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Auditions are required for Music majors and the Music minor for admission into the NKU Music Program and for scholarship consideration. Audition requirements vary based on area and are listed below. If auditioning for both scholarships and admission into the Music Program, applicants will complete all requirements in one audition.

Audition sign-up is available up to 72 hours before each audition date. Applicants are encouraged to schedule their audition early in order to have the greatest pick of audition times.

Please note applicants must also submit the required admissions application to the university.

For Music Scholarship consideration, applicants should submit an audition by March 17, 2025; must have a 20+ ACT or a 2.8 GPA; AND be admitted to NKU no later than Feb. 15.

Prospective students, please note the following:

2024 - 2025 Audition Dates

  • Tuesday, December 10, 2024 (all areas)
  • Thursday, February 20, 2025 (strings only)
  • Saturday, February 22, 2025 (all areas except strings)
  • Saturday, March 22, 2025 (all areas except strings)
  • Thursday, March 27, 2025 (strings only)

If you are unable to make any of these audition dates, please contact Joan Brummer brummerj1@nku.edu for an alternative live audition date or consider submitting a video audition instead.

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Contact

Joan Brummer
brummerj1@nku.edu

Parking

Free parking is available in the Faculty/Staff parking lot "D" (no permit is necessary on audition days). Parking lot "D" is located across from the Welcome Center and is also in front of the Fine Arts Center and Steely Library.

Arrival and Check-In

All auditions take place in the Fine Arts Center. Students should check in at the first floor Greaves Concert Hall lobby. Audition room locations will be posted there. Student ambassadors will also be available to direct students to appropriate locations. While a bank of practice rooms are available on the second floor if needed, applicants are strongly encouraged to warm up off-campus before arriving to their audition.

Reschedule/Cancel Audition

If at all possible, please do try to keep your audition date/time, especially if you wish to be considered for scholarship. If you encounter an unavoidable conflict, you may reschedule/cancel your audition time yourself. If possible, please try to reschedule for another time. If no time is available, please contact the area coordinator for your instrument/voice to see if an individual audition may be possible (please know scholarship consideration is not always possible for late auditions).

Inclement Weather

If NKU closes for inclement weather, auditions will be canceled and rescheduled. The NKU Music Program will send any necessary information/communications via email.

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Placement Tests

Required Theory Placement Test

As part of the NKU audition, your background in music theory and musicianship will be assessed. This assessment is not factored into your music admission decision, but it does help determine what courses to place you into, should you decide to attend NKU in the fall. All students wishing to major or minor in music are required to take this placement exam. Students who are auditioning for ensemble scholarships only do not need to take this exam. Please check your email periodically, as we will be sending a unique link to the theory placement test there.

Optional Piano Placement Exam

If you have at least 6 months of piano experience, piano is NOT your primary instrument, and you are interested in placing out of some/all of the piano course requirements, please sign up to take an optional piano placement exam on the day of your audition. If you do not have piano experience (or have limited experience), you should not take the piano placement exam. Students whose primary instrument is piano, do not need to take the piano placement exam and will automatically be placed into Class Piano IV. If you are submitting a video audition, please email Keyboard Area Coordinator Dr. Richard Van Dyke (vandyker1@nku.edu) to take the exam.

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Audition Requirements

Click/tap each header to expand requirements.

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