Sheridan College Music Scholarship Audition Guidelines
All students must audition in order to be a considered for a music scholarship. Priority for scholarships is given to high-performing students who declare a music major. Talented non-majors are also encouraged to apply for a scholarship. Scholarship awards range from partial tuition to full tuition, fees, and room and board.
Scholarship recipients are expected to perform in at least one departmental ensemble every semester, and must enroll for private lessons in the music department. For music majors, satisfactory progress toward the completion of a music degree or certificate is required for scholarship renewal.
Live auditions are strongly encouraged. In lieu of a live audition, students may submit a video or sound recording for consideration. Whether auditioning live or via recorded media, submission of letters of endorsement from teachers, music educators, or others familiar with scholarship applicant's musical abilities is highly recommended.
To initiate an audition, fill out the music scholarship audition form.
For high school band, choir, and orchestra students, scale studies and repertoire from All-State auditions are acceptable as audition material. See the following suggestions for individual areas:
Brass and Woodwinds
Perform an audition, up to 10 minutes, on your major instrument. It is not necessary to have an accompanist. The music performed should include the following:
Composition/Music Production
Present recordings or live performances of two musical compositions or productions to the faculty. Accompanying scores, if applicable, should be presented as well. The two works should be in contrasting styles or genres, and at least one of the two works should be for more than a single instrument. Scholarship applicants wishing to focus on composition and/or music production are expected to be proficient and active performers on at least one conventional instrument.
Guitar
Perform an audition up to 10 minutes. Your audition should include the following:
Percussion
Required audition areas (must do both)
Choice areas (choose one or more)
Piano
Perform an audition up to 10 minutes. Your audition should include two memorized solos from any two of these four stylistic periods:
Strings
Perform an audition up to 10 minutes. It is not necessary to have an accompanist. If you do require an accompanist, please send one copy of your audition music to arrive at least two weeks prior to the audition date. Please prepare the following:
Voice
Perform an audition up to 10 minutes. You may bring your own accompanist, or we will provide one. If you will require our accompanist, please e-mail or send one copy of your audition music to arrive at least two weeks prior to the audition date. You will be evaluated based on tonal quality, rhythm, intonation, phrasing, interpretation, diction, and stage presence as well as overall musical ability and accuracy.
Your audition should include the following:
Scholarship recipients are expected to perform in at least one departmental ensemble every semester, and must enroll for private lessons in the music department. For music majors, satisfactory progress toward the completion of a music degree or certificate is required for scholarship renewal.
Live auditions are strongly encouraged. In lieu of a live audition, students may submit a video or sound recording for consideration. Whether auditioning live or via recorded media, submission of letters of endorsement from teachers, music educators, or others familiar with scholarship applicant's musical abilities is highly recommended.
To initiate an audition, fill out the music scholarship audition form.
For high school band, choir, and orchestra students, scale studies and repertoire from All-State auditions are acceptable as audition material. See the following suggestions for individual areas:
Brass and Woodwinds
Perform an audition, up to 10 minutes, on your major instrument. It is not necessary to have an accompanist. The music performed should include the following:
- Two standard solos of contrasting styles (one movement of concerto or sonata or comparable solo of Class A level or above).
- Major and minor (all three forms—natural, harmonic and melodic) scales with arpeggios, and chromatic scales.
Composition/Music Production
Present recordings or live performances of two musical compositions or productions to the faculty. Accompanying scores, if applicable, should be presented as well. The two works should be in contrasting styles or genres, and at least one of the two works should be for more than a single instrument. Scholarship applicants wishing to focus on composition and/or music production are expected to be proficient and active performers on at least one conventional instrument.
Guitar
Perform an audition up to 10 minutes. Your audition should include the following:
- Two movements or compositions in contrasting character or style, such as a fast and slow movement of a Sor Etude, Nos. 11-20 (Segovia edition).
- A movement of a Bach suite (or the equivalent).
Percussion
Required audition areas (must do both)
- A solo on marimba, vibraphone, or xylophone. The solo may be for two or four mallets (a four-mallet solo is strongly encouraged).
- A snare drum solo that demonstrates concert style.
Choice areas (choose one or more)
- Timpani - A solo for two, three, or four drums. Excerpts from the standard orchestral repertoire would also be acceptable.
- Multiple percussion - A solo on any combination of percussion instruments.
- Drum Set - A prepared solo and/or improvisation in a variety of styles.
- World percussion instruments - A prepared solo and/or improvisation in an area of your choice.
Piano
Perform an audition up to 10 minutes. Your audition should include two memorized solos from any two of these four stylistic periods:
- A Bach keyboard composition with a contrapuntal texture (invention, fugue, etc.)
- A sonata-allegro movement from a work of Haydn, Mozart, or Beethoven
- A Romantic work by composers such as Chopin, Brahms, and Schumann
- A 20th century work by a composer such as Debussy, Bartok or other major composer writing after 1900
Strings
Perform an audition up to 10 minutes. It is not necessary to have an accompanist. If you do require an accompanist, please send one copy of your audition music to arrive at least two weeks prior to the audition date. Please prepare the following:
- Two major scales and any melodic minor scale
- A movement of concerto or sonata. Alternatively, the candidate may perform three contrasting orchestral excerpts.
Voice
Perform an audition up to 10 minutes. You may bring your own accompanist, or we will provide one. If you will require our accompanist, please e-mail or send one copy of your audition music to arrive at least two weeks prior to the audition date. You will be evaluated based on tonal quality, rhythm, intonation, phrasing, interpretation, diction, and stage presence as well as overall musical ability and accuracy.
Your audition should include the following:
- Two selections of contrasting styles to be sung from memory (may include an appropriate opera or oratorio aria). One song must be in English; the second song may be in English or a foreign language.
