TAC Auditions

Welcome, TAC students!

Below are the audition requirements for the Technology & Applied Composition area. For full details—including application requirements and audition dates—please visit our Application & Auditions page.

Audition requirements are updated each September for the upcoming application cycle.

Live auditions will be held on campus in San Francisco. If you’re unable to attend in person, Zoom interviews are available upon request once the audition scheduling module opens. Additional details can be found on the Application & Auditions page.

Pre-Screening Requirements

All TAC applicants are required to submit prescreening requirements detailed below with the application. Applicants will be informed if they are invited to attend an audition or have been denied in prescreening.

One notated musical score that demonstrates original musical thought and the fundamentals of compositional technique
One self-produced recording of your original work (can be made using any combination of acoustic and virtual instruments)
One or more additional work samples: We want to get a sense of how you think and interact with various disciplines and technologies. Please include anything that might paint a bigger picture of your creativity or interests. Multimedia art, interactive digital art, literary interests, improvisation, and computer-generated compositions are encouraged.

Two essays

What are some recent developments in music technology that you are most excited about? Why? (200-250 words)
How did you hear about the TAC Program? (200 words max)

Final Audition

For all TAC applicants:

You will need to demonstrate your piano proficiency at the final audition. You do not need to upload piano recordings for prescreening.
If piano is not your primary instrument, you still need to fulfill the piano proficiency at the final audition, but may also perform or submit recordings of you performing on your primary instrument.
Applicants may make updates or additions to the prescreening scores and recordings for their Final Audition portfolio.

Be prepared to discuss your notated score and uploaded media with the faculty.

Applicants should prepare one of the following options for the piano proficiency portion of the final audition

Two excerpts from Bartók’s Mikrokosmos (e.g., No. 2 and No. 14) OR
One piano piece of their choice (1–3 minutes). The level of difficulty may vary between beginner and intermediate, but the selection should demonstrate a basic understanding of music theory and hand coordination. Under this option, applicants may perform their own compositions, jazz, popular, or classical music for the piano.

If piano is your primary instrument, you may choose a more difficult piece of your choice or play the previously mentioned excerpts or examples.

Examples of classical pieces at beginner or intermediate level are Kabalevsky Pieces for Children, Op. 27 Stravinsky Les cinq doigts, or Bach Notebook for Anna Magdalena.

For those who are approved for a Zoom interview, a recording of you playing the piano must be uploaded no later than 11:59 pm PST prior to your audition date.