Placement Auditions and Private Instruction
Placement Auditions
Entering students will take placement auditions during their orientation. This audition will help Berklee place you into ensembles and private instruction with other students of similar ability. All students are required to participate in a placement audition.
To prepare for your orientation audition, choose the audition materials that match your principal instrument below. Auditions are held by faculty members in your instrumental department and the Ensemble Department during registration. Included in your orientation materials is an audition packet, which contains music and instructions for the placement audition process.
While auditions differ among departments, usually you are asked to perform with accompaniment, and the audition includes sight-reading, improvisation, and playing or singing a short piece from your repertoire. Auditions usually last about 15 minutes.
It is important to remember that you are required to bring your instrument to your audition, unless you are a pianist or a drummer.
Private Instruction
Private lessons are weekly, 50-minute, one-on-one sessions with an instructor on your principal instrument. Depending on your instrument, private lessons may involve scales, arpeggios, chord progressions, repertoire, stylistic interpretations, and so on.
Preparation Materials
To prepare for your orientation audition, choose the audition instructions that coincide with your principal instrument. You will receive any referenced musical examples when you arrive on campus and successfully check-in.
Bass Department
Acoustic Bass.pdf
Electric Bass.pdf
Brass Department
Baritone Horn.pdf
French Horn.pdf
Trombone.pdf
Trumpet.pdf
Tuba.pdf
Guitar Department
Percussion Department
Drum Set.pdf
Hand Percussion.pdf
Marimba.pdf
Orchestral Percussion.pdf
Steelpan.pdf
Vibraphone.pdf
Piano Department
String Department
Banjo.pdf
Cello.pdf
Harp.pdf
Mandolin.pdf
Viola.pdf
Violin.pdf
Voice Department
Woodwind Department
Bass Clarinet.pdf
Bassoon.pdf
Clarinet.pdf
Flute.pdf
Oboe.pdf
Saxophone.pdf