Step Two:

Step Three:

After you apply:

Once the application process is complete, a letter of decision will be mailed to you. If you have further questions, one of UTEP's Admissions Counselors will be more than happy to talk with you. Call 1-877-74MINER or e-mail futureminer@utep.edu.

>> IMPORTANT: Please click here to schedule your audition. <<

Strings:

• One major or minor three octave scale and corresponding arpeggio sequence
• One slow piece or movement from a work
• One contrasting fast piece or movement from a work
• Possible sight-reading

For more information on string auditions, please contact Dr. Stephanie Meyers at 915-747-7810 or  smeyers@utep.edu . 

Voice:

Undergraduate Voice: 

Those auditioning to become undergraduate voice majors* (Vocal Performance, Commercial Music, and Music Education) will be prepared to perform the following at their audition with piano accompaniment, memorized:

1. One art song (or aria) in English, Spanish, Italian, French or German, and
2. One additional song in any style or language 

*IMPORTANT NOTE for Transfer Students: 

If a student has completed 2 years or more of applied voice at another university, college or community college and wishes to be accepted into upper-level voice at UTEP, the student must successfully pass the equivalent of a barrier jury for the UTEP Voice Faculty during the first week of classes. This barrier jury will be in addition to the audition described above. 

Barrier Jury:

Students must sing all selections, from memory, with piano accompaniment.

• 5 songs or arias in each of the following languages: English, Spanish, Italian, German and French. 

Graduate Voice: 

Music Performance: 

5 contrasting selections from classical repertoire (at least three languages must be represented), from memory:

• One aria from an oratorio or an opera
• One art song in English
• Two foreign language art songs
• One additional selection

Music Education: 

4 contrasting selections from classical repertoire (at least three languages must be represented), from memory:

• One aria from an oratorio or an opera
• One art song in English
• One foreign language art song
• One additional selection

For more information about becoming a voice major at UTEP, visit our Voice Area page. For questions about auditions, contact our Area Coordinator, Dr. Elisa Fraser Wilson at (915) 747-8708 or ewilson@utep.edu. 

Piano:

• Major and harmonic minor scales, two octaves, hands together
• Sight reading
• Three contrasting pieces from memory
• Selections should demonstrate technique and expressiveness
• Selections should represent a variety of historical and stylistic periods
  • Suggested composers:
    • Technique—
      • Burgmüller, Johann Friederich
      • Czerny, Carl
      • Heller, Stephen
    • Baroque Era—
      • Bach, Johann Sebastian
      • Couperin, François
      • Handel, George Frideric
      • Rameau, Jean-Philippe
    • Classical Era—
      • Clementi, Muzio
      • Clementi, Diabelli or Kuhlau
      • Haydn, Franz Joseph
      • Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
    • Romantic Era—
      • Beethoven, Ludwig van
      • Brahms, Johannes
      • Chopin, Frédéric
      • Mendelssohn, Felix
      • Schubert, Franz
      • Schumann, Robert
    • Impressionistic and Contemporary Era—
      • Bartók, Béla
      • Debussy, Claude
      • Ginastera, Alberto
      • Kabalevsky, Dmitri
      • Tcherepnin, Ivan

For more detailed information about piano auditions, please contact Dr. Oscar Macchioni at (915) 747-7817 or omacchioni@utep.edu.

Woodwinds and Brass:

• All-Region etudes or a Class I UIL solo or equivalent (accompanist preferred but not required).
• Scales and sight-reading may be requested.

For more information on woodwind and brass auditions, please contact Dr. Bradley Genevro, Director of Bands, at (915) 747-7796 or bgenevro@utep.edu.

Percussion:

UTEP Percussion Majors may select Music Education, Performance, Composition, or Commercial Music as a degree plan. All degree plans include a “total percussionist” approach including ensemble and solo percussion study in the traditional areas of snare drum, mallet keyboards, and timpani, as well as symphonic percussion, jazz mallets, drum-set, and Latin and other diverse percussion. Commercial Music Majors may focus in drum-set, jazz mallets, and Latin Percussion after successful completion of the double jury and passing into upper-division studies.

For admission as well as scholarship consideration, all applicants must meet application requirements as specified by the Department of Music and the University. In addition, all applicants for percussion study must do the following for consideration:

• Perform an audition (specified scholarship dates or by arrangement)
• Interview with Percussion Professor, Dr. Andy P. Smith
• Bring a hard copy of unofficial or official transcripts to Dr. Smith

Not all applicants are admitted due to the limited number of openings in the percussion area at any given time.

Audition Material Recommendations:

The materials below represent basic expectations and suggested repertory - a wide variety of possible performance selections are possible. It is most important to to play at least one instrument really well, and optimally, to demonstrate an ability to play more than one percussion instrument. Basic knowledge of music prerequisite for success as a major is another factor - this may be demonstrated, for example, by music theory knowledge, fundamental piano skills, ability to play another instrument, performance experience outside of scholastic bands, etc.

A diverse entrance audition might include a mallet keyboard selection or two, a snare drum selection, and timpani, drum-set, or another percussion instrument. Another scenario might be a candidate demonstrates advanced musicianship on drum-set or in the marching arts in combination with a secondary percussion instrument and/fundamental music knowledge.

It is the philosophy of the percussion faculty that the performance of repertory other than or in addition to the Texas UIL Region/Allstate etudes is a positive indication that the applicant takes their music study seriously and is curious and engaged in music beyond the preparation of prescribed contest etudes.

Symphonic Snare Drum

• Cirone, Anthony, Portraits in Rhythm; Delécluse, Jacques, Douze Études; Aleo, Keith, Advanced Etudes for Snare Drum or equivalent.

Mallet keyboard - One Solo Selection or two (two or four mallets)

• 2–mallet solo or transcription selected from
  • Gottlieb, Beth, Masterworks for Marimba; Creston, Paul, Concertino for Marimba (Mvt. I or II), Kreisler, Fritz, Tambourin Chinois or equivalent.
• 4–mallet solo or transcription
  • Examples include solo compositions by: Rich O’Meara, Keiko Abe, Michael Burrit, Julie Davila, Ivan Trevino, Jacob Monkman, or equivalent.
• Fundamental Skills (Major scales and Arpeggios)

A solo performance in at least one additional major percussion area:

• Timpani
• Drum-set (classic jazz transcription or play-along chart)
• Jazz Vibraphone
• Additional mallet keyboard solo (marimba or classical vibes)
• Afro-Cuban or Brazilian percussion (an in-depth knowledge must be demonstrated through a representative transcription or etude such as one from: Spiro, Michael and Coletti, Michael, The Language of the Masters)

Sight-reading on mallet-keyboards (2-mallets) and snare drum; sight-reading on drum-set if candidate selects drum-set for the additional area as listed above.

Incoming freshmen or new students in the program must audition for Director of Percussion Studies, Dr. Andy P. Smith. Due to the large number of currently enrolled percussion majors at UTEP, competitive applicants must successfully be accepted directly into MUSA 1195 (lower division individual instruction). The Department is not accepting MUSA 1290 (open enrollment) students in percussion at this time.

Please contact Dr. Andy P. Smith, Director of Percussion Studies with any specific questions, and to inquire about a lesson. Contact Dr. Smith at 915-747-7802 or apsmith@utep.edu.

Guitar:

Commercial Music (click links for PDF):

• Major scale positions on entire guitar neck
• Major/Minor pentatonic scale positions on entire neck
• Triads, barre chords, 7^th chords, on entire neck
• Must know the traditional blues and jazz blues chord progressions
• Basic jazz chord melody solo guitar arrangement
• Study 3: by M.Giuliani Op.50 No.1 
• Must demonstrate intermediate fingerstyle and flat-picking technique
• Study #1 from Melodic Rhythms for Guitar (play written notes with pick)

Classical Guitar

• Tárrega, Francisco (choose one): Alborada, Marieta, Pavana in EM, Maria or Mazurka en Sol.
• Bach, J.S. (choose one): Prelude BWV 999, Prelude BWV 1007, Allemande BWV 1007, Allemande BWV 996
• Students wanting to concentrate on classical will be required to play five arpeggio formulas taken from the Giuliani 120 Arpeggios nos. 1 to 20.

For more detailed information on guitar auditions, please contact Shaun Mahoney at (915) 747-6627 or stmahoney@utep.edu. 

>> CLICK HERE to schedule your audition. <<