Music at McNeese

Undergraduate Admission/Auditions Process

Constantly striving for academic and artistic excellence, the Music Program of the Department of Performing Arts provides an exciting and mentoring environment in which undergraduate students prepare for a future in teaching and/or performance.

All entering freshmen, transfer, and former students seeking re-admission must meet the admission requirements for the university and complete the following undergraduate application process:

1) Submit a completed Application for Undergraduate Admission including a $20.00 application fee and a completed Proof of Immunization Compliance Form.  Apply as early as possible.

Application for Undergraduate Admission

Proof of Immunization Compliance Form

2) Send your official ACT scores (McNeese School Code: 1594) or SAT scores (McNeese School Code: 6403) directly to the university from the testing agency.

3) Submit a completed Service Award/Entrance Audition Application appropriate to the major instrument.

Band Service Award/Entrance Audition Application

Choral Service Award/Entrance Audition Application

String Service Award/Entrance Audition Application

Piano Entrance Audition Application

4) Perform an ENTRANCE AUDITION on the major instrument according to each performance area’s guidelines. 

This audition also serves as a service award and scholarship audition.

●     An audition may be heard on one of the program’s audition/scholarship days or may be scheduled on an individual basis by contacting the major performance area coordinator, the Conductor of University Bands, or the Director of Choral Studies.  Under certain conditions, a high-quality CD may be submitted in lieu of the live audition.

●     Results of the entrance audition will be used to place the student at the appropriate level of major performance study according to the chosen degree requirements and standards. 

●     Transfer students who currently hold a scholarship from another institution will be required to furnish a letter of release from the appropriate institutional authority before their audition can be heard.

●     See specific audition guidelines for each performance area below.

Entrance Audition/Scholarship Dates for Fall 2010

March 19, 2010

March 20, 2010

Audition Guidelines by Performance Area

Questions concerning any aspect of the entrance audition process should be directed to the major performance area coordinator, the Conductor of University Bands, or the Director of Choral Studies.  Contact information is listed below.

Brass

Contact: Prof. William Rose, 337-475-5032, roseb@mcneese.edu

Brass students will be expected to perform

●  Two pieces of contrasting styles: a lyrical piece (song style), and a technical etude or solo.

    For example: a) the Louisiana All-State Etudes, or the Texas District/Region Etudes, or b) a

    solo with a slow lyrical opening, and a technical fast section.

● Major scales in16^th notes,  = 72; Chromatic scale in 16^th notes, =72; For example: Louisiana

All-State Scales; Texas ATSSB Scales.

● Sight reading (Grade 3 difficulty), including technical and lyrical facets, is required;  material

will be provided by the performance audition committee.

Guitar

Contact: Prof. Eric Sylvester, 337-475-5028, ericsylvester@hotmail.com

Guitar students will be expected to perform

●  C Major scale in first position

●  Two prepared pieces in first position in contrasting styles, preferably from Berklee Modern Guitar Method by William Leavitt,

             or alternately from Solo Guitar Playing by Frederick Noad.

●  Sight reading from a short excerpt in first position; material will be provided by the

    performance audition committee.

Percussion

Contact: Prof. Lonny Benoit, 337-475-5466, lbenoit@mcneese.edu

Percussion students will be expected to

●  Demonstrate proficiency in at least two of the following four percussion performance areas;

    students auditioning for awards/scholarships should perform in as many of the four areas as

    they feel competent; all Louisiana All-State audition music and Texas UIL pieces are

    acceptable.

Keyboard.  Major and minor scales and arpeggios; literature at the intermediate difficult level such as found in Modern School of Xylophone, Marimba and Vibraphone by Morris Goldenberg, Recital Pieces for Mallets or Fundamental Studies for Mallets by Garwood Whaley, Masterpieces for Marimba by Thomas McMillan, or equivalent; fundamental understanding of at least one multiple mallet grip and ability to improvise in the jazz idioms is desirable.

Timpani.  Basic knowledge of the mechanical and pitched characteristics of the timpani; performing command of two to four drum exercises as found in Exercises, Etudes and Solos for Timpani by Raynor Carroll, Fundamental Method for Timpani by Mitchell Peters, Modern Method for Timpani by Saul Goodman, or equivalent; basic understanding of intervals and scales and the ability to hear, sing and tune them on the timpani is desirable.

General Percussion.  Strong rudimental background in snare drumming as demonstrated by performance solos by Pratt, Wilcoxon, Hurley, or any drum corps/marching band arrangements, solos or original material; and/or concert-style snare drum performance from Cirone, Firth, Lepak, or the equivalent; basic understanding of tonal and technical aspects of playing bass drum, cymbals, triangle, tambourine and other accessory instruments including Latin-American and/or other ethnic percussion instruments is desirable.

Drum Set.  Strong command of jazz, rock and other musical styles of drum set performance must be displayed through performance of playing time and improvising fills and solos in each style; a thorough knowledge of music fundamentals; basic understanding of reading drum set charts displayed by performance with recorded music or live musicians is encouraged.

● Sight reading on keyboard and snare drum;  materials will be provided by the performance

audition committee.

             See the Percussion Area Handbook for related information

Piano

Contact: Dr. Christy Vogt, 337-475-5038, cvogt@mcneese.edu

Piano students will be expected to perform

● Three contrasting pieces from different stylistic periods such as the Baroque, Classic,

    Romantic, Modern, etc.  While memory is not required, it is preferred. 

● Major scales, four octaves, hands together in16^th notes,  = 90 and major arpeggios, four

octaves, hands together.

● Sight reading is required;  material will be provided by the performance audition committee.

Strings

Contact: Dr. Michael Buckles, 337-475-5034, mbuckles@mcneese.edu

String students will be expected to perform

· At least two contrasting works, to include one movement of a concerto and an etude. 

· At a minimum all major, two octave scales.

● Sight reading and various musicianship exercises to determine placement in

    appropriate ensembles; material will be provided by the performance audition committee.

Voice

Contact: Dr. Carol Lines, 337-475-5029, clines@mcneese.edu

Voice students will be expected to perform

●  Two vocal selections from memory; one selection in a foreign language is preferred.  For

    examples of appropriate musical selections, see the 2008-09 Music Festival List.  For

    exceptions, contact the voice performance coordinator.

● Sight reading is required along with various musicianship exercises; material will be provide

by the performance audition committee.

                          See the Voice Area Information Web Page for related information.

Woodwinds

Contact: Prof. Jan Scott, 337-475-5025, jscott@mcneese.edu

Woodwind students will be expected to perform

●  Two contrasting pieces equivalent to Texas UIL Grade 2, at the minimum; selections may be  

    solo literature or etude material.

●  Two or three major scales and a chromatic scale, full range.

●  Sight reading is required; material will be provided by the performance audition committee. 

Other Contacts in the department: 

Bands: Dr. Jay Jacobs, 337-475-5004, jjacobs@mcnnese.edu

Choral Studies: Dr. Darryl Jones, 337-475-5033, djones@mcneese.edu

Entrance Diagnostic Interviews/Examinations

All entering freshmen must complete a functional piano interview/examination and a written examination on the fundamentals of music.  Results of these interview/examinations are used to place the student in the appropriate functional piano and music theory course.

All transfer and former students seeking re-admission must complete a functional piano examination and a written theory examination.  Results of these examinations along with the students’ previously earned course-level and credit hours are utilized to place the student in the appropriate functional piano and music theory courses.  For more information, see “Entrance Examination Requirements” on the Academic Programs page.

Entrance Diagnostic Interviews/Examinations

Dates

Saturday, August 15, 10:00 a.m. for Fall 2009 Entrance

Saturday, January 17, 10:00 a.m. for Spring 2010 Entrance