Scholarships and Auditions

Talent grants are awarded for participation in ULM instrumental and vocal ensembles.

Regardless of their intended major, students must audition in order to be considered for a talent grant. Talent grant awards are renewable on a yearly basis.

Students whose permanent residence is outside of Louisiana may be awarded an out-of-state tuition waiver. For more information on financial aid and university scholarships, visit the ULM Office of Financial Aid and ULM Scholarship Office.

The audition process for prospective instrumental and keyboard majors is listed below. Should you have any additional questions or concerns, don't hesitate to contact us. Auditions periodically occur off-campus in local schools if that would be more feasible for you. Please contact us if that is a better option for you or your prospective students.

Before being accepted as a music major, a student must successfully complete an entrance audition (personal or solo performance recording) and a theory placement examination. For further information, please contact us via phone at (318) 342-3811 or email at bratcher@ulm.edu

If you would like more specific information about any aspect of your audition, please feel free to contact any of the individual instructors.

Transfer, graduate, and students returning after an extended absence should expect more advanced criteria in audition materials and must contact the appropriate instrumental instructor for complete requirements.

To schedule an audition, complete an audition application, or contact the appropriate applied faculty member for further information.

Download the appropriate application form here: Instrumental | Keyboard

Audition Dates

• November 3, 2023
• February 16, 2024
• March 22, 2024
• April 20, 2024

Non-major Instrumental Audition Requirements: 

• twenty-four measures of a technical etude
• twenty-four measures of a lyrical etude
• two major scales
• sightreading

Brass and Woodwind Major Audition Requirements

All woodwind and brass players wishing to pursue a music degree at ULM are required to audition for admission, and should begin by contacting the School of Visual and Performing Arts Office, 318-342-3811, or the appropriate applied teacher.  The student should be prepared to schedule a time to visit the campus, meet with the band director and/or applied teacher, and play an audition. (It is not necessary to do all of these in one visit.) 

Generally, prospective students should be prepared to play:

• all major scales and arpeggios
• chromatic scale
• two solos or etudes in contrasting styles
• sightreading

Piano Major Audition Requirements

Major/harmonic minor scales and arpeggios, parallel motion, 4 octaves. Two memorized pieces in contrasting style from standard keyboard literature. The following examples may be used as a guideline:

• Baroque: J.S. Bach - WTC Prelude and Fugue
• Classical: a movement from a sonata by Mozart, Haydn, or Beethoven
• Romantic: a work of Chopin, Schumann, Brahms, Liszt, etc.
• Impressionistic or Contemporary: a work of Debussy, Ravel, Bartok, Prokofiev, etc.

Percussion Major Audition Requirements

(Live or recorded audition acceptable)

Potential students must complete an audition, representing themselves in the areas listed below. Though the list contains suggested repertoire, the student is not limited to the repertoire listed. Solos or etudes that show a similar level of technical and musical achievement may be used in conjunction or in substitution. LMEA All-State materials are acceptable audition repertoire, however, it is highly suggested that the student perform the complete etude/selection and not just the All-State bracketed sections.

1. Snare Drum
Perform a concert/orchestral-style etude or solo. A rudimental-style solo may also be performed in addition to the concert solo/etude.

A selection from the following concert etude books would be appropriate:

• Portraits in Rhythm by Anthony Cirone
• Intermediate/Advanced Snare Drum Studies by Mitchell Peters
• Douze Etudes pour Caisse-Claire Jacques Delecluse

A selection from the following rudimental etude books would be appropriate:

• The All-American Drummer by Charley Wilcoxon
• Odd Meter Rudimental Etudes by Mitchel Peters
• 14 Modern Contest Solos by John S. Pratt

Selections from the 40 PAS Rudiments and sight-reading will be requested.

2. Keyboard Percussion - Marimba, Xylophone, and/or Vibraphone
Perform a two-mallet and/or four-mallet etude or solo.

A selection from the following list would be appropriate:

• Fundamental Studies for Mallets by Garwood Whaley
• Modern School for Xylophone, Marimba and Vibes by Morris Goldenberg
• Masterpieces for Marimba by Thomas McMillian
• Furioso and Valse by Earl Hatch
• Yellow after the Rain by Mitchell Peters
• Ghost Garden by Adam Hopper
• Frogs by Keiko Abe
• Virginia Tate by Paul Smadbeck

Two-mallet sight-reading will be requested.

3. Timpani
Potential students should demonstrate a basic knowledge of tuning timpani and perform a timpani etude or solo.

A selection from the following books would be appropriate:

• Exercises, Etudes and Solos for Timpani by Raynor Carroll
• Modern Method for Timpani by Saul Goodman
• Musical Studies for the Intermediate Timpanist by Garwood Whaley
• The Solo Timpanist by Vic Firth
• Pedal to the Kettle by Kirk Gay

4. Drum-set: Optional*
An audition on drum-set is not required but highly encouraged. Potential students should demonstrate the following basic styles/grooves:

1. Rock/Funk
2. Jazz/Swing
3. Latin/World

*Students auditioning for ULM Music Talent Grants should represent themselves in every area, including drum-set.

For more information, contact Dr. Kathryn Irwin.

Email: kirwin@ulm.edu

Phone: (318) 342-1598.