Music Auditions

Audition Awards

Substantial talent and academic awards are available through a successful audition. As you grow academically and musically as a music major in the ONU music department, we continue to provide several yearly awards and endowed scholarships for deserving students that are voted on by faculty and awarded during Honors Day ceremonies each spring.

MUSIC AUDITION REQUIREMENTS

An Audition is not required for acceptance into:
- BA in Music with a Sound Recording and Technology Concentration

An Audition is required for acceptance into:
- BA in Music with a Performance Concentration
- BM in Music Education

Students wishing to be considered for a talent award must audition; talent awards are available for all degree programs.

Each audition will start with a general session followed by auditions. Music major auditions vary by instrument (see below). All applicants may be asked to sight-read.

- One or two octaves of major scales using at least two fingerings
- Two solo pieces, any style, must be written in standard musical notation
- Sight-reading melodies
- Demonstration of improvisational skills and chord progressions if jazz or contemporary guitar is sought
- Two works from organ repertoire of contrasting styles and different periods of music.
- Play two verses of a hymn of your choice with an introduction as you would use for congregational singing.
- A solo on either snare drum, timpani, drum set, or keyboard percussion (choose your "strongest" instrument).
- One solo or etude on a secondary percussion instrument.
- Demonstrate rudiments and scales.
- Sight reading for snare and keyboard is part of the audition.
- One four-octave major scale, hands together, ascending and descending
- One four-octave minor scale, hands together, ascending and descending
- Two contrasting pieces (or two pieces from different periods/styles, e.g., Baroque, Classical, Romantic, 20th/21st century). Memorization is not required.
- One solo with or without piano accompaniment
- Major and minor scales
- Sight-read a selection
- Two Class A or B contest solos.
- One piece in a foreign language (French, Italian, Latin, German or Spanish)
- One English art song
- Additionally, a singer may also present a piece for the Broadway repertoire.
- Singers will be asked to sight-read a selection and do a tonal retention exercise.
- Any solo or etude that best displays your technique, tone, and musicality. (Something on the level of an OMEA Contest is appropriate).
- An audition piece representative of other musical traditions is encouraged.

MUSIC MAJOR AUDITION DATES AND TIMES

All auditions will be held in Presser Hall (Music Building) on the ONU Campus.

Saturday, November 1, 2025
Saturday, January 24, 2026
Saturday, February 21, 2026
Saturday, March 28, 2026

Schedule an Audition

Online Auditions

Can't audition in person? Ohio Northern University is now accepting online auditions for students interested in pursuing the Bachelor of Music in education or performance, or a Bachelor Arts in music.

Get Acceptd

NON-MUSIC MAJOR TALENT AUDITIONS AND AWARDS

Students are required to audition for the non-music Talent Awards for Symphony Orchestra, University Singers and Chamber Winds via getacceptd.com (click on the link "Submit Your Audition via Get Acceptd" below).

Auditions are NOT required for non-music Talent Awards for Marching Band/Symphonic Band.

Auditions will consist of the following for instrumentalists:

A prepared unaccompanied solo or etude
A scale of your choice that is played over the entire range of the instrument

Auditions will consist of the following for choral singers:

A prepared accompanied solo