<p>I think it was neumes who raised a question I’ve had in another thread and I cannot remember which one it was! So . . . </p>
<p>In a voice audition, would the singer ever be asked to stop at one point of a piece and then pick up from a different spot later. It sounds like this can happen with instrumentalists, but that might be a bigger challenge for vocalists. And does the auditioner generally get to sing the entire piece–or at least one selection in its entirety?</p>
<p>I am no expert, but my D has completed two vocal performance auditions and has friends who have done several and she has never heard of someone being asked to stop and pick up in another spot in the piece. It is also standard for them to hear the entire piece - I guess an exception could be if someone chose a piece much longer than the suggested material. For her first audition, she sang all 4 songs - one after the other. For the second audition, they requested two but told her going into the audition that they would have her sing only one. Then they had her vocalize for range and sight sing for them.</p>
<p>Thanks so much! My daughter is still in high school and I’d like her to be prepared for the inevitabilities! Good luck to your daughter–mine is a soprano as well and that just makes it a little more competitive!</p>
<p>I’ve never heard of it happening - but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t. My daughter likewise sang through all her pieces - even her 9+ min long piece that we were positive they would ask to cut the repeat. Since all my D’s voice teachers have done this during lessons, it would not have been an issue. Just ask her teacher to help her practice picking up the song in different spots. It takes getting used to and I think it really is an excellent gauge on how well you know the song and are comfortable with it.</p>
<p>That’s a very good point ABlest–it would certainly be a measure of how well the song was known. And anything can happen in an audition, but it’s good to know that you’ll most likely be able to get through the whole piece.</p>
<p>Son’s audition at BU (5 faculty in attendance, plus accompanist): prepared three pieces per BU’s specifications. He sang two, then was asked to sing just the first verse of the third, which was a fairly long piece. Then did some sight reading. Auditions were scheduled every 20 minutes. Had a good experience and response, he says–I didn’t go (H did and listened outside the door!).</p>
<p>Auditions will usually allow for a complete run through first piece. For voice auditons, it is important for judges to be able to gauge performance, language and interpretive skills, as well as gain thorough impression of what the voice type/Fach may be. After that, the judges may slice and edit what they want to hear, in order to get correct idea of technical preparation. In the case of audition for opera program, it is common to hear one aria, then portions of one or two other pieces, the goal being to find out if certain technical situations can be handled (range, sound, etc.), and judges will be very specific about where to start, what to include, etc. The same thing happens in orchestra auditions, always excepts to be learned and then played as requested.</p>
<p>My daughter just auditioned at a regional site for SU. They asked for 4 pieces to be prepared on their website, allowed room for three on their registration form and then heard only 2. She had saved the best for last - but ddid not get to do it!</p>
<p>pplake - you can never count on what the adjudicators will want to hear. It is probably best to start with the best for that reason. In one audition, my D sang 4 songs straight through with no stopping or imput from the panel. In another, she sang the expected two and in another they had her only do one and then did scales and sightsinging. She has gotten into the 3 so far so the number of songs requested seems to have nothing to do with what the judges are thinking.</p>
<p>S just finished his first two auditions. One had him do both songs and sight singing all the way thru; the other stopped him 1/2 way thru the second song and 1/2 way thru the sight singing.</p>
<p>The first school also had him do what they called an ear training test. He said they played the first note, middle note and last note of an unnamed scale then he had to sing the scale. Anyone familiar with that? I am not a musician, so I know nothing.</p>
<p>I mentioned BU above; S has had two auditions since, both offsite in NYC. One school had him sing all three of his songs and do sightsinging and ear training and the other school had him sing 2 1/2 of the four required and did sight singing. I wasn’t there (he went with accompanist by train), so I have no more insight than the little that S told me and the bit more that the accompanist (also a very young man) told me. He’s flying alone to his last audition so I’ll hear even less of that one. A pretty big leap from when I had to actually lie in the dentist chair with him on my lap when he had his teeth cleaned.</p>
<p>He was told by his voice teacher to do best song first in case he gets cut off and that being cut off does not mean they don’t like you but that there just isn’t time. For that half song, he didn’t have to start in the middle, just stopped after the first verse.</p>
<p>Most schools do a theory and ear training (aural skills) test. Some are done manually at the piano. Others use the Advanced Measures of Audiation Test, a standardized aptitude test using recorded tones and rhythms with questions about them. Some schools factor in these tests for admission, some do not use them for admission, but look at them for scholarship and others use them for placement only.</p>
<p>On the ear training test. S told me that the person conducting the test told him that he had scored “perfect” but that he would still be put in level one of whatever class that skill was relevant to. The test person said that everyone gets put in level one unless they have already had a college class since the college class covers so much more material even a student with a perfect score will advance skill wise.</p>
<p>Do you think that means the test was for scholarship purposes? It is only now striking me why give the test if you still get level one with a perfect score? (I guess they might not take you if you scored really bad tho’, so it could affect admissions I suppose)</p>
<p>This thread is very interesting. DS is an instrumentalist and he did NOT get to choose which piece to play first at most of his undergrad auditions. The committee told him what to play. This included his solo pieces and his orchestral excerpts.</p>
<p>Some schools have a remedial level of theory/aural skills. Usually it amounts to one extra class period per week in addition to the standard first semester class. At the end, everyone should be ready for the standard second semester classes. It could be that you get placed in “level zero” if your test score is on the low end.</p>
<p>mercymom - I think they give those tests for advanced planning purposes. They don’t really need to know how many advanced students they have as much as they need to know how many lower end students do they have. In other words, are they going to have to schedule a remediation or basic class for students who are not advanced enough. Also, when students get there for registration in the fall, their advisors will know right away if a remedial class needs to be scheduled.</p>
<p>In my D’s experience, West Chester used the theory and aural skills tests for admission. If you don’t score a certain number on each, no admission. University of North Carolina/Greensboro uses it for placement and consideration for scholarship. If you don’t pass the theory test at the audition, you have two more chances to take it before fall. If you don’t pass it after 3 tries, you are put in the basic skills class - a lower level class than Theory 1. In order to get back on track with your class, you will need to go to summer school.</p>
<p>DD always started with her best piece. Voice teacher said first impressions are formed within the first 20-30 seconds so start strong. In all her auditions, she was allowed to choose the first one and the panel often selected the second from her list.</p>