Undergraduate Contemporary Audition Requirements

Admissions, Prescreening/Audition Procedures for Contemporary Performance Principals

Applicants interested in auditioning on a contemporary instrument can apply to the following programs:  Commercial Music & Production, Music Business and Entertainment Industries, Music Education, Music Engineering Technology, Music Therapy. Applicants are automatically considered for the Creative American Music Songwriting minor.

Phase I - Prescreening

• Apply to both the University of Miami and the Frost School of Music;
• Complete the Creative American Music questionnaire online. Specific instructions and a link to the survey will be emailed to you after your application is complete
• Prepare the following for submission:

A video of a live performance of three original songs

Complete lyric sheets

Additionally, you may submit audition recordings in MP3 128bks stereo format.  DOES NOT REPLACE THE LIVE VIDEO.

Phase II - On-Campus audition by invitation

• By invitation only, on-campus appointment on one of our scheduled audition days;
• All applicants invited to audition live are required to submit the songwriting requirements below as well as their individual instrument requirements.

Songwriting Audition Requirements: all applicants

• Your own performance of your three best original songs.
• MP3 – 128kb Stereo format
• A full production is preferred but not necessary.  Guitar or piano accompaniment will suffice.
• Complete lyric sheets
• Optional lead sheets (preferred but not required)
• Completed Creative American Music questionnaire (will be sent once applicant has applied)
• Submit all materials online (url will be sent once applicant has applied).

Drumset

• Student must demonstrate a very strong aptitude in at least one stylistic area of contemporary performance, for example, pop/studio, metal, or  gospel, etc.;
• Soloing in various settings:  trading fours, filling, and improvising over an ostinato figure;
• Chart reading in various styles;
• Student must demonstrate reasonable technical facility;
• Student must demonstrate some proficiency in rock, funk, and fusion styles;
• Student must show some familiarity with Afro-Caribbean, Brazilian, and world styles;
• Student must show openness to embrace other styles with which he/she may be unfamiliar.

Keyboard

• Student must show a very strong aptitude in at least one stylistic area of contemporary performance, for example, pop/studio, metal, or  gospel, etc.;

• Soloing in various settings:  including filling, and improvising over an ostinato figure;

• Chart reading in various styles;

• Student must demonstrate reasonable technical facility;

• Student must demonstrate some proficiency in rock, funk, and fusion styles;

• Student must show some familiarity with Afro-Caribbean, Brazilian, and world styles;

• Student must show openness to embrace other styles with which he/she may be unfamiliar.

Guitar

• Student must show a very strong aptitude in at least one stylistic area of contemporary performance, for example, pop/studio, metal, or  country, etc.;
• Major & Minor open position and barre chords with roots on the 6th & 5th strings.
• Major Scales, Major & Min Pentatonic scales.
• 12 bar blues, classic rock song, pop ballad, and one traditional or ethnic style.
• Chart reading in various styles;
• Student must demonstrate reasonable technical facility on both electric and acoustic guitar;
• Student must show some proficiency in rock, pop, funk, and acoustic guitar styles;
• Student must show openness to embrace other styles with which he/she may be unfamiliar.

Bass 

• Student must show a strong aptitude in at least one stylistic area of contemporary music.
• Student must demonstrate some ability to comprehend and play in other styles - for example, rock, pop, funk, latin, jazz, etc.
• Student must demonstrate ability to play with a good sound and a strong time feel – both as a soloist, and with a rhythm section.
• Student must demonstrate some ability to read music.
• Student must demonstrate reasonable technical facility on the instrument.
• Student must show openness to embrace other styles with which he/she may be unfamiliar.

Voice

• Student must show a very strong vocal aptitude in at least one stylistic area of contemporary performance, for example, pop, r&b, rock, or country, etc.  (Non-melodic performance alone is not sufficient, although very desirable in conjunction with traditional vocal styles.)

• One contemporary ballad.

• One contemporary up-tempo song.

• One original song.

• Student will be asked to demonstrate some improvisational, sight-reading, and harmonization abilities. However, these are not criteria for admission.

• Student may also be asked to demonstrate his/her range and technical facility through typical practice routines and exercises (scales, arpeggios, pitch matching etc.).

• Student must show openness to embrace other styles with which he/she may be unfamiliar.