Sample Melodic Dictation
What should I perform at my audition?
Voice: Two (2) memorized solos of advanced standard literature in contrasting styles. The audition may include testing of vocal range, musicianship, and sight reading. An accompanist will be provided or you may bring your own. Please bring 3 photocopies of your prepared music to your audition.
Woodwind, Brass, Percussion: One (1) solo of advanced standard literature and one (1) etude (contrasting styles), major scales in keys up to 4 sharps and 4 flats, and sight reading. If you prefer, you may audition with one composition which illustrates both melodic and technical abilities. Please bring 4 photocopies of your prepared music to your audition.
Piano: Two solos of advanced standard literature in contrasting styles (equivalent to WSMA class A list), memorization preferred but not required. Sight reading may be requested. Please bring 2 photocopies of your prepared music to your audition.
Can I audition in more than one area?
Yes, but here are some considerations that may help you decide if you want to:
* Incoming students are awarded music scholarships in only one specific area (ie., ‘clarinet,' ‘percussion,' or ‘voice'). Auditioning in multiple areas will not increase the amount of money that is offered to you.
* The area in which you are awarded a scholarship is the area in which you will be required to take lessons and play in an ensemble to maintain your scholarship. This, however, doesn't prevent you from taking additional lessons or participating in other ensembles while you're at St. Norbert.
* If you audition in several areas, we will make the decision in which area your scholarship is awarded. If you want to be considered for a scholarship in only one area, audition only in that area.
Is there a deadline for audition sign ups?
See audition form for deadline dates: Scholarship Audition Form
Do I need to arrive early for my audition? Where do I check in?
Please arrive at least a half hour before your audition time. We provide student guides to take you to your practice and audition rooms Audition check in and registration will take place in the main lobby of the Pennings Hall of Fine Arts on campus.
Are parents allowed to watch auditions? What if they have questions, too?
Parents may watch your audition, but only if you agree to it. We encourage all parents who come to scholarship audition day to attend the Parent Meeting - where they can meet members of the music faculty and bring up any questions or concerns they may have. The time for the Parent Meeting will be included in the audition information packet you will receive.
How much are the scholarships? And how do you decide who gets one?
Scholarships range from $500 to $2,000 for the year and are renewable, subject to review, for three additional years.
St. Norbert music faculty members will listen to your audition and rank it: based on your technical skills, your musicality, and your potential as a performer. Then, based on those rankings, awards are made until all of the scholarship funds have been allocated. In the case of closely ranked auditions, music majors and minors may receive some preference over non-majors.
What are the requirements to maintain my music scholarship?
You must be a full-time student at St. Norbert College. You must be in a major ensemble seven out of your eight semesters, performing on the instrument or voice scholarship you were awarded. If you are planning on going into Teacher Education you should save your "free" semester for the semester you will be student teaching.
What if I can't make either of the scheduled scholarship days?
Contact us at (920) 403-3112 and we'll see what we can do. With permission of the music faculty, you can audition by DVD, or YouTube clip.
Scholarship Audition Form
