While the application due date is 1 December, the audition recording submission due date is 3 February 2023. If this date changes, the Conservatoire will be in touch with all applicants. If you believe that you will not be able to submit your audition on time, please be in touch with the admissions team as soon as possible to explain the delay and also provide a date by which the audition can be submitted.
The RCS recognises that, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, many applicants to the BEd Programme will not have had face-to-face instrumental/vocal lessons since March 2020. Whilst we have not lowered our entry level for auditions, applicants should be aware that when assessing auditions, the selection panel will be taking into account the adverse conditions under which applicants have had to prepare this year.
The audition will take place in 2 parts:
Part 1 – Audition Recording
Please prepare the following for your audition recording and submit it to Acceptd:
- Play two contrasting pieces of your own choice on your chosen Performance Study. *Please note, there are special requirements if you are presenting Timpani and Percussion or Jazz as your Performance Study.
- Sing one song of your own choice in order to demonstrate the stage of development of your vocal skills. (If your Performance Study is Voice, this requirement will not apply.)
- Play a prescribed short piano piece of approximately Grade 6 standard in order to demonstrate your level of keyboard ability. The piece will be emailed to you at least three weeks in advance of your audition submission due date.
- Harmonise a short melody (c. four to eight bars) at the piano, in the major key of C, G or F, demonstrating an understanding of the use of chords I, IV and V(7) (at least) and functional harmonic progression. The melody should be heard in the top part throughout; credit will be given for inventive harmonisations. This test will emailed to at least three weeks in advance of your audition submission due date. An example test is available here: BEd-SampleHarmonisation
*Timpani and Percussion Applicants
Timpani
Hindlemith: Sinfonissche Metamorphosen
Mozart: Overture to the Magic Flute
Xylophone
Britten: Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra
Glockenspiel
Glazunov: Violin Concerto
Snare Drum
Rimsky Korsakov: Scheherazade fourth movement
Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf
All of the above stated excerpts are available in Test Pieces for Orchestral Auditions Published by Schott
*Jazz Applicants
For your BEd jazz audition, you should submit your video performing with a live rhythm section or a play-a-long/minus-one backing track:
- Billie’s Bounce by Charlie Parker (12 Bar Blues)
Key: F Major [Vocalists choose their key]
Tempo: Medium to Fast – anything above 160 bpm
Melody Form: (12 bars)
Improvisation Duration: Minimum 3 choruses (12 x 3 = 36 bars) or more.
Aims:
- Introduce your performance
- Play the melody once
- Improvise 3 choruses of original improvisation interacting musically with live musicians or with an Aebersold play-a long (Vol. 6 Charlie Parker)
- Or https://youtu.be/CI0sLGOEQg0
- Chordal player play melody, improvise 3 choruses and comp 1 chorus.
Avoid:
- Electronic play-a-longs like iRealPro
- Transcribed or pre-prepared solos
- Do not read a solo
Part 2 – Interview:
Interviews are planned to take place in February 2023, in-person at our campus in Glasgow – however an online interview can be arranged if required. During the interview you will be expected to display a good general knowledge of and interest in music, and a keen commitment to teaching; you should be able to demonstrate an awareness of recent curricular initiatives and of how these might impact on music education.
During the interview you will be asked to express your views on music education, and to describe and reflect upon your own experiences of learning and teaching. The interview will be conducted in an informal manner, and you will be assessed on your:
- ability to express yourself clearly and fluently
- perceived commitment to and enthusiasm for teaching
- level of preparation and reflection
The following questions are provided only as a guide; the actual questions you are asked may differ from the ones given here.
- Why have you decided to apply to the BEd (Music) programme (why do you want to be a teacher)?
- What personal qualities and/or experiences do you have which you think would make you a good teacher
- What recent changes in Scottish education are you aware of and can you tell us what you know?
- Do you have any experience with Music Technology, if so, what software or hardware have you used?
- Apart from piano and your first-study instrument, what other instruments have you learned to play (including classroom instruments e.g. guitar/ukulele, bass, drum-kit, tuned percussion, etc)
- What aspects of music do you enjoy – are there any particular skills which you feel you need to develop?
- Panel members may also ask you questions about your personal statement