An insight and comparison on selected standard undergraduate and graduate college audition repertoire for the tuba

Abstract

Getting admitted into a world-renowned conservatory, or music school, as a performance major, is heavily based on the level of playing of the student. Being able to identify and meet the performance requirements of undergraduate and graduate degrees is crucial to their success. Moreover, every world-class professional ensemble and college-level teaching job requires a playing audition. Developing the ability to discern the requirements and subsequent mastery of them at an early stage will give the student an advantage in their career. The audition process is challenging, and it requires an athlete-like preparation, organization, and mindset. Students will benefit from the organization of the data collected from each movement, historical significance, and my observations to inform their practice and preparation towards a successful audition. To highlight the general audition requirements of both undergraduate and graduate degrees, four standard works will be used as examples. Two undergraduate works: Hindemith Sonata for Tuba and Gregson Concerto for Tuba, and two graduate works: Castérède Sonatine for Tuba, and John Williams Concerto for Tuba. Ultimately, tuba students auditioning for college will use this document to form their own opinion.