Program Audition/Interview Information
Applying for a Music program involves applying to the University and applying to the Department. Undergraduate music programs typically require an audition or interview, and music graduate programs require an audition or a portfolio.
Auditions and interviews should take place on the intended home campus.
Audition/Interview Dates:
Students wishing to pursue the Bachelor of Music or the Bachelor of Arts, general track must complete an entrance audition. Students wishing to pursue the Bachelor of Arts in Music with a Concentration in Music Industry must sit for an entrance interview. The entrance audition/interview will also be used to determine scholarships for qualified students.
Statesboro Campus Audition Dates:
- Monday February 16, 2026
- Thursday, February 26, 2026
- Saturday, March 7, 2026 (last date for scholarship consideration)
- Saturday, March 28, 2026 (instrumental only)
Audition Requirements
Armstrong Campus Interview Dates:
- Friday, November 14, 2025
- Friday, March 6, 2026
- Friday, April 17, 2026
Armstrong Campus Open House Dates:
- 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, October 21, 2025 (Music Industry Preview Night)
- Tuesday, February 17, 2026 (virtual open house)
Scholarships
The Fred and Dinah Gretsch School of Music has scholarships available for new music majors. Offers are made by the Fred and Dinah Gretsch School of Music Scholarship Committee, based on audition/interview results and academic qualifications. Typically, the Entrance Audition for admission as a music major also serves as the audition for a scholarship. Through a substantial Endowment program, scholarships are available for continuing music majors, based on performance/academic excellence. Carol A. Carter scholarships for new students are renewable for four years. Students MUST audition by March 7th to be considered for scholarships.
Apply to the Master of Music Program
The Master of Music program is offered on the Statesboro Campus only. For curriculum information and other details, please visit the Master of Music program page.
Review the audition requirements for the ensemble in which you would like to participate.
Master of Music Program Admission Criteria
A prospective student who has earned a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university and plans to take courses in the Music graduate program must be admitted under one of the following classifications:
Regular Admission
- A completed Bachelor’s degree in music or equivalent.
- A minimum 3.0 (4.0 scale) cumulative grade point average in undergraduate work.
- Two acceptable letters of recommendation.
- Satisfactory audition (performance and conducting), musical scores (composition), portfolio (music technology), or teacher certification (music education).
- No GRE or other standardized test scores are required.
Provisional Admission
Students may be admitted on a provisional basis if one or more of the requirements listed above are judged to be marginal. Specific provisions for exiting provisional status will be set in each case by the admissions committee and must be satisfied before proceeding past the first 12 semester hours of course work.
Additional Requirements
All students will be required to pass the Departmental Graduate Entrance Exam in Music Theory and Music History before proceeding past 12 hours into the degree. These exams are usually given just before the start of each semester.
Application Deadlines
- Fall Semester (priority deadline, especially important if you wish to be considered for an assistantship, and deadline for International Students) March 1
- Fall Semester (final deadline) July 1
- Spring Semester December 1
- Summer Term April 1 (Music Education concentration only)
Submit Graduate Application
Before beginning the application, be ready to upload:
- Scanned unofficial copies of transcripts from each college and university you have previously attended.
- A statement of purpose explaining why you want to complete this degree
- The email addresses of at least two people who will supply your letters of recommendation.
- Your resume
Submit supplementary materials
Send all materials to the Director of Graduate Studies, Dr. Gregory W. Harwood
M.M., Music Composition
Review the Music Composition Curriculum
Applicants should send a link to their composition portfolio or attach individual score files.
M.M., Music Technology
Review the Music Technology Curriculum
Applicants should send a hyperlink to their portfolio showing examples of their best work in music technology.
M.M., Conducting (Band, Choral, or Orchestral)
Review the Conducting Curriculum
Applicants should send a link to an audition video. This must include three pieces in contrasting styles (one of them a cappella for choral conductors). Conducting students attending part-time will need to come to a satisfactory agreement with the conducting faculty
about how the practical conducting requirement will
be managed before being admitted (school ensemble, church choir, etc.).
M.M., Music Education
Review the Music Education Curriculum
Applicants should scan and attach to their online application a copy of their teaching certification document or teaching license of your Certification in Music (Georgia Level 4 or its equivalent) or documents showing that they are eligible for certification or licensure.
M.M., Music Performance (Instrumental, Piano, or Vocal)
Review the Music Performance Curriculum
Applicants should either (1) contact the Director of Graduate Studies requesting that a live audition be arranged (be sure to include your specific instrument or voice type) OR send a link to a video recording of the audition or an actual video file via email to the Director of Graduate Studies.
The live or recorded auditions must follow these guidelines:
Instrumental: Satisfactory live or taped audition with three contrasting pieces from different periods. The audition committee may also request to hear scales or other technical material in a live audition. The String and Guitar area has specific requirements which are linked below.
Strings: Download Specific audition requirements
Piano: Applicants must submit a list of repertory studied during previous four years and prepare a memorized program consisting of the following:
- A contrapuntal baroque composition equivalent in difficulty to a three-voice fugue from The Well-Tempered Clavier by Bach.
2. A complete classical sonata, preferably by Haydn, Mozart, or Beethoven
3. A romantic work.
4. A work from the impressionist or contemporary period.
5. Sight reading (at a live audition)
Vocal: Satisfactory live or taped audition with four contrasting pieces from different periods demonstrating acceptable proficiency in diction in English, German, French, and Italian. Vocal students are also expected to demonstrate basic undergraduate proficiency using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) and fluency in basic keyboard accompanying skills, which may be done during a live audition or at a later time if a recorded audition is submitted.
Graduate Assistantships
Georgia Southern University offers opportunities for students in graduate programs to contribute to the teaching and research of the college by working as Graduate Assistants. Assistantships are awarded on a competitive basis based on academic record, musical skills, and the needs of the Department. If you have not yet received an Eagle ID number, you may enter all zeros to begin the application. A separate application to be considered for an assistantship is required.
When you complete the Graduate Assistantship Application and are fully accepted into the M.M. program, you will automatically be considered for all assistantships and scholarships in the Fred and Dinah Gretsch School of Music for which you are eligible. In addition, you may want to consult the list of Vacant Assistantships mentioned on the College of Graduate Studies page and individually contact those for which you might be eligible.
The University has established March 1 as the priority deadline for applications for the following fall. This priority deadline is particularly important for students if they are considering applying for a graduate assistantship or any type of scholarship.
Ensemble Audition Information
Many Fred and Dinah Gretsch School of Music ensembles require an audition.
The Fred and Dinah Gretsch School of Music offers opportunities for students at Georgia Southern, both music majors and non-music majors, to participate in ensembles. Some ensembles require an audition.
Ensemble Audition Dates
Auditions for ensembles take place the weekend before the start of the fall and spring semesters. Please contact the appropriate ensemble director to reserve and audition time.
Students wishing to participate in the Southern Pride Marching Band in the Drum Line, Color Guard, or as a Majorette, please refer to “More Information about the Southern Pride Marching Band” on the Gretsch School Home Page.
Prepare for your audition
Review the audition requirements for the ensemble in which you would like to participate.
Audition Requirements
Choirs
The Choral Audition process
WHEN?
Auditions for Southern Chorale and voice placement for University Singers occur the weekend before classes start each Fall Semester. Placement for U singers also occurs the weekend before the Spring Semester. Southern Chorale is a year-long commitment with the exception of Student Teachers who are allowed Fall admittance only. When unexpected events require a person to leave Southern Chorale auditions will be held for that student’s
voice part.
WHERE?
Auditions occur in the Foy Music Building on the Georgia Southern University campus room 4030 on the fourth floor. Building number 205 on the campus map.
WHO?
Anyone is welcome to audition for Southern Chorale and all are welcome to sign-up for University Singers. Again, there is no “audition” for acceptance into U Singer, just a voice placement, so a placement time is required.
HOW?
In August, you will find a link to a Google Doc via the Sing at Southern and Southern Chorale Facebook pages. On this online document, you will sign up (whether you are audition for Southern Chorale or doing voice placement for University Singers) for a 10 min time slot for your in-person audition on either Thursday, Friday, or Saturday. Call Backs for Southern Chorale occur on Sunday afternoon. A list of student who are invited to “Call backs” will be posted on the Sing at Southern and Southern Chorale Facebook pages. You must attend Call Backs in order to be considered for Southern Chorale. During these, you will take a Music Skills Test.
WHAT?
You do NOT need to have a solo prepared. The audition focuses on materials that you have not seen. Please, however, be ready to sing “My Country Tis of Thee”.
Application:
You will receive this when you arrive from the choral assistant. Please arrive about 10 minutes prior to your scheduled time.
In Person Audition
“You have to be brave enough to put it all on the line and try your hardest”
a. Simple vocalizations to determine your natural voice, areas of strength and weakness, and find the voice that best serves the choir.
b. “My County Tis of Thee”
sing at a given tempo unaccompanied in a couple of keys
sing a few bars straight tone
sing a few bars sotto voce (with a quiet undertone quality, as if singing to yourself)
sing a few bars loudly
perform a few short vocal exercises to help determine your natural voice range
c. Aural Skills/tonal Memory
sing back a series of played pitches
a chord is played (only once) – sing the middle or top or bottom pitch
d. Sight-Reading
You are given a sing line written in either treble or bass clef, I-IV-VI in the key area, and your starting pitch.
You have a about a minute to look over the example (best to sing out loud) and then you will be given the key area and starting pitch again.
You Sing!
The starting pitch will not be played again, nor any other pitches in the example.
e. Before leaving, the candidate will be told when they can expect to hear back about how they did (posted on Facebook). Do not expect any feedback immediately following your audition.
Call Backs
a. Usually men and women are first asked to come at separate times then will meet back all together
b. I will give everyone a copy of a least two choral pieces for which you will sight-read and rehearse together
c. You may be asked to sing a part by yourself or with another
d. Music Skill Test
This is a multiple-choice test taken aurally. Music examples will be played twice; you will indicate whether they were the same, if the rhythm was different or if a pitch was different.
Jazz Ensemble
Georgia Southern Jazz Ensemble
Auditions Fall 2024
Questions? Contact
Dr. Rick Mason, Director
rlmason@georgiasouthern.edu
The Georgia Southern University Jazz Ensemble is a “big band” of 16-19 members. It is open to all Georgia Southern students by audition.
Instructions:
• All musicians must perform the prepared music etudes for their instrument.
• If you are auditioning for Lead Trumpet, you will play both the Lead Trumpet and the Section Trumpet excerpts.
• If you are auditioning for Lead Trombone, you will play both the Lead Trombone and the Section Trombone excerpts.
• If you are a trumpet or trombone player and not auditioning for a Lead spot, you will only play the Section excerpts.
• All musicians (with the exception of drum set auditionees) will be prepared to play the following blues scales (concert pitch): C, G, F, D-flat.
• All musicians must be prepared to sight-read.
Click on highlighted instrument name for access to the audition excerpts.
Auditions dates:
Monday, August 12
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM – Rhythm section (piano, bass, drums, guitar, aux perc) (Annex)
Piano
Guitar
Bass
Drums
Aux Percussion
3:00 PM – 4:30 PM – (Foy 3052)
Lead Trumpet
Section Trumpet
Tuesday, August 13
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM – (Foy 3052)
Lead Trombone
Section Trombone
Bass Trombone
11:30 AM – 1:00 PM – (Foy 3052)
Saxes
Orchestra
Music Majors & Minors
Music Students auditioning for a Music Scholarship will have the opportunity to audition for the Georgia Southern Symphony. In addition to the audition requirements* for a specific degree program, students will be asked to prepare the following orchestral excerpts below:
Strings Audition Requirements
Mozart: Magic Flute Overture
Bizet: L’Arlesienne Suite No. 1
Non-Music Majors
Non-Music Majors will have the opportunity to audition for the Georgia Southern Symphony by appointment. Students will be asked to prepare a scale/arpeggio (up to 4 sharps and 4 flats, 2-3 octaves), a short solo work that best demonstrates level of ability and the following orchestral excerpts below:
Mozart: Magic Flute Overture
Bizet: L’Arlesienne Suite No. 1