NOTE (02/05/20): The School of Music is accepting late applications to the BMus program. Please contact Katherine Evans for more information.
Paul Joseph/UBC
By Katherine Evans, Manager of Admissions
Greetings! By now most Bachelor of Music applicants will have received a definitive audition date and time for either Feb. 29th or March 1st, 7th or 8th. Some of you may have taken a lot of auditions, or this may be your very first one. It’s a chance for you to get acquainted with the School of Music — our facilities, our faculty, and our current students — and a chance for you to demonstrate the musical skills you’ve been working on! We really want to make the audition process stress-free and enjoyable, so we’ve put together a few tips.
Planning Your Audition
1. Leave extra time to get to UBC Music early. Parking is available pretty close to the music building and the bus loop is about a 10-minute walk. You will want to be able to visit the welcome desk in the lobby, settle yourself in a practice room, and have plenty of time to warm up before finding your audition room.
2. Hydrate & make sure you have something with you to eat. Food options on campus are growing daily but most are still at least a 10-minute walk away – time you may not want to take from your pre-audition routine. The Music Undergraduate Society will have cookies and coffee available in the lobby.
3. Ready? Take a deep breath, remember to think of the music, and have a good time! The faculty is enthusiastic and ready to hear you play or sing your very best. They love to meet applicants and learn about their talent and potential.
What to expect
How long are the auditions?
Auditions are generally are 15 – 20 minutes long.
What does it feel like when you walk into the audition room?
The auditions are professional, but definitely friendly. Everyone on the faculty audition panel wants to hear you play your best. One of the faculty or student assistants will usher you into the audition room and make sure that you have a moment to get settled.
Is there an interview portion of the audition?
There is no formal or mandated interview portion of your audition, but in almost all cases the faculty panel will take a few minutes to talk with you about your musical experience – they’ll ask you about something you’ve written in your application essay, or about a piece of music you’ve chosen to perform…it’s an informal opportunity for you all to get to know each other.
Is there a music theory exam or separate sight-singing exam on the day of my audition?
No, there’s no longer a theory exam required. Instead, applicants who are accepted into the BMUS program and choose to attend, will take a theory placement exam in the first week of school. More details are here: https://music.ubc.ca/new-undergrad-students under “Music Placement Test”.
Is a collaborative pianist (accompanist) required at my BMUS audition?
At the undergraduate level, working with a pianist is optional for all auditions except voice. Because a pianist is mandatory for voice auditions, a UBC staff pianist is available free of charge to play at all voice auditions. Anyone auditioning for voice may also work with the pianist of their choice.
A little insight from our faculty…
Richard Epp, vocal coach extraordinaire, plays at about 95% of the voice auditions at UBC. He’s given us a little insight into this process below:
“Audition time is exciting at UBC for everyone who works here. We are as excited to hear you and to get to know you as you are to be here. I play for the voice auditions and have played most of the standard repertoire. I am also very good at following singers 🙂
When I come out to the lobby to bring you into the audition space, I will introduce myself and have a quick look at your music. I may ask for your tempos, but if I start at a tempo that you are not used to, just sing it the way you are used to and I will follow you. If I don’t know the piece I will ask for the tempo and then I may take ten seconds just to look at the music. If you are doing a very obscure piece you can just send me an email with the info.
In the audition the people listening may be writing down notes, reading your file, etc. Don’t let that throw you. They hear many people during the day and the chances are they are writing down things they liked, how beautiful your voice is and how much potential you have, as opposed to what they didn’t like. So, take a deep breath, be confident and have fun.”
Questions or concerns?
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me at katherine.evans@ubc.ca!
Updated from Feb. 1st, 2019
