When should I audition?

You may audition any time after you complete your junior year of high school. It is recommended that you audition as early as possible, to make sure funds are still available for music scholarships.

To schedule a personal audition, fill out the online request form, and someone from the Music Department will contact you to arrange a date and time.

If you cannot perform an on-campus audition, you may submit a videotaped audition. Contact the music faculty for further instructions about taped auditions.

What do I perform for the audition?

1. You will perform, at the direction of the music faculty, various exercises that demonstrate your musical skills. Prospective music majors will be asked to demonstrate their skills in rhythmic reading and sight reading as well as singing and knowledge of basic notation practice, such as: treble clef and bass clef pitch names, accidentals, etc.
2. You should be prepared to perform one or two selections that demonstrate your talents and skills, as follows:

• Singers

1. Prospective voice majors and minors should prepare to sing an art song, aria, or folk song. Should the candidate wish to sing a second selection, it may be a musical theatre selection, if the student wishes, or another art song, aria, or folk song. It is preferable that your song(s) be accompanied by piano (please bring a copy of the music for the accompanist, who will be provided).

2. Other persons who wish to be considered for membership in Union Harmony (Chamber Singers) or Regional Chorus should prepare to sing one selection, such as "My Country, 'tis of Thee" (three stanzas), "O Beautiful for Spacious Skies," etc., or a musical theatre song, sacred song, hymn, folk song, art song, or aria. It is preferable that the song be accompanied by piano (please bring a copy of the music for the accompanist, who will be provided), but songs with recorded accompaniment are acceptable.

• Prospective Piano or Organ Majors

  Prospective piano or organ majors should be prepared to perform from memory one or more pieces from the standard keyboard repertoire of the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, or 20th Century. They should also be prepared to play scales and arpeggios, hands together in two octaves, demonstrating correct fingering and accidentals (all major keys and the three forms of minor scales through 2 sharps and 2 flats).

• Instrumentalists

  Instrumentalists should be prepared to play a selection, with or without accompaniment, that demonstrates their abilities.

Who will listen to my audition?
Up to four music faculty members will hear your audition. The audition is informal and friendly - a time during which faculty members enjoy hearing you perform and, when time permits, talking with you about your musical and personal goals.

Do I need to audition if I am not planning to be a music major or minor?
Yes, if you wish to be considered for admission into a performing ensemble (except for Union College Singers) and/or for a music scholarship.

As a non-music major, when should I audition?
If you want to be considered for a substantial music scholarship, you should audition as soon as you can after your junior year in high school. However, if your goal is simply to perform in an ensemble, you may audition as late as the beginning of the semester in which you enroll at Union. In fact, music scholarship funds may still be available to students who audition at the beginning of their first semester.