Music Program
Music provides many profound opportunities to enrich, enliven, inspire, and to bring together people of all backgrounds, interests and faiths. Many Regis students take applied music lessons or participate in one of the wonderful music ensembles on campus for personal enrichment, sheer enjoyment or to enhance their academic studies. At Regis, all students will find a dedicated and nurturing music faculty who are among the finest performers and teachers in their fields. This is an exciting time to get involved in the new and rapidly growing Music Program. Make music a part of your academic life at Regis.
Degrees and Programs
| Bachelor of Arts in Music History and Literature
| Bachelor of Arts in Music Performance
| Bachelor of Arts in Music with K-12 Education Licensure
| Minor in Music
Watch the Regis University Singers' Club Q memorial performance.
Trudi Wright
Department Co-Chair, Music Program Director, Associate Professor
Music Scholarships
Non-Music Majors Welcome
All full-time Regis College students, in any major, are invited to apply and audition for a competitive music scholarship. We encourage any talented musician with a strong background in instrument or voice to apply. Music scholarships may be added to other university-awarded scholarships up to, but not exceeding, the total amount of tuition.
To submit your Music Scholarship application, you must have already submitted your application for admission to Regis to the Office of Admissions. If that step is complete, you may begin the music scholarship application process by submitting the online application found below. Once we receive your application, we will send you a confirmation email with information regarding your next steps.
The first step in applying for a music scholarship is to submit the online application (below). After that, please submit the following documents by sending them to Kathy Ives at kives@regis.edu:
- Statement of Experience and Intent: Provide a description (one-page maximum) of your past experience in music and your long-range career plans.
- Repertoire: List the pieces you will perform at your audition. If you have additional pieces you have studied that are representative of your abilities, please list these as well.
- Letter of Reference: Provide one letter of reference from a person who can write about your music experience.
If you are invited to audition, it may be possible to set up a trial lesson with an instructor in your area, depending on availability. If you are interested in a trial lesson, please make sure to indicate that on your application.
Auditions are required for students interested in music scholarships, as well as those interested in admission to the Bachelor of Arts in Music Performance degree program. The same audition will serve both purposes. Live auditions take place at Regis University on published dates or by special arrangement. Although the experience of a live audition and meeting with Music faculty and students are preferable, video auditions with interviews via Zoom are accepted when this is not possible. If you require a video audition, please complete the online application and send an email to Kathy Ives at kives@regis.edu to request the requirements for a video audition.
What to Expect
Auditions are performed on orchestral instruments, piano, voice or guitar. Content varies by performance area. Accompaniment will be provided for vocalists but is not required for instrumental auditions. Most auditions will take 15-20 minutes. In general, you should be prepared to perform two to four varied songs, movements or etudes that best display tone, technique and general musicianship. The playing of scales and some sight-reading may be required, so be sure to find your area-specific requirements below.
Get to know the Regis Music Program!
Your audition experience will also include a glimpse into the activities and people involved in the Music Program at Regis University. Following auditions, you will sit in on one of our Recording Arts & Live Production courses and will be treated to either coffee or lunch with some of our music students, who will share their insights and answer your questions about their experiences with the Music Program and as Regis students.
It may also be possible to set up a trial lesson with an instructor in your area, depending on availability. If you are interested in a trial lesson, please make sure to indicate that on your application.
| Audition Dates: | Application/Documents Deadlines: | |
| Friday, Feb. 23, 2024 | 9 a.m.-11 a.m. | Feb. 13, 2024 |
| Friday, March 22, 2024 | 9 a.m.-11 a.m. | March 12, 2024 |
| Friday, April 5, 2024 | 9 a.m.-11 a.m. | March 26, 2024 |
| Friday, April 26, 2024 | 9 a.m.-11 a.m. | April 16, 2024 |
Auditions will be scheduled in the order of applications received. Please note that scholarship funds are limited, and awards will be made throughout the audition season, so there can be a benefit to auditioning early.
Audition requirements vary depending on the type of instrument you play, or whether you will perform with your voice. Find your area below, listed in alphabetical order, to learn more:
Bass Guitar
- Prepare two contrasting songs/pieces from the following styles: jazz, blues, rock, Latin, and funk.
- Demonstrate an ability to read chord symbols from a lead sheet.
- Demonstrate an ability to learn from notated music and/or have some preexisting knowledge of fretboard theory.
- Perform one of each of the following scales two octaves: major, natural minor, blues and mixolydian.
Bassoon
- Play two contrasting etudes OR movements from solo repertoire.
- Demonstrate familiarity with playing in both bass and tenor clefs.
- Play an ascending/descending chromatic scale throughout their available range.
- Sight read in either clef.
Clarinet
- To demonstrate lyric playing, applicants can choose to perform two pieces or one piece with contrasting sections.
- Play major scales through 4 sharps and 4 flats, minimum 2 octaves.
- Demonstrate various articulations with major scales.
- Play an ascending chromatic scale from Low E, going as high as possible.
- Sight reading required.
Flute
- Perform two contrasting selections (solos, etudes or excerpts) such as All-State or Solo and Ensemble audition material.
- Play major scales up to 4 flats and 4 sharps, two octave chromatic scale G-G.
- In addition, you will be asked to sight-read.
- No accompaniment is required.
Guitar
- Illustrate musical and personal interpretation of solo guitar playing in the style of your choosing in addition to an etude from traditional repertoire (Carcassi, Sor, Aguado, etc.), and a jazz standard of your choosing, playing the melody and chords separately or chord/melody if possible.
- In addition, applicants are required to demonstrate skills in the following areas:
- Scales: Demonstrate two different fingerings for a two-octave major scale.
- Chords: Demonstrate 6th and 5th-string root, movable forms for major, minor, 7, m7 and m7-flat 5 chords.
- Improvisation: Improvise a solo over a 12-bar blues chord progression.
- Sight reading: It is suggested that a student has experience in basic reading of music notation and chord charts.; audition requirements will be amended based on the student's abilities.
Harp
- Perform two contrasting pieces from different style periods.
- Play two three-octave scales (G and E flat) and their related three octave arpeggios in root, first inversion and 2nd inversion.
- Sight-reading excerpt.
Oboe
- Play excerpts from two etudes, one slow and lyrical in nature and the other in a faster tempo.
- Standard etude books such as the Ferling 48 Etudes or the Voxman Selected Studies are suggested; other appropriate etudes may be used.
- Play all major scales.
- Some sight-reading required.
Percussion
- Drum set: Demonstrate a steady beat pattern of any style (jazz, rock or Latin) for 1 to 2 minutes, maintaining tempo and groove with intermittent.
- Perform a drum solo of your choice of style (jazz, rock, or Latin). The solo can be written or improvised.
Piano
- Piano audition repertoire should consist of two contrasting works (mood, style, tempo) from two different time periods:
- Baroque
- Classical
- Romantic
- Impressionist/20th Century/21st Century
- Memorization of at least one piece is required.
- Demonstrate competency in playing scales, arpeggios, and sight reading.
Recorder
- Perform repertoire selections that feature contrasting material in slow and fast tempi.
- Examples of level include movements from Handel or Telemann sonatas, or anything from "The Baroque Solo Book," Ed. Bernard Thomas (Dolce Edition 111, 1989).
- Play major scales through three flats and three sharps, two octaves. Play two octaves chromatic scale, slurred, F-F.
- Some sight-reading required.
Recording Arts
- Come with a written description of your reasons for wanting to study Recording Arts and your experience with and/or knowledge of digital recording technology and recording studios, whether personal or professional.
- If you have one, you may also bring an optional recording you've made. All kinds of music are accepted. Regis University recognizes that not all prospective students have had access to recording technology, and this is not a requirement for scholarships for students who demonstrate a strong passion for the subject. You may also include information about yourexperience as a recording artist.
Saxophone
- Perform two contrasting selections (solos, etudes or excerpts Jazz or Classical) such as All-State or Solo and Ensemble audition material.
- Play major scales up to 4 flats and 4 sharps, ascending chromatic scale starting on low Bb/full range.
- No accompaniment is required.
Strings (Violin, Viola, Cello and Bass)
- Perform two contrasting movements from pieces of different style periods.
- Play two 3-octave scales of your choice (2 octaves for bass).
Trombone
- Perform two contrasting selections (solos, etudes or excerpts Jazz or Classical) such as All-State or Solo and Ensemble audition material.
- Play major scales up to two sharps and flats.
- No accompaniment is required.
Trumpet
- Perform music that demonstrates lyricism and technique - one or two movements from a concerto or sonata, or prepare two etudes of contrasting styles.
- Scales: C Chromatic scale (if possible, two octaves)
- Major Scales: Perform three Major scales, minimum-quarter note equals 60. Play two octaves where possible.
Voice
- Perform two contrasting pieces of any style. Show us what you do best. Memorization of pieces is required. An accompanist will be provided.
- Demonstrate proficiency through simple aural recall and warm-ups led by a Voice faculty member (live auditions only).
- If you cannot attend a live audition, you may audition via video recording (cell phone videos are adequate). Use of accompaniment for video submissions is preferred.
Please email all questions and about the Music Scholarship application or audition process to Kathy Ives at kives@regis.edu.
Concert and Events Calendar
All year long, the Music Program hosts various concerts, ensembles, choirs and other musical events. Most of these events are free and open to the public, and most are held in our beautiful Recital Hall, located in Peter Claver, S.J. Hall.
Our Faculty
The Music Program faculty at Regis University aren't just teachers in the classroom; they are practicing musicians themselves. They know firsthand the challenges and joys of being musicians and are ready to walk hand-in-hand with their students as they explore the world of music.
Ensembles
Beyond the Classroom
More than 100 students and 30 faculty, staff and community members participate in one of the music ensembles offered through the Music Program at Regis. Most ensembles are 0-3 credits and meet for two hours a week. Each semester, every music ensemble presents a concert showcasing the group and the individual talents of its members.
Chamber Ensemble
FAM 269/469: Geared for combinations of orchestral instrumentalists and concentrating on music from 1725 to today, Chamber Ensembles consist of small groups of musicians and a dedicated instructor.
Collegium Musicum
FAM 230/430: A large ensemble of singers and instrumentalists that focuses on music before 1750, Collegium Musicum is open to a limited number and type of instruments. Some previous choir or instrumental experience is required.
Concert Band
FAM 260/460: Concert Band explores quality band literature from the Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Contemporary periods of music history, covering a variety of styles. The band is open to woodwind, brass and percussion instrumentalists.
Concert Choir
FAM 402: Advanced choral ensemble work including challenging diverse choral literature, as well as on- and off-campus performances. Hearing required contact rdominguez@regis.edu to schedule.
Guitar Ensemble
FAM 448: The Guitar Ensemble is a more advanced ensemble for guitarists. Generally, participants have already had at least one private applied guitar lesson. In special cases, first-year students may audition for the Guitar Ensemble.
Jazz Ensemble
FAM 259/459: The Jazz Ensemble is open to all students. This instrumental group explores the American jazz repertoire, covering a wide variety of popular styles that developed from the early 20th century to today.
Musical Theater Ensemble
FAM 254/454: Musical Theater Ensemble allows students to engage in a production with an emphasis on music and music performance. Participants study staging, choreography, lighting, costumes and more. The ensemble presents a full-scale mainstage musical with multiple performances.
Piano Ensemble
FAM 442: The Piano Ensemble is designed for advanced piano students who would like an ensemble experience. Participants in Piano Ensemble will often be grouped and coached with students from the Chamber Ensembles.
Popular Music Ensemble
FAM 200/400: Establishes a setlist of popular songs - any and all styles welcome - as chosen by the students. With the guidance of the instructor, students study and rehearse each song throughout the semester, with the culmination of one or more live performances.
University Choir
FAM 202: A choral ensemble for all voices that will study, prepare and sing in performance, choral literature representing diverse composers from the past and present. Hearing suggested; contact rdominguez@regis.edu to schedule.