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AUDITIONS & INTERVIEWS

Rackham Graduate Requirements and Dates

Required Materials

Audition / Interview

Audition Schedule and Application Deadline Dates

General Rackham Graduate Audition and Interview Information

Required Materials

To apply for admission, all applicants to the D.M.A. must submit an official application, transcripts, recommendations, and other materials as instructed below. Indicate the program for which you are applying on the application form.

International applicants whose language is not English must submit a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score or the Michigan English Language Battery (MELAB) score before the audition may be scheduled.

In addition to the Rackham application, required recommendations, transcripts, and, for international applicants, a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score or the Michigan English Language Battery (MELAB) score, applicants must submit the following separately to Steven M. Whiting, Associate Dean of the School of Music, Theatre & Dance:

• Résumé providing complete information concerning the musical training and experience of the applicant. Include any information that may be of help to the admissions committee but which is not included elsewhere on the Rackham application.

• Lists of works the applicant

1. Has studied.

2. Is prepared to conduct.

3. Has previously conducted. Works previously conducted should include the date and location of the performance and the name of the ensemble.

• A written analysis of a movement from a major tonal work on the applicant's repertoire list. This analysis, which should be technical in nature, should emphasize the form of the work and its detailed internal structure, the thematic and harmonic relationships present, and, when appropriate, the instrumentation and its significance. The implications of the musical content of the work and historical information should be included. A piano reduction is acceptable. Musical examples and charts are encouraged. References to the music should normally include measure numbers. The paper should demonstrate the connection between technical analysis and its implications for performance.

• A face-to-the-camera, high-quality video (VHS, DVD, or CD-ROM) of the applicant conducting in rehearsal and interacting with an ensemble he or she regularly conducts, and a performance. For those applicants who have difficulty meeting this request, it is acceptable to use a smaller ensemble (such as a string quartet and piano, for example, rather than a full orchestra) playing a reduced version of a composition. The musical portion of the tape should be at least ten minutes in length and include literature of the applicant's choice. The examples may be incomplete, and a variety of different styles is welcomed. The tape should also include the applicant responding verbally to the following:

  1. speak briefly about yourself and your musical background

  2. describe your goals in pursuing doctoral studies in conducting.

  Your name and address, the names of the works and movements, and the degree program to which you are applying should be clearly indicated on the tape label. Every attempt will be made to return the tape when the evaluation is completed; however, the School of Music, Theatre & Dance cannot be responsible in the event of loss or damage.

The deadline to apply is December 1. No applications for admission in conducting are accepted for the winter term or the spring/summer terms. All required materials including scores, tapes, writing samples, recommendations, and transcripts must be received no later than that date. International applicants whose native language is not English must submit a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score or the Michigan English Language Battery (MELAB) score. No action will be taken on your application until your file is complete.

Applicants whose materials are received by December 1 will be notified by April 1 whether or not it will be possible to offer them admission. Applicants whose materials are received after December 1 will be considered only if space remains available.

Admission to the doctoral program does not guarantee that the student will ultimately complete the course requirements, become a candidate, or receive the degree. Admission implies only that the applicant has the requisite background and should be given the opportunity to demonstrate his or her ability. A master's degree in the applicant's proposed field of specialization, or its equivalent, is a prerequisite for admission.

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Audition / Interview

On the basis of the admissions dossier and tape evaluations, a limited number of applicants will be invited to come to Ann Arbor for an audition-interview. Expenses for the audition-interview, which is required for admission, must be borne by the applicant. The audition-interview will consist of the following:

• A conducting audition in which the applicant will be invited to conduct works he or she has prepared in consultation with the program director (Band/Wind Ensemble, Prof. Michael Haithcock; choral, Prof. Jerry Blackstone; orchestral, Prof. Kenneth Kiesler).

• An interview with the program director and any other persons designated.

• A demonstration of well-developed aural skills, which may include the ability to recognize discrepancies between the printed score and the actual sound, and the ability to sing individual parts from a full score.

• An evaluation of musicianship skills compatible with the student's specialization.

• A demonstration of the ability to communicate effectively with a group of performers.

 

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Audition Schedule and Application Deadline Dates

Audition Date	Application Deadline	Notes
TBA 2009	12/01/2008	Band/Wind Ensemble; Choral
TBA 2009	12/01/2008	Orchestral

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