Preparing and Applying for college can be a very stressful situation for both students and parents.  One important aspect is that most times when one wishes to study music, it will require two applications:  one for the overall university or college; and a second application specific to the music department. While the music department application will generally be straight forward, they most often require an audition where the faculty will determine your current playing level and potential for future growth.  Many times auditions can be recorded and submitted on CD, or more preferably they will be live in front of some of the music faculty. 

One of the most important aspects of selecting and auditioning for colleges will involve your applied or private lesson, teacher during your time at a college.  This person will most likely be the one single professor that you will have continuous close contact with during your four (or more!!) years of study.  Academic classes will have various professors and hopefully moving up the ranks of the student ensembles will bring you in contact with different conductors.  So, I highly recommend making sure that when looking at a school, you ensure you have a good “fit” with the teacher.  I sometimes jokingly refer to it taking a car for a test drive, but of course very different.  You would certainly want to do some research before committing to make sure you work well together on a number of levels.  Thus, I encourage my students to make sure they know and are quite comfortable with whoever teaches euphonium or tuba at the colleges and universities where they are applying.   This student-teacher relationship will be pivotal and so requires a strong investment in making sure the teacher and student can work well together.  I suggest setting up at least one (two is much better) lesson with a professor.  Sometimes these can be a month before an audition or sometimes they can count as your audition or they might take place right before or after an audition.  Having a lesson before an audition will provide you with insight into the professor’s priorities as well as your strength and weaknesses.  The main thing is that it will allow the student to meet the teacher and experience how they instruct, their demeanor and style, and of course to see if they work well together. 

This meeting also allows the teacher to see the student’s playing quality, learning style, and how well they learn and absorb information.  Because music is such a subjective art form, it sometimes occurs that teachers and students do not always work well together for a variety of reasons.  It is certainly better to find this out early.  If you have the opportunity to have a few lessons with a professor, remember that they are also interviewing you and they are looking for good quality playing and the ability to adjust and absorb what they are teaching.  I encourage my students to be a blank page and that teachers instruct differently.  Other players will most likely teach differently than I do and they may have contrasting concepts…this is a good thing as it provides the students with NEW ideas. 

So in preparing for a lesson or audition, first you should try to make contact with a college’s euphonium or tuba professor.  Using e-mail or telephone with a very professional and polite manner can make a positive first impression.   You can find email addresses on most college websites.  In the email, you should state your interest in the program along with where you are currently studying (high school, if you have a private lesson teacher) and a very BRIEF list of accomplishments (Region, All-State, Solo and Ensemble, etc).  Professors are generally very approachable and enthused to communicate with potential students interested in their programs.  Also, I encourage you to inquire if it is possible to have a trail lesson or meeting with them.  Most teachers are just as interested to see how you play, speak face-to-face, and also see how well you take in and improve. 

When you are preparing for the lesson or audition, I think the most important thing is to try to be relaxed, prepared, and punctual.  First impressions remain a very strong opinion forming tool, so make sure to be dressed appropriately to make a good impression (ripped jeans at a first lesson to me, does not reflect the most professional manner to me…at an audition I think tie and slacks for men, slacks or dress or ladies).  Be early and try to warm up before the lesson and audition so you can work through being a little nervous.  Remember everyone wants you to play well, so think positively.  I often times suggest to students that get nervous playing for new people, either in a lesson or audition, to play for friends and family or band directors to help them adjust to the stress. 

This leads us to a discussion on WHAT to play at an audition.  I think the overall rule is to play something that you play well and sound great performing.  Obviously many music programs have requirements or suggested repertoire.  You can find these out by visiting their websites, inquiring with the music office, or even better…asking the euphonium and tuba professor directly before your first lesson.  As a note, most schools provide flexibility in their repertoire choices, so if you have a solo that you play well, you can always ask if it would be OK to use that instead of what they have posted.  Worst thing that can happen is that they say that they would like to hear what is on the suggested repertoire list.  Many programs ask for students to play solos, while others are also fine with you performing an etude (like Rochut or Tyrrell or Kopprasch) or excerpts from the standard band and orchestral repertoire.  I have included a brief list for euphonium and tuba at the end of the article.  Also many programs will ask you to play a few scales and potentially have you sight read in an audition.  While both of these things tend to be appearing less frequently, you SOULD know your scales already.  How embarrassing to play a great solo and then mess up on a major scale. 

One last aspect involves a brief theory and or ear training exam.  Some schools are starting to require this so they can see the overall music knowledge, not just playing ability of students.  Many times this will have written interval exercises (such as what note is a major third about b-flat…d) and also to write out major, minor, augmented, or diminished triads as well as a short listening test to identify these.  Obviously trying to sit in or take a short theory class would be beneficial.

So in conclusion, make contact with the tuba and euphonium professor to express your interest and to begin a dialogue that will hopefully include a discussion about setting up a private lesson and inquire about suggested repertoire for auditions.  Pick out pieces that you play well and enjoy practicing.  Ask questions and be professional.

Recommended Repertoire for Euphonium (a VERY LIMITED list in order of difficulty). 
Tyrrell 40 Progressive Studies for Trombone
Barat Introduction and Dance
Haddad Suite for Baritone
Rochut Melodies Etudes for Trombone – Book 1
Curnow Rhapsody for Euphonium
Barat Andante and Allegro
Clinard Sonata for Unaccompanied Euphonium
Capuzzi Andante and Rondo from Concerto for Double Bass
Censhu A Walk in the Woods
Marcello Sonata in F Major
Clarke From the Shores of the Mighty Pacific
Arban Carnival of Venice
Horovitz Euphonium Concerto (Mvt 1 and or 2)
Pryor Blue Bells of Scotland
Guilmant Morceau Symphonique
Jacob Fantasia
Picchi Fantaisie Originale

Recommended Repertoire for Tuba (a VERY LIMITED list in order of difficulty). 
Tyrrell 40 Advanced Studies for B-flat Bass
JS Bach arr. Bell Air and Bouree
Don Haddad Suite for Tuba
Walter Hartley Suite for Unaccompanied Tuba
Rochut Melodies Etudes for Trombone – Book 1
Marcello arr. Little Sonata in F Major
Vincent Persechetti Serenade
Thomas Beversdorf Sonata for Tuba
Mucenzski Inpromtus
Gordon Jacob Tuba Suite
Edward Gregson Concerto for Tuba (Mvt 1)
Hindemith Sonata for Tuba
Vaughan Williams Concerto for Tuba (Mvt 1)

Adam Frey teaches at Georgia State University and Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.  He has 6 solo recordings and hosts the week long seminar, The International Euphonium Institute.  His website is www.euphonium.com.