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Auditions FAQs

What to Expect at the Audition

On-campus auditions are highly recommended. Students and parents have the opportunity to tour our facilities and meet with Crane faculty, students, administrators and Admissions staff. In addition, those who audition on campus can warm up in individual practice rooms, and do not have to pay a registration fee. Crane alumni are typically present at all auditions, both on- and off-campus.

Who Administers On-Campus Auditions

All on-campus auditions are performed for the faculty overseeing each instrument or voice area. Vocal auditions are always conducted by members of the voice faculty, regardless of location, and are all videotaped for review.

Travel Information & Directions

For those that cannot travel to Potsdam, we have offered off-campus auditions in a variety of locations around the state. Our off-campus audition options are under review for 2024, but are likely to limited to the Long Island/New York City area. More information will be forthcoming. At off-campus auditions, representatives from Crane and the Admissions office are always available to answer questions. Harp, Piano, and Percussion are not expected to be available at all (or any) off-campus, depending on location and equipment. At off-campus audition sites, warm-up facilities are usually communal (meaning individual practice rooms aren’t available), and audition time-slots are sometimes limited as well. There is a $50 non-refundable fee for off-campus auditions, which helps offset the cost of these events.

Who Administers Off-Campus Auditions

Most off-campus auditions for instrumentalists are administered by a faculty member from that area (strings, brass, or woodwinds). These auditions are videotaped for the primary teacher’s review. Vocal auditions are always conducted by members of the voice faculty, regardless of location, and are all videotaped for review.

Directions to off-campus audition sites

A listing of representative undergraduate repertoire for auditions can be found here. Students should consult this list well in advance of their planned audition day. Students should be prepared for sight-reading to be part of the audition as well. Graduate students in voice, piano and trumpet can find repertoire information here. For other instruments, please contact the Crane Graduate Office at gradmusic@potsdam.edu or (315) 267-2417.

Pianists and vocalists are required to perform from memory. Performers on other instruments need not memorize their music.

Only vocal auditions will have piano accompaniment, and accompanists will be provided for both on- and off-campus auditions.  A $30 non-refundable fee will charged for this when the audition is scheduled. For recommendations about providing music for our accompanists, please click here.

Due to the large number of auditions for admission to Crane each year, prospective students are only allowed one audition per performance area, per year or admissions cycle (November to March).

Students who are ill for their scheduled audition date should contact Crane prior to the audition and the appointment will be rescheduled. If you need to cancel or change your audition date for any other reason, please notify Crane as soon as possible. Late cancellations and no-shows affect other students, faculty and staff adversely.

No. Crane does not pre-screen students before their audition. 

The Crane School of Music offers a variety of degree programs to meet the needs of students pursuing a career in the field of music. The degree sequence sheets below are PDFs which contain a complete list of required courses as well as a model four-year plan for students and advisers. Double majors are possible with any music degree, and advisors and students have access to resources that assist with course planning for any double major.

Bachelor of Arts in Music degree sequence sheet

Bachelor of Music: Emphasis in Music Business degree sequence sheet

Bachelor of Music: Musical Studies

Bachelor of Music: Music Education

Bachelor of Music: Performance

 

Nothing! Your recommendation letters should have been mailed to Crane at least two weeks prior to your audition. You don’t need to bring resumes or letters of recommendation to the audition itself.