Audition/Interview Guide

The audition/interview process is in two parts. Part one is based on a submission of a video or audio file presented on DVD. Successful applicants from stage one will be invited to an audition/interview at the college. The details of each stage differ according the specialist pathway chosen Jazz, Popular, Classical, Music Production or the Combined Music pathway.

Jazz Pathway: STAGE ONE (audio/video recording)

Specialist Study Performers: 1. Perform a jazz standard chosen from the repertoire list, demonstrating your skills in Jazz improvisation 2. Perform a jazz piece of your own choice, demonstrating your skills in Jazz improvisation

Specialist Study Composers 1. Perform an original composition OR submit a recording or digital score (Sibelius, PDF, JPG) 2. Perform a jazz standard chosen from the repertoire list, demonstrating your skills in Jazz improvisation

STAGE TWO (Audition)

Specialist Study Performers: 1. Perform a Jazz standard chosen from the repertoire list (not the one submitted in Stage One), demonstrating your skills in Jazz improvisation and your ability to play with an ensemble 2. 3. Improvise over a given chord progression at sight Sight reading test

4. You may be asked for scales/technical exercises as appropriate to your instrument and level 5. A short interview will form part of the audition

Specialist Study Composers: 1. Structured interview based on your portfolio of compositions (you need to bring scores and any recordings if appropriate). The portfolio should consist of at least two contrasting compositions (or part thereof) - maximum length 10 minutes in total 2. Improvise over a chord progression at sight in an ensemble setting

3. You may be asked for scales/technical exercises as appropriate to your instrument and level

Repertoire List Jazz Pathway

A Child Is Born All The Things You Are Autumn Leaves Beautiful Love Blue Bossa Just Friends Ladybird Night & Day Satin Doll Softly As In a Morning Sunrise Thad Jones Kern/Hammerstien Kosma/Mercer Young/King/Alstyne/Gillespie Kenny Dorham Lewis/Klemmer Tadd Dameron Cole Porter Ellington/Strayhorn/Mercer Hammerstein/Romberg

Classical Pathway: STAGE ONE (audio/video recording)

Specialist Study Performers: 1. 2. Perform one piece from ABRSM/Trinity/Guildhall Grade 8 syllabus Perform one contrasting piece of similar level

Specialist Study Composers: 1. Perform an original composition OR submit a recording or digital score (Sibelius, PDF, JPG) 2. Perform one piece from ABRSM/Trinity/Guildhall Grade 8 syllabus

STAGE TWO (Audition)

Specialist Study Performers: 1. Perform a piece (minimum grade 8 equivalent standard) which demonstrates your musical strengths (not submitted in Stage One) 2. Quick technical study which will be given on the day

3. You may be asked for scales/technical exercises as appropriate to you instrument and level 4. A short interview will form part of the audition

Specialist Study Composers: 1. Structured interview based on your portfolio of compositions (you need to bring scores and any recordings if appropriate the panel will require a fully notated score). The portfolio should consist of at least two contrasting compositions (or part thereof) - maximum length 10 minutes in total 2. Quick technical study on your principal instrument which will be given on the day 3. You may be asked for scales/technical exercises as appropriate to you instrument and level

Popular Music Pathway: STAGE ONE (audio/video recording)

Specialist Study Performers (instrumentalists): 1. 2. A Grade 8 syllabus piece (Rock School, London College of Music) A free choice, offering contrast. You may perform own composition.

Specialist Study Performers (vocalists): 1. One piece from the following list

Male: Daniel Merriweather "Impossible", Guns N Roses "Sweet Child O Mine", Stevie Wonder "Living For the City", Foo Fighters "Best of You", Michael Bolton "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You", Chris Brown "Closer" Female: VV Brown "Shark in the Water", Heart "Alone", Etta James "I Just Wanna Make Love to You", Paramore "Misery Business", Whitney Houston "I Have Nothing", Christina Aguilera "Ain't No Other Man"

2.

A free choice, offering contrast. You may perform your own composition.

Specialist Study Songwriters: 1. 2. A video/audio performance of your own composition A Grade 8 syllabus piece (Rock School, London College of Music)

STAGE TWO (Audition)

All students will participate in an ensemble activity where you will be given a task on the day. In addition you will have an individual audition. Specialist Study Performers individual audition: 1. Play two pieces of your own choice which demonstrate your musical strengths 2. You may be asked for scales/technical exercises as appropriate to you instrument and level 3. A short interview will form part of the audition

Specialist Study Songwriter individual interview 1. Structured interview based on your portfolio of songs (you need to bring recordings and scores/lyric sheets if appropriate). The portfolio should consist of at least two contrasting compositions (or part thereof) - maximum length 10 minutes in total

Music Production Pathway STAGE ONE (CD Submission)

1. 2. Submit a production of an original composition (maximum length 5 mins) Remix the submitted track in any style (maximum length 5 mins)

STAGE TWO (Interview/Creative Project)

1. Use the given audio files in a creative project of your own devising (maximum length 5 minutes) *you will be sent a link to access the files online 2. Structured interview based on your project

Combined Music Pathway STAGE ONE (DVD Submission)

1. Perform/compose/produce one piece according to task ONE (stage one) of your chosen specialist pathway 2. Perform/compose/produce one piece according to task TWO (stage one) from a different specialist pathway. N.b students selecting music production at this point should submit the production of an original composition not the remix

STAGE TWO (Audition/Interview)

1. You need to attend the appropriate audition/interview for your chosen specialist pathway (see pathway specific details) 2. In addition you will need to provide evidence of your suitability to undertake group study in your second chosen specialist pathway:. Jazz group study route: Perform a jazz standard (from the given repertoire list) with an ensemble Popular Music group study route: Participate in an ensemble audition (task given on the day) Classical Music group study route: Perform a quick technical study on your principal instrument (given on the day) Music Production group study route: submit a piece of music created using either sample or sequencer based material

FAQs
General FAQs (all pathways)
1. How professional does the audio/video recording need to be? You dont need to pay for a professional recording we are concerned with visual and audio clarity. Most modern cameras and some phones will suffice or you can record directly to a computer. *please see music production FAQs for details regarding quality of recording for the music production pathway 2. What format should the audio/video be presented as? Your video should only be a .avi file and audio files should be in MP3 format. 3. Does it all have to be on one disc? Yes, but you dont have to create menus on DVDs for example. Just ensure every file is named and the disc is clearly labelled with your name and the pathway you are applying for. 4. Can I email my audio/video recording rather than sending in a DVD? No, you must send a DVD by post. 5. Will warm up time be provided prior to my audition? Yes. Details will be provided if you are successful at Stage One and are invited to audition. 6. What will my structured interview involve?

It will involve discussing your compositions/songs in terms of the creative and compositional process as well as your influences and direction.

Jazz Pathway FAQs

1. Do I have to perform with an ensemble on my recording for Stage one? Ideally yes however we will accept solo performances or performances with a backing track. 2. Do I have to provide my own ensemble for the audition at Stage two? No the college will provide the rhythm section as appropriate.

Classical Pathway FAQs

1. How long should my chosen Stage Two audition piece last? No longer than 10 minutes 2. Do I have to provide my own accompanist for Stage two?

No, the college will provide any accompanists needed 3. How long does my composition need to be for the composition

pathway? There is no set limit but a rough guide would be around 5-10 minutes worth. 4. Can I perform my own compositon?

Yes, however you should provided a fully notated score for the panel

Popular Music Pathway FAQs

1. Can I use a backing track on the audio/video recording?

Yes. In fact you can perform solo (with or without backing or submit a recording of your band at a gig if you want).

2. Do I need to send my composition in before hand for Stage two specialist study songwriter?

No.

Music Production Pathway FAQs

1. Should I have been responsible for the recording of the original composition? Ideally you would have been responsible for the recording & production of your original composition. If this is not the case we would at least expect you to have been involved in some technical capacity i.e. where multiple instruments are used you set up the mics and set up the recording equipment/system. 2. Does the quality of the recording matter? Yes, the recording needs to be of a good standard for two reasons. Firstly to portray your original material in its best light and secondly as this is a music production degree we would expect you to demonstrate your current skills in this area. 3. What do you mean by remix the track? Remixing your track may involve all or some of the following; reordered structure, rebalanced mix, introduction of new/different sounds/samples, manipulated audio, edited vocals and instrumental parts, change of tempo, change of rhythm. We would expect to be able to recognise key elements of the original track such as the main vocal melody, lyrics or hook/riff.

4. What do we mean by an original composition? It doesnt have to be ALL original but it should show a significant amount of originality in either the composition or arrangement of the piece. A re-recording of another bands song with no element of re-arranging is NOT what we are looking for but a creative arrangement of that song would show us more of the skills we are looking for. 5. What format should the audio file be presented as? Your audio files should be in MP3 format.

6. Does it all have to be on one disc? Yes. Just ensure every file is named and the disc is clearly labelled with your name and the pathway you are applying for.

7. Can I email my audio file rather than sending in a CD? No, you must send in a CD by post.