Music Auditions and Scholarships

Voice Applicants

• Voice applicants in B.A. Music and B.M. Music Education should prepare three pieces of contrasting style. We encourage selections from the standard classical vocal literature, however other styles are acceptable as well.
• Voice applicants in B.M. Performance should audition with at least two of their three selections being from the standard classical literature. One of those two selections should be in a foreign language The third selection may be the applicant’s choice.
• Music for Accompanist: Voice applicants must forward files of their music at least one week in advance for the accompanist.

Strings, Woodwinds, Brass, and Guitar Applicants

• Strings, woodwinds, and brass applicants should prepare two contrasting pieces. Guitar applicants must audition on acoustic guitar with two contrasting pieces.

Percussion Applicants

• Percussion applicants are required to audition with one piece on snare drum and one piece on mallet percussion. Timpani is encouraged, but not required.

Piano Applicants

• Piano applicants for B.M. in Music Education or B.A. in Music degrees will perform two solo works in contrasting styles, with at least one of these being memorized. They can be chosen from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Impressionistic, or 20th/21st Century periods.
• Piano applicants for the B.M. in Performance degree will perform three memorized solos in contrasting styles. They can be chosen from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Impressionistic, or 20th/21st Century periods.

Virtual audition video links for strings, woodwinds, brass, guitar, percussion, piano, as well as voice applicants with recordings via a live accompanist or prerecorded track may be submitted to dangelomusic@mercyhurst.edu.

Voice Applicants

• Voice applicants in Music Therapy will be expected to audition with two pieces of their choice.
• Music for Accompanist: Voice applicants must forward files of their music at least one week in advance for the accompanist.
• Virtual auditions: If submitting a virtual audition with video links, vocalists may choose either to record with a live accompanist or with a pre-recorded track.
• Additionally, in a separate session on the day of your audition (or virtually if choosing the virtual option), Vocal applicants in Music Therapy will:
• Sing two pieces from popular music (1940s-current, any genre) while accompanying yourself on either guitar or piano.
  Interview with the director of the Music Therapy program. 
• Submit an essay regarding your personal philosophy of music, as applied to a therapeutic setting. Please include any areas of Music Therapy or specific patient populations you may be interested in working with while enrolled in our Music Therapy degree, and why.

Instrumental Applicants

• Instrumental applicants in Music Therapy should perform two pieces of contrasting style on your primary instrument.
• Additionally, in a separate session on the day of your audition (or virtually if choosing the virtual option), Instrumental applicants in Music Therapy will:
• Sing two pieces from popular music (1940s-current, any genre) while accompanying yourself on either guitar or piano.
  Interview with the director of the Music Therapy program. 
• Submit an essay regarding your personal philosophy of music, as applied to a therapeutic setting. Please include any areas of Music Therapy or specific patient populations you may be interested in working with while enrolled in our Music Therapy degree, and why.

Virtual audition voice and instrumental applicants may send their video links and submit a hard copy or emailed essay to dangelomusic@mercyhurst.edu.

• B.M. in Composition applicants will be required to show evidence of a strong creative ability, demonstrated through completed works. Applicants should bring scores, and, if possible, recordings of at least two recent compositions to their audition.
• .mp3 files may also be submitted prior to an audition, provided the applicant brings hard copies of scores to the audition, and either a CD recording or .mp3s ready to play on the applicant's computer or other device. Contrast in style and media is preferred. Electronic works and pieces that by their nature cannot be represented through standard notation may be submitted in recorded form, without accompanying scores.
• All applicants should possess a well-developed ear and should have an intermediate technique on at least one instrument.

Virtual audition .mp3 files of live recordings or software graphics scores and .pdf files of scores may be sent to dangelomusic@mercyhurst.edu.