Performing and Visual Arts
Scholarship Events

Who is eligible? Students who plan to:

• major in music, art, dance, creative & professional writing, or theatre 
• double major with music, art, or theatre
• minor in music
• minor in dance or theatre
• participate in music ensemble

Musical Theatre

• Please prepare roughly 16 bars each from two contrasting Musical Theatre songs; you will provide your own digital tracks or recorded piano accompaniment tracks from your phone or laptop. There is no a cappella singing.
• Please also prepare a monologue from a play or musical, no longer than 60 seconds in length.

Theatre

• Please prepare and present a two-minute audition package consisting of two contrasting monologues from two different published plays.
• For those interested in design, please prepare a 5-10 minute presentation of a physical portfolio or bring a laptop with digital access to a design folder that includes research, drawings and/or photos of productions, i.e. examples of your work.

Dance

• Prepare and perform a 60-90 second dance combination of either your own choreography or a piece that you’ve performed; please provide musical accompaniment via your phone or laptop.

Art & Design 

Portfolio reviews will be held in the Milliken Art Building. Each session will be approximately 20 minutes and will include a short oral interview with the art student. Art History applicants only need to submit the essay for consideration. They do not need to participate in the portfolio review.

The student is responsible for bringing to the portfolio review:

• A portfolio of 10 works – any medium. The work should be contained within a portfolio unless size dictates otherwise. 
• Sketchbooks that include idea development, sketches, etc.
• A list of submitted works on the Portfolio Content form, including title, medium, and the name of the project, if part of a class assignment.

Art History Scholarship:

The Art History scholarship will be awarded on the basis of:

1. Extra-curricular activities
2. Evidence of intellectual potential

Please include a 300-word essay on why you want to study art history.

Creative & Professional Writing

The student is responsible for bringing ONE of the following to the portfolio review:

• Four original poems (no haikus)
• One piece of fiction (6-10 double-spaced pages in length)
• One piece of creative non-fiction or journalism (4-7 double-spaced pages in length)

Petrie School of Music

Voice: Perform three selections from memory and with piano accompaniment.

1. Art songs* or arias are preferred for at least two of the selections.
2. Performance majors are encouraged to sing at least one piece in a non-English language (usually Italian, German, or French).
3. The third selection may be a musical theatre piece.

*Art song refers to a piece by a classical composer, usually a poem set to music for solo voice with piano accompaniment, and intended for recital performance. Folk song arrangements and arrangements of spirituals by classical composers are also considered art songs for this purpose.  

Piano: Two or three contrasting works from the Baroque, Classic, Romantic, Impressionist or 20th-century style periods. Suggested repertoire: Bach preludes and fugues or three-part inventions; first movement of a Haydn, Mozart or Beethoven sonata; or works by major composers of the Romantic and later style periods. Memorization is required.

Strings: Two contrasting works from the Baroque, Classic, Romantic or 20th-century style periods. A movement of a larger work may be considered as one composition. Memorization is required for string performance majors. Memorization is encouraged, but not required for all other string majors and minors.

Harp: Two works in contrasting styles from the standard repertoire. Orchestral excerpts are also acceptable. Memorization is not required.

Guitar: Two works in contrasting styles to be chosen from solo literature and/or etudes. Auditioning guitarists should demonstrate a degree of technical fluency and musical awareness appropriate to the level of audition literature. Memorization is not required. 

Woodwinds and Brass: Two works (one lyrical and one technical) of contrasting style periods from the standard repertoire, including movements of sonatas or concerti, solo pieces and longer etudes. Memorization is not required.

Percussion: Performance in two of the following areas is required: snare drum (rudiments and a prepared solo or etude); timpani; marimba. Percussionists should provide their own sticks and mallets. Memorization is not required.

Music Therapy: A student auditioning as a Music Therapy major must complete TWO individual auditions:

1. A voice or instrumental audition (on an instrument from one of the above categories) that satisfies all the listed requirements.
2. An interview with the Coordinator of the Music Therapy program during which the student must sing a popular song from memorization, accompanying themselves on either piano or guitar.

Composition or Contemporary Music (Media Applications):  A student auditioning as a Composition or Contemporary Music major must audition for the Musicology & Composition faculty. The audition consists of:

1. A review of the student’s original compositions (which can be presented in written and/or recorded form and/or performed live).
2. An assessment of the student’s performance ability (choice of instrument and repertoire are at the student’s discretion).

Composition and Contemporary Music (Media Applications) students who wish to be considered for large ensemble participation and/or a performance scholarship should perform a second audition for the appropriate area faculty, using the repertoire guidelines outlined above.

 

Graduate Requirements

REGISTER HERE
if you are applying for Spring or Fall of 2025