Each year, Carthage offers more than $300,000 in renewable music and music theatre scholarships to incoming freshmen and transfer students who demonstrate outstanding potential. Individual scholarships range from $500 to $13,000 and may be offered to music majors and minors, as well as students in the music theatre emphasis.
THE MUSIC THEATRE SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINE HAS PASSED FOR FALL 2018 FRESHMEN.
If you are a freshman entering in fall 2019, online applications for these scholarships will be available October 2018. Join our mailing list to receive more information about Carthage’s competitive scholarships.
How to Audition
An audition is required for admittance into the music theatre program, and for scholarship consideration. All students are asked to first submit an application to the Office of Admissions before scheduling an audition. In-person auditions are held on scheduled audition dates before a panel of two or more music faculty members. Students unable to attend the scheduled audition dates may call the coordinator of auditions to discuss the possibility of a weekday audition. Auditions take place every February.
What to prepare
Students who intend to focus on music theatre must complete a comprehensive music theatre audition for the music and theatre faculty. Students are asked to prepare two full-length, memorized vocal solos of contrasting nature (either style/genre or tempo). Additionally, students will be asked to prepare two short monologues, each no longer than two minutes. Students will demonstrate musicianship through sight-reading and tonal memory exercises, as well as a music literacy assessment and keyboard skills placement. A dance call is also included in the audition day.
What To Bring
- A copy of your resume
- Head shot
- Two letters of recommendation
- A copy of your musical selections. The copy should be in the key you plan to perform, double-sided, collated, and in a three- ring binder. Recorded accompaniments are not permitted.
- A change of clothes for the dance call: solid leotards or fitted T-shirts, as well as fitted dance pants, or black or pink tights that can be rolled off of the feet; ballet slippers, jazz slippers, and tap shoes (optional); No jewelry or baggy clothes should be worn
Where To Go
Auditions are held in the H.F. Johnson Fine Arts Center. This building is located just south past the chapel. Turn right when you pass the chapel heading south. There is a visitor parking lot to your left. Our building is directly north. There are two sets of doors. Please enter the southwest doors, turn to your right and go downstairs. There are practice rooms available on both floors for pre-audition warm-ups. View a campus map.
Suggestions and Recommendations
- Give a clear introduction: state your name, and the titles of the work that your pieces are from.
- Perform facing straight ahead. Pick a focus point just over the heads of your audience or at a slight angle facing them.
- Select pieces that are close to your age range and physical type. Your monologues must come from published plays. Do not use your own writing, movies, TV, forensics or speech tournament pieces, or undocumented internet sources.
- Avoid dialects, pantomime, and props.
- Dress appropriately.
- Hair should be worn neatly out of face and eyes.
