M.M. Percussion

Graduate Admissions

Audition Days

 Friday, January 31, 2025 (morning only)
Saturday, February 1, 2025 (afternoon only)
 *Saturday, February 15, 2025 (all day)
  • Graduate Applications: The deadline for all degree programs and specializations is December 15, 2024.
  • Required Auditions: All required auditions, whether in-person or video, must be completed by 5 p.m. February 15, 2025.
  • Graduate Assistantships and Fellowships: All graduate applicants are automatically considered for graduate assistantships and fellowships. No separate application is required. 
  • Summer MM-Music Education Fellowships: The priority consideration deadline is May 1, 2025.
*Preferred graduate audition day 

Application Checklist - Specific Requirements

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: Undergraduate GPA = 2.75/4.00 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 79 or IELTS 6.5 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. A minimum of three letters of recommendation is required; four recommendation letters are recommended.

3. 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.

4. Prepare the required “Prepared Creative /Scholarly Materials Requirements” (see below).

Prepared Creative/Scholarly Materials Requirements: To assist candidates in achieving success in the required audition, the following requirements have been set by the area.  Please refer to the list below in knowing what to prepare for the audition.

PERCUSSION

Keyboard:

  1. Contemporary 4-mallet work of your choice (ex. Abe – Marimba d’Amore, Burritt – Caritas, Scirroco; Druckman – Reflections on the Nature of Water; Etezady – Boomslang; Klatzow – Dances of Earth and Fire; Maslanka – Variations on Lost Love; Sueyoshi – Mirage; Schwantner – Velocities; Sammut – Cameleon; Stout – Rumble Strips or Sendimental Structures; Viñao – Khan Variations or Burritt Variations; Mackey – See Ya Thursday; Lansky – Three Moves)

  2. 2-mallet solo of your choice (ex. Two by Gene Koshinski or a movement from the Violin Sonatas and Partitas or Suites for Solo Cello by J.S. Bach)

  3. 2 contrasting Xylophone/Glockenspiel orchestral excerpts

Snare Drum:

  1. Concert solo of your choice (ex. works by Delécluse, Tompkins, etc.)

  2. Rudimental solo of your choice (ex. 14 Modern Contest Solos by John S. Pratt, etc.)

  3. 2 contrasting orchestral excerpts

Timpani:

  1. Solo of your choice (ex. works by Hochrainer, Carter, Delécluse, or equivalent)

  2. 2 contrasting orchestral excerpts

Optional (highly recommended)*:

  1. Multi-percussion solo of your choice (ex. works by Xenakis, Volans, Lang, Cangelosi, Kitazume, etc.)

  2. Drum-set: demonstration of 4 contrasting styles (ex. rock, swing, funk, bossa nova, etc.)

  3. Non-Western Percussion (hand drums, steel pan, gamelan, Brazilian instruments, etc.)

    * send video via email to Dr. Salgado (esalgado3@unl.edu)

Auditions will also include a short interview with the UNL Percussion Faculty.