To: "VOCALIST" <vocalist>
Subject: Re: Grad audition question
Date sent: Fri, 10 Dec 1999 11:25:43 -0500
Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>

Patricia,

Speaking from my personal experience,

1) While each school's exact specs for what they want to hear may differ,
chances are they would be interested in hearing a French melodie or chanson,
a lieder selection, an Italian opera aria, a contemporary American art song,
and a sacred or oratorio selection - if you're heading for a performance
degree. On tape, tape all five. In person, you'll most likely be asked to
perform three, selected on the spot from your list of five.

2) I haven't run across any schools that don't require the GRE or some other
standardized test... there is a small fee to get the GRE folks to send
scores to additional schools beyond the first three, but I believe it's
pretty reasonable.

3) I believe there is no substitute for a live audition, if you can make it.
You get to meet and talk to the people you'll be working with; you get to
see the school and get a "feel" for it - in my own grad school auditions I
was amazed at how two schools that look and sound the same through catalogs
and brochures were so vastly different to experience in person.

4) There is absolutely nothing wrong with calling for more information... I
found that it was very easy to speak to deans, department heads, or anyone
else I needed info from - and there's always one administrative assistant
type person that actually runs the entire school universe and can answer all
your questions one you find out who she is (sorry fr the sexism - it's
usually a she :)

Good luck!
Peace -

Carol Spradling
Jill of All Tradews