D.M.A. Brass

Important Dates

For priority consideration for Graduate Assistantships and/or Fellowships, two deadlines must be met:

December 15, 2023

Completion of graduate applications for all degree programs/specializations

(The priority consideration deadline for Summer MM-Music Education fellowships is May 1, 2023)

 January 27, 2024

Graduate audition day and deadline for completion of all *required auditions

(*Conducting auditions must be completed by January 31, 2024) 

Begin by applying online at http://go.unl.edu/gradapp.

  1. Create an account.
  2. Complete your application.
  • You will be asked to upload scanned copies of your transcripts showing all postsecondary coursework completed, including all studies for which credit was granted (e.g. summer institutes such as Aspen or Interlochen). Further information can be found at https://www.unl.edu/gradstudies/admissions/requirements#transcripts. We require: MM GPA = 3.25/4.00 scale.
  • Students whose native language is not English or who have not previously earned a degree from an institution at which English is the official medium of instruction must enter their TOEFL or IELTS score and upload a copy of their score report. Official scores should be sent directly to UNL. Further information can be found at https://www.unl.edu/gradstudies/prospective/international/english. We require: TOEFL iBT 100 or IELTS 7.0 overall band score.
  • You will need to provide contact information, including an email address, for each person from whom you wish a reference. For each recommender, click the Submit Recommendation Request button to send a letter request to your reference writer.
  • You will need to submit any “Prepared Creative /Scholarly Materials Requirement” marked with an asterisks (*) below as part of the initial application process.
  1. Submit your application and pay the application fee of $50 ($25 if you are currently an active student at UNL). After you’ve clicked “Submit,” validated your information, and paid the application fee, you’ll receive a confirmation email indicating that the application was successfully submitted, and providing you with a link to submit information regarding your audition video and graduate assistant preferences.
Prepared Creative/Scholarly Materials: 

*Submit a statement of purpose (500-700 words; Times, 12-point font; Word, rtf or pdf format; double-spaced). Statement should be written by the applicant describing his/her future goals and how the D.M.A. can help attain those goals.

*Submit a written exercise (Times, 12-point font; Word, rtf or pdf format; double-spaced). This writing example should be of one of two kinds. It may be an academic term paper of yours, complete with citations and bibliography. Alternatively, you may submit an essay written specifically for this application, for which you select two compositions performed, conducted or originally composed from a recent Master's or Doctoral recital that represent different historical periods or contrasting styles/genres. In this newly written essay you should discuss the characteristics of style and form in each composition, and iscuss each composer's contribution to THIS PARTICULAR GENRE OF MUSIC (i.e., discuss additional compositions, historical and/or theoretical significance of contribution, or compare/contrast your composition to well-known compositions of a similar genre or style).

Each writing example must include this honor code statement at the beginning of the essay:"On my honor, I have not received any unauthorized aid on this essay."   Applicants' essays will also be subjected to random plagiarism software checks. Any violations of the honor code statement or evidence of plagiarism will result in the candidate's application portfolio being withdrawn from further consideration.

 

D.M.A. - PERFORMANCE:  AUDITION INFORMATION

To assist candidates in achieving success, the following requirements have been set by the area.  Please refer to the list below in knowing how to prepare.

Horn:

  1. three works of contrasting styles that represent the applicant's technical, melodic and interpretive abilities
  2. a minimum of seven standard orchestral excerpts.

Bass Trombone:

  1. one slow and one fast movement from works such as Filas-Romance Concertante; Ewazen-Ballad;  Gillingham-Sonata for Bass Trombone; Brubeck-Concerto for Bass Trombone, Bozza-New Orleans or equivalent (accompaniment required),
  2. a solo of the applicant’s choice (accompaniment required), and
  3. three orchestral excerpts from the standard repertoire.

Tenor Trombone:

  1. one slow and one fast movement from works such as Filas-Sonata; Stojowski-Fantasie; Ewazen-Sonata; Jacob-Concerto; Crespo-Improvisation #1; Grondahl-Concerto or equivalent (accompaniment required),
  2. a solo of the applicant’s choice (accompaniment required), and
  3. three orchestral excerpts from the standard repertoire.

Trumpet:

  1. Honegger Intrada and two other solo works of your choice.
  2. five orchestral excerpts of standard repertoire.

Tuba:

  1. two contrasting movements from a standard repertoire solo piece for tuba, for example: Vaughan Williams, Concerto; Hindemith, Sonate, Penderecki, Capriccio (complete piece),
  2. orchestral excerpts from the standard repertoire including Wagner, Meistersinger Overture; Wagner, Ride of the Walkurie; Hindemith, Symphonic Metamorphosis; and Revueltas, Sensamaya.

Semester by Semester Plan
D.M.A. Degree - Performance
8-9-10-10-7-10

Note 1: This plan assumes that the student has completed 36 hours of transfer credit that is applicable toward the degree.
Note 2: Any semester which exceeds 9 hours of coursework could be reduced if hours were taken in  a summer session.
Note3:  Not shown=2 semesters of chamber music and for most 3 semesters of large ensemble. 

D.M.A. Degree - Performance
Fall 1 Spring 1
MUAP 9--. Applied Music (4)
MUSC 881. Bibliography (1)
MUSC 8--. Music Theory/History (3)
MUSC 099. Doctoral Colloquium (0)		 MUAP 9--. Applied Music (4)
MUSR 998. Recital (3)
MUSC 862. Lit & Pedagogy (2)
MUSC 099. Doctoral Colloquium (0)
Fall 2 Spring 2
MUAP 9--. Applied Music (4)
MUSC 9--. Theory or History Sem (3)
MUSC977. Performance Practice (3) 
MUSR 998. Recital (0) 
MUSC 099. Doctoral Colloquium (0)		 MUAP 9--. Applied Music (4)
MUSR 998. Recital (3)
MUED 992. College Teaching in Music (3)
MUSC 099. Doctoral Colloquium (0)
Fall 3 Spring 3
MUAP 9--. Applied Music (4) 
MUSR 998. Recital (0)
MUSC 8/9  Music History (3) 
Comprehensive Exams & Document
Proposal completed by Nov. 1		 MUAP 9--. Applied Music (4)
MUSR 998. Lecture Recital (3)
MUSC999. Doctoral Document (3)