<p>Im a senior in high school and looking into many majors, music performance being one of them. Just wondering if there are any colleges that do not require an audition. I know Sarah Lawerence in New York doesn't, just wondering if there are others.</p>
<p>Mostly, it will be schools that offer a BA in music that donât require auditions. I know Skidmore doesnât require auditions for music majors there, although they do have a performance competion for music scholarships.</p>
<p>I agree that the schools you will find a music âperformanceâ major without an audition admit criteria are those that offer a BA. The list will include some, but I donât think all, of the list that comprises âThe Colleges That Change Livesâ. Google the term, and youâll find the website.</p>
<p>There are BA programs that DO have an audition based admission criteria. </p>
<p>Iâm going to stick my neck out and say without verifying that I can think of no BM program that does not have an audition based criteria.</p>
<p>There are a few programs that may start as a BA in music, and allow you to audition into the BM at some point, usually towards the end of sophomore year. I believe Oberlin has (or had) this option. There are others.</p>
<p>Realize also that any âperformanceâ path will have regular juries, which must be passed to continue within the major. This is true of BA, BS, BFA and BM variants, although the frequency of these may be program specific. The typical BM requires an annual jury, culminating in a senior recital.</p>
<p>I have to question the thought processes that are getting you to consider a performance concentration without an audition based criteria. Iâm not trying to denigrate your skills, but PLEASE realize that music performance is an extremely competitive field, filled with exceptional talent with years of training prior to undergrad work. The prospects for many are dim to dismal, and few will find that one performance job that will provide a comfortable living. Yes, one can make a living, but it is a series of gigs, short term positions, and some sort of studio or private teaching as the norm.</p>
<p>You may well be talented and highly skilled, and a detail of your training and experience, instrument(s) would be helpful in pointing you to schools. But realize also that a non audition BA program may not be the best place to prepare for a performance degree in hopes of a pro career. Many of these programs are fine for continued skill building and refinement, especially for an avocational player. There are some excellent instructors, and you will find students of exceptional talent. What you will not find is depth, strength and talent across all instruments and disciplines. Musicians get better when they can play and ;earn from peers of equal or greater talent. This may be lacking in any number of programs along the lines you seek.</p>
<p>Consider what you wish to do by pursuing undergrad music performance. </p>
<p>Please read through the threads here: <a href=âhttp://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/258796-so-you-want-music-major-one-familys-experience.html[/url]â>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/258796-so-you-want-music-major-one-familys-experience.html</a>
<a href=âhttp://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/460187-how-many-music-voice-performance-majors-find-jobs.html[/url]â>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/460187-how-many-music-voice-performance-majors-find-jobs.html</a></p>
<p>They may answer some questions, and pave the way for new ones.</p>
<p>Viola dad is right on the mark with his comments about music performance. Though every instrument is different, all of them if you are talking about solo performance, chamber or orchestral work range from insanely competitive to totally on mars competitive and that isnât just with the âtop endâ, it applies in many cases across the board. Quite honestly, given the level of competition I have seen even at the pre college level, I would question the value of a non audition program in terms of actually being able to perform (though if what Viola dad said was true, that some programs let you switch into the BM performance track after getting some legs). Among other things, I would assume that a non audition program would generally have a lower level of playing ability, and even if you got a really good teacher, the lack of general level of people in the program would be detrimental, as I know from direct experience with my son (he played in a local youth orchestra, where the kids for the most part were not that dedicated to music, and it really, really was not fun or rewarding for him, it actually worked against him rising up and picking up the pace, because it damped a lot of his enthusiasm; conversely, getting into a high level youth orchestra this past year has helped really, really build a fire under him and I think helped him beat the odds and get into the pre college program he is entering in the fall).</p>
<p>Even if you are thinking of going a non traditional route, like perhaps going into other areas of performance other then classical ensemble or solo work, you still may want to think about that the idea of a non audition school for performance. Though the standards are different, if you want to for example go into jazz or pop music or perhaps some type of folk, etc, you still will need to get your performance chops in, and again I suspect a non audition program wonât do much to light that fireâŠ</p>
<p>Others probably have differing opinions and mine is simply that, an opinion among many.</p>
<p>Could you tell us what your instrument is, or voice type? And, just curious, if you are considering a performance major, why are you looking for a school that would admit you without an audition? As the others have said, given the level of competition for spots in performance programs, one really has to question not only the value, but the quality, of a program that doesnât audition itâs candidates. Sure, any school can give you a degree like that, but what would you do with it after graduation? College is expensive- at least get your moneyâs worth!</p>
<p>Oberlin has recently changed the BA requirements for music majors. It used to be that you could start off as a music major in the college in first semester of freshman year without auditioning. If you did not pass at least the audition for secondary (half hour per week) lessons with a faculty member by the end of sophomore year, you still had the option of being a music major in the musicology/music history track, or you could switch to a non-music major.</p>
<p>Now, you cannot declare as a music major until you have auditioned into a faculty memberâs studio (at least for secondary lessons) and gotten at least a B in one of several specified intro music courses. That means that most students pursuing a BA in music there do not declare as music majors until at least second semester of freshman year. Entrance to the conservatory remains by audition for primary lessons (hour per week) with a faculty member. It is possible but difficult to go from the BA program to the BM program. It is easy for those already in the BM program to switch to the BA program or to join the double degree program with a non-music BA curriculum in addition to the BM, but either could result in an additional semester or two being required before graduation.</p>
<p>Donât know the OPâs situation. But one reason that comes to mind for looking for non-audition schools is that elusive search for a âsafety schoolâ for performance majors. First step would be to figure out which schools those are. Second, to explore their websites for other admission criteria, programs, teachers, etc. And third, to plan some visits.</p>
<p>If that is the OPâs goal, then good for him. Having a sure thing in the bag going into auditions takes an enormous load off.</p>
<p>Very often on these boards, people will ask for a school that is good for this or that, and everyone pulls out the top ten or twenty again. It would be great to have a list of non-audition (or âeasy auditionâ) schools for back-up plans.</p>
<p>I think Denison doesnât require an audition. It also offers a performance minor, which is hard to come by.</p>
<p>Allegheny also doesnât require an audition.</p>
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<p>Thank you for that post binx. I was waiting to hear from Muziclover to get more of an understanding about the interest in schools with performance major that do not have auditions, but after reading your reply, I have a few comments.</p>
<p>I have noticed that when people post and ask about schools but do not give much information about level of musical training, etc, the responses tend to be dominated by a small number of schools, including those that are known to have the most competitive auditions. I really think it would be better to ask for more information before suggesting particular schools, unless there was a list that included programs that were of varying difficulty for admission. </p>
<p>When I read Muzicloverâs post, I could think of several possible reasons for asking that question, and the first one that came to mind was as a safety school. I donât know what is Muzicloverâs performance area, but for some instruments such as piano, violin and some others I assume, there is no such thing as a true safety school if admission is dependent on an audition. </p>
<p>Among other reasons for wanting to identify no-audition performance major schools could be that for whatever reason, parents and/or student prefers that student gets BA liberal arts degree rather than BM degree. Those schools offering BA without auditions are likely to have more core curriculum requirements than a BM music program. Some people may feel more comfortable with that kind of undergraduate college education. There are many people who feel that a liberal arts education has great value in preparing a person for life, independent of ultimate vocation/career choice. </p>
<p>Also, the student may have become serious about music too late and not yet be at the level to be competitive enough for audition to have certainty of getting into an audition based program or did not know until too late what repertoire was required for prepare for auditions and it was too late to learn it all in time. Or the student may have a really broad interest in music including the academic areas such as theory, history, ethnomusicology and/or composition and still want to do performance, but just not as an intense level as a person hoping for a performance career. How many people get undergraduate majors that have nothing to do with their ultimate career choice? (Actually, many people who get BM performance degrees requiring auditions also may end up having a primary career outside of music for whatever reason). </p>
<p>Another possible scenario is a person who wants to double major in two liberal arts majors, such as BA in music and something else. </p>
<p>In Muzicloverâs case, none of the reasons I propose may apply, but I just wanted to say that there are many possible reasons for Muzicloverâs having asked that question, and is probably better to wait for more information before trying to convince Muziclover that the nonaudition program is a bad idea. </p>
<p>Finally, since one of the reasons a person might ask about nonaudition programs is because of not feeling competitive for a BM performance major that is audition based, I think the suggestion of Oberlin is questionable without knowing more about Muziclover. Since Oberlinâs conservatory is one of the toughest music programs in the country to get into, I am pretty sure if someone entered the College and tried later to audition and transfer into the Conservatory, the bar would be just as high as it would be for those who auditioned at the time of applying to Oberlin Conservatory and got accepted. And there might not even be room in the faculty studios. </p>
<p>And I do not mean to criticize those who mentioned Oberlin here, but I have seen situations here in which the person asking a question has already mentioned looking at schools that are not that competitive, and sure enough, someone mentions Oberlin or some other place that is extremely competitive. </p>
<p>I think the problem is that some of the people who start threads here (especially some high school students) may pose their question in a very general way or not give enough background information and because the âregularsâ here want to be helpful, opinions or suggestions are offered that might have been different if the person who asked the question had described musical background and goals in more detail.</p>
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<p>No criticism or offense taken but, just so we are clear, my response concerning Oberlin was in answer to violadadâs posting, not a recommendation to the OP. Several years ago, it was entirely possible to get a BA in Music with emphasis in Musicology or Music History from Oberlin without having to pass an entrance audition at all. You only had to play or sing well enough to find an ensemble that would accept you so that you could satisfy some fairly minimal small and large ensemble requirements. Given the large number of ensembles there, several of which are actively geared toward participation of non-majors and community members, that was not a large hurdle. You were accepted at the college on the basis of academics and could declare a music major whenever you liked.</p>
<p>These days, that has changed and everyone is required to audition into a faculty studio as a condition of becoming a music major. I wanted to clarify that Oberlin should no longer be on the list of schools that require no audition.</p>
<p>While it is true that no audition-only program is a guaranteed admit, there is such variability between audition programs as to make equating them, beyond the fact that they require an audition, impossible. Some audition only programs require a pre-screen, while most donât, even on the same instrument. The pre-screen programs are usually going to be the more difficult admit, because there is another screening tool. </p>
<p>Similarly, if one looks at the required audition repertoire, it varies considerably from program to program. For example, on piano, some schools will first require a prescreen and then offer an offer of audition. Then, they still might require five audition pieces, all memorized without use of music. Other programs require three pieces of repertoire only, and music is allowed for one or even two. Some donât specify which periods or genres of music they require, and simply ask for students to prepare two pieces in âcontrasting stylesâ, with nothing memorized. So, while all three of these programs might be âaudition-onlyâ programs, they vary considerably in the caliber of students who will both apply and be admitted. There will be students accepted to the last program mentioned who might not have made it through the pre-screen on the first.</p>
<p>I believe that Simpson College in Iowa may not require an audition. They offer both a BA in music and BM in music performance⊠However, If you want to be considered for a music scholarship you will need to go the the campus to auditionâŠwith tuition being around $26,000 and R&B a little over $7,000 you would probably want to do that. They are a rolling admissions schoolâŠhave 3 or 4 scholarship auditions dates</p>
<p>D has a couple of friends there who are very happy with the Vocal performance program.</p>