Audition and Placement Preparation Doctor of Musical Arts Doctor of Philosophy

School of Church Music

Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

During orientation, each student entering the School of Church Music will participate in auditions and placement examinations as well as advising. The following information is designed to help students prepare for those auditions and examinations. Doctoral students are required to audition in conducting, piano, and voice as well as for the ensembles required on their degree plan or in which they would like to participate. They will also take placement examinations in music history and music theory. Those students selecting an applied concentration (conducting, organ, piano, and voice) will be required to audition to qualify for that concentration if they have not previously done so. The information is organized as follows:

Auditions Required of All Doctoral Students Conducting

Piano Voice Ensembles

Placement Examinations Required of All Doctoral Students

Music History Music Theory (including musicianship skills)

Auditions and Qualifications for Students Selecting an Applied Concentration Composition Conducting Organ Piano Voice

Optional Examinations to Satisfy Doctoral Leveling Requirements Church Music

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Auditions Required of All Doctoral Students

CONDUCTING

To complete the conducting audition successfully, the student must exhibit an overall coordination of the physical conducting gestures necessary to express all meter signatures (both symmetrical and asymmetrical) and all mechanics inherent in expression of the elements of music. A student must be able to:

1. Demonstrate a skillful coordination of the right hand and arm to conduct the traditional rhythmic meter designs of: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, and twelve beats per measure;

2. Demonstrate a skillful gesture to conduct all subdivisions of basic meter designs as

well as the ability to meld smoothly from one beat design to another and from non-divided beats to subdivision and the reverse;

3. Demonstrate the ability to achieve through the conducting gesture a precise initial

attack on any pulse or anacrusis of all meter designs;

4. Demonstrate the ability to achieve through the conducting gesture a precise release on any pulse or anacrusis of all meter designs;

5. Demonstrate a coordinated gesture to achieve with the right hand and arm any

expressive element;

6. Demonstrate the effective cueing of any part on any pulse in any meter design; and,

7. Demonstrate a coordinated flow of the left hand and arm, either intermittent or continuous, to achieve all of the above mechanics in sympathy with the right hand and arm.

A student with no previous coursework in conducting with enroll in CONDG 1622 Choral Conducting. A student not passing the conducting audition will enroll in CONDG 2671 Conducting Review.

PIANO All students are required to attend the piano audition. A student may either attempt the Piano Proficiency or demonstrate their general level of proficiency in selected areas in order to determine placement. A student with no previous keyboard study is not required to play at the audition, but must still meet with the keyboard faculty to be assigned to the appropriate course number. Each student must demonstrate an acceptable level of piano proficiency before being allowed to graduate. To satisfy the Piano Proficiency (PIACL 4870), the student must:

1. Sightread an SATB open score in chorale style (one may practice by reading four-part anthems).

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2. Play all major scales, their arpeggios, and all white-tonic minors (harmonic and melodic) and their arpeggios, in two octaves, with the correct fingering.

3. Play a I – IV – I6

4 – V – I cadence in all positions in all major keys and white-tonic minors.

4. Transpose at sight a single part of any hymn up or down a step.

5. Supply at sight a simple chordal accompaniment to a melody using I, IV, and V

chords.

6. Play from memory two hymns from the Baptist Hymnal (any edition) and one Bach chorale from an edition of the collected chorales.

7. Play from memory a polyphonic piece about the level of pieces in the Little Preludes

of J. S. Bach and a homophonic piece, such as a simple sonata or sonatina movement from the standard literature.

8. Demonstrate the ability to play from a lead sheet by playing one of the two praise

songs included at the end of this document.

The student who has prepared thoroughly may take the proficiency examination at the audition. Students are not to attempt this option unless all items on the exam are prepared. Those students not prepared for the proficiency will either be granted permission to prepare for it independently or assigned the appropriate level of review study in piano lessons based on the audition. If a student is allowed to prepare independently, the proficiency examination must be taken during the first semester of study. Students requiring Piano Review must register for the appropriate section until the Piano Proficiency is passed. The Piano Proficiency must be passed before a student is eligible to register for Comprehensive Examinations.

VOICE All students are required to sing for the voice audition. Students with previous vocal training should sing art songs or arias. Students with no vocal training may sing a solo song or hymn. An accompanist will be provided. Each student must demonstrate an acceptable level of voice proficiency before being allowed to graduate. In addition, four credit hours of voice instruction must appear on the student’s transcript. To satisfy the Voice Proficiency (VOICL 4970), the student will perform two memorized songs representative of the student’s highest level of study, demonstrating vocal and musical ability and achievement. This performance will be evaluated in terms of the following criteria:

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1. Accuracy of pitch and rhythm 2. Acceptable singing quality 3. Clear diction 4. Variety of tone color and dynamic range 5. Musical sensitivity

If fully prepared to do so, the student may pass the Voice Proficiency at the time of the audition. Students who have voice on their transcript but are not prepared for the Voice Proficiency may make arrangements to take the Voice Proficiency during juries at the conclusion of their first semester. Students with no vocal study on their transcript will be required to take VOICL 1912 Class Voice I and VOICL 1922 Class Voice II. The successful completion of the class voice requirement will satisfy the Voice Proficiency. The Voice Proficiency must be passed before a student is eligible to register for Comprehensive Examinations.

ENSEMBLES

Students must audition for the ensembles required by their degree plan (not all concentrations require ensemble participation) or for those ensembles in which they would like to participate, whether enrolling for degree credit or not. Ensembles include:

Chapel Orchestra

Combo Lab

Guitar Ensemble

NewSound

Orchestra

Southwestern Chamber Chorale

Southwestern Master Chorale

Southwestern Singers

String Ensemble

Wind Ensemble

Placement Examinations Required of All Doctoral Students

MUSIC HISTORY

In the area of music history, students must demonstrate knowledge of the following:

1. characteristics of each period in music history 2. representative composers and their works from each period 3. appropriate musical terminology of forms, genres, and techniques

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Students who do not pass the music history exam may:

1. Retake the placement exam the next time it is offered during orientation (the music

history entrance exam may only be taken twice); or

2. Complete a leveling course without degree credit with a grade of C or higher to be eligible for doctoral music history seminars.

All music history leveling must be completed to be eligible for doctoral music history seminars.

MUSIC THEORY

In music theory, students will be examined in the following areas:

1. Harmony 2. Ear Training 3. Sight Singing

Students not passing these exams will be assigned leveling courses to be taken without degree credit. Such courses must be completed with a grade of C. These placement exams may not be retaken.

In addition, all doctoral students must demonstrate proficiency in the following areas:

Form Counterpoint

Instrumentation Post-Tonal Theory

If students have completed courses in these areas, they will take placement examinations to verify their comprehension of the subjects. A student may attempt these exams a second time during the following semester’s orientation period. Students who do not pass these exams will take the appropriate courses as leveling requirements. All leveling courses will be taken without degree credit and must be completed with a grade of C or higher.

Students whose transcripts do not document coursework in these areas will take the respective courses. Or those students may choose to satisfy these doctoral leveling requirements through challenge exams (not the placement exams), which can be scheduled in consultation with the chair of the music theory department.

Music theory review courses may not be audited. All music theory leveling must be completed to be eligible for doctoral music theory seminars.

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Auditions for Students Selecting an Applied Concentration Those students selecting an applied area in composition, conducting, organ, piano, or voice must receive the approval of the department of the proposed applied area based on an audition. Prerequisites for an applied concentration on the D.M.A. are the completion of a master’s degree in the applied area and the performance of a master’s recital. Leveling work may be completed at Southwestern if those prerequisites are lacking.

CONDUCTING

A live conducting audition must be completed prior to the student’s acceptance. In the audition, the student will conduct fifteen minutes of three major works of varying repertoire. In addition, an interview will explore the student’s background, educational goals, and musical and pedagogical knowledge of conducting. Prior to the audition, the student should submit the following materials: cover letter describing the student’s intention for audition and study, résumé, and DVDs from ideally three performances they have conducted. The student who expects to concentrate in conducting is required to give an entrance recital within the first fifteen hours of course work if the master’s degree did not include a master’s-level recital. Prospective conductors must have advanced keyboard proficiency.

ORGAN The student will be required to perform a thirty- to forty-minute entrance audition. The repertoire should include at least three pieces from different periods and styles (one of them should be a larger work by J. S. Bach) representing the highest level of achievement. Memorization is not required but strongly encouraged. Sight-reading and hymn playing is also required. In addition, the student should bring recital programs and recordings for review if available.

PIANO The student will be required to play a thirty- to forty-minute entrance audition. The repertoire should represent a contrast of styles and should reflect a level of achievement equivalent to a master’s-degree recital.

VOICE The student should arrive on campus in time to confer with an accompanist before the audition. The audition material will consist of six songs from memory: four art songs (one each in German, Italian, French, and English), one opera aria in its original language, and one oratorio aria in English. The selections should represent the major periods of music history, including the modern era.

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Optional Examinations for Doctoral Leveling Requirements

CHURCH MUSIC

Doctoral students who have not taken the three basic courses in church music at the master’s level (Worship, Philosophy in Music Ministry, Congregational Song), either at Southwestern or comparable classes at other institutions, may choose to take examinations in those areas to satisfy the prerequisite for doctoral study or they may take the courses at Southwestern.

Students will not be allowed to take doctoral seminars in the above areas until the related exam is passed or the master’s-level course is completed at Southwestern.

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Appendix

Piano Proficiency Praise Songs

Play one of the two praise songs below, playing only the chords (not the melody), one chord per beat.