Studio Music and Jazz - Proficiency Exams
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Scale and Sight-reading Proficiency Exams
The Jazz scale/sight-reading juries are proficiency exams that must be passed before a student is allowed to give a recital. The exams are given on a designated day 3 to 4 weeks before the end of the semester. Students will be notified of the date by email and instructed to sign up for a time.
Scale Proficiency Exam
Studio Music and Jazz Majors are required to take the scale proficiency exam each semester they are enrolled in applied music until they have passed level 1 and 2 of the scale portions of the exam. Levels 1 and 2 of the scale proficiency exam must be passed before a student can give a junior recital.
Level 1: Two octave scales to be played ascending and descending in 8th notes with metronome at 120 bpm: Major, Ascending Melodic Minor, Harmonic Minor, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, Locrian
Level 2: Diminished, Whole-tone, Blues, Augmented, Pentatonic, Chromatic. Three octave major scale to be played ascending and descending in 8th notes with metronome at 120 bpm.
Grading of the scale proficiency is pass/fail. If a student is unsuccessful in playing a scale, a second attempt may be made. If a student fails to successfully play a scale after two attempts, the scale portion of the exam is failed.
Sight-reading proficiency exam
Studio Music and Jazz Majorsare required to take the sight-reading proficiency exam each semester they are enrolled in applied music, except during semesters when they are giving a recital. Levels 1, 2, and 3 of the sight-reading jury must be passed to be eligible to perform a junior recital. Level 4 of sight-reading must be passed to be eligible to perform a senior recital.
Applied teachers will bring sight-reading material written for their instrument.
The reading example will be in line with real-life expectations. For example,
guitarist and pianists will read chords symbols and rhythms as well as
melodies, while saxophonist may read more chromatic linear material. Sight-reading
examples must be played with a metronome or play-along track.
Grading of the sight-reading proficiency is pass/fail. If a student
is unsuccessful in sight-reading the example, a second attempt may be made.
If a student fails to successfully play an example after two attempts,
the sight-reading portion of the exam is failed.