Music Admissions & Audition Information

West Virginia State University Admission Requirements
Please refer to the University Catalog for information regarding University admissions policies for first-time freshman, transfer students, and transient students.

FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)
Please see pages 24–36 in the 2020–2021 University Catalog for information on financial aid, University scholarships, and the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). All students seeking student loans, grants, and scholarships (including those offered by the Department of Music) are required to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. More information is available at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa.

Students are admitted into the BFA in Music Performance and BS in Music Education through audition. Audition requirements for each instrument are found below. To schedule an audition, contact Dr. Scott Woodard, Music Department Chair, at scott.woodard@wvstateu.edu or 304-766-3190.

Flute, Clarinet, and Bassoon
All major scales over the full range of the instrument
Chromatic scale slurred over the full range of the instrument
Two contrasting works from the standard solo repertoire. These can include entire pieces or individual movements from significant concerti or sonatas. One work may be a concert etude composed for the instrument.

Oboe and Saxophone
All major scales and chromatic scale slurred over the full range of the instrument
Two contrasting works from the standard solo repertoire. These can include entire pieces or individual movements from significant concerti or sonatas. One work may be a concert etude (e.g. 48 Famous Etudes for Oboe or Saxophone by F.W. Ferling) composed for the instrument.

Brass
Trumpet, Horn, Trombone, and Tuba/Euphonium
All major scales and chromatic scale
Two contrasting works from the standard solo repertoire. These may be single movements from a concerto or sonata.
One etude.

Applicants for the performance major are encouraged to prepare anything else that might strengthen their audition (such as prepared orchestral excerpts, etc).

Snare Drum
One concert style solo or etude demonstrating closed rolls, flams, ruffs, dynamics, and rhythmic precision. Suggested list: Delecluse, Peters, Cirone, Tompkins, or equivalent.
or
One rudimental style solo or etude demonstrating double stroke rolls, flams, drag, and other rudiments. Suggested list: Pratt, Wilcoxon, or equivalent.

Mallets
One two-mallet solo. Suggested list: Bach violin or cello transcription, Green Ragtime piece, Goldenberg etude, or equivalent.  Scales: All major scales in one octave. 

Timpani 
Solo or etude for 3 or 4 timpani. Suggested list: Goodman, Hochrainer, Peters, Delecluse, or equivalent
Ability to tune timpani by matching pitches played on the piano.

Drum Set (optional)
Demonstrate one grove for each of the following styles: Jazz, Rock, and Latin.

Snare Drum
One concert style solo or etude demonstrating closed rolls, flams, ruffs, dynamics, and rhythmic precision. Suggested list: Delecluse, Peters, Cirone, Tompkins, or equivalent.
One rudimental style solo or etude demonstrating double stroke rolls, flams, drag, and other rudiments. Suggested list: Pratt, Wilcoxon, or equivalent.

Mallets
One two-mallet solo. Suggested list: Bach violin or cello transcription, Green Ragtime piece, Goldenberg etude, or equivalent.
One four-mallet solo, Suggested list: Quartier Image, Peters Sea Refractions, Peters Yellow After the Rain, Zivkovic Funny Mallets book 1, or equivalent.  Scales: All major scales in 2 octaves. 

Timpani
Solo or etude for 3 or 4 timpani. Suggested list: Goodman, Hochrainer, Peters, Delecluse, or equivalent.
Ability to tune timpani by matching pitches played on the piano and ability to tune the following intervals: major 3^rd, major 3^rd, perfect 4^th, and perfect 5^th.

Drum Set (optional)
Demonstrate one grove for each of the following styles: Jazz, Rock, and Latin.

Violin, Viola, and Cello
An etude from etude books appropriate for each instrument such as Fiorillo, Kreutzer, Dont, Rode, Mazas, Kayser, Popper, etc.
Two contrasting works from two different stylistic periods (Baroque, Classical, Romantic, or 20th Century or 21st Century) of the standard solo repertoire. These can include entire works or individual movements from a major concerto, sonata, or suite.
Two or three octave scales may be requested at the audition

Double Bass and Electric Bass
1 to 2 Octave Major and Minor Scales. 
An etude from Simandl’s “30 Studies for the Development of Tone” or a book of comparable difficulty. 
1 to 2 Contrasting works from the standard solo double bass repertoire such as a Baroque sonata, a concerto, or solos of equal difficulty. 

Guitar
The audition for the guitar studio is an overall evaluation. Most applicants are not equally strong in all areas; in some cases, a deficiency in one area may be mitigated by excelling in another.
Sight reading Fluency in basic sight reading skills is required, and is possibly the most important element of the audition. With hard work, an acceptable level of sight reading ability can be achieved in a matter of a few months. Recommended Preparation: Leavitt, Wm., A Modern Method for guitar, Berklee Series, Vol. 1 (Milwaukee: Hal Leonard Publications). pp. 4-59
Scales Movable Major Scale Patterns, any key. Useful fingerings may be found in Berklee, Vol. 1 (pp. 60, 70,80, 90, 100); the “3 notes per string” system; or the Segovia Diatonic Major and Minor Scales (Belwin Mills Publishing Co.)
Chord Vocabulary Ability to play chords to a jazz tune, in tempo, from a lead sheet or jazz fakebook, is required.
Improvisation on a blues or jazz standard of your choice. For this, play-along CDs, such as the Jamey Aebersold Jazz Aids series, are highly recommended and can be mailed to you through Volkwein’s Music (Pittsburgh: 1-800-553-8742; 412-788-5900) or purchased locally. Recommended: “Nothin’ But Blues” or “Blues in All Keys.”

Solo Pieces Two pieces for the solo guitar, in contrasting style. Pieces from the classical repertoire or jazz standards are preferred. NOT acceptable: any piece which is not complete or not meant for guitar alone, such as an accompaniment for voice or any other instrument; part of an arrangement for a band; or supported by another instrument (e.g., bass, piano, or another guitar).

Piano
All major scales and chromatic scale, two octaves in both hands
Three works from the standard piano literature representing three different style periods: examples of selections include works from the baroque period (Bach, Handel, Scarlatti, etc.), a sonata movement from the classical period (Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, etc.), a romantic work (Chopin, Schumann, Brahms, etc.), or a contemporary work (Debussy, Copland, Bartók, etc.). A fourth additional piece of the applicant’s choice may also be included.

Voice
A minimum of three songs, two of which should be from the standard classical art song repertoire. At least one of the two should be in a foreign language such as French, Italian, or German. The third song may be classical, or it may come from the musical theatre repertoire.
All songs should be sung from memory. An accompanist will be provided, and the applicant should bring a copy of the music for the accompanist.
The audition includes a sight singing and aural skills assessment.