All incoming declared Music or Music Studies majors, please make an appointment with the Undergraduate Advisor over the summer, or meet at the scheduled time during your orientation session.
For students interested in becoming a music major, a personalized meeting is also advised!
The Musicianship and Theory placement exam is for students new to the university or for students who wish to enter the major or minor who have not taken the exam before. Students will be placed into the appropriate class in the the Music Theory series (11, 5A, 5B, 5C, or in some cases 160A or C), and the Musicianship series (4A-F).
This exam is only offered during the pre-instruction week of Fall quarter.
Download the Study Guide for more information.
Immediately following the Musicianship and Theory placement exam, the New Majors meeting will happen in the courtyard across the hall from the Music Bowl. If you are new to UCSB, or new to the major, you are strongly encouraged to attend. Continuing majors are also welcome.
The information below is for Fall 2021. For general audition information, or other times, see the Audition Information page.
World Music Instrument lessons (MUS 22D-X and 122D-X) do not require an audition to enroll. Contact the instructor of the course for class meeting times if not listed in the schedule. Instruments listed below will link to the instructor teaching the lessons.
The department offers instruction in Dastgah, Arabic Maqam, Nay, and Oud in all regular quarters: Fall, Winter and Spring, and Sitar in Winter (and for continuing students in Spring).
Unless outlined in detail here, other auditions for private instruction in strings, winds, brass, and percussion may be arranged with individual faculty members by instrument. See the Faculty Directory for email contacts.
An audition is required. Students who audition may be assigned for piano study with either graduate teaching assistants or, in some cases for advanced students, with piano faculty members.
Online signups will be posted below once available. All students will sign up for placement into our out of 31A-X. In this audition you will be given a short sight-reading example and asked a few questions about your prior piano studies. If you are interested in taking intermediate to advanced lessons, prepare two contrasting solo works from different historical periods.
If appropriate, students will be referred to a second audition for placement into 33 or 133. Prepared audition pieces can be the same, the committee for this audition is different. For placement into 133 (upper division lessons) as a non-BM major, please prepare three contrasting works from different historical periods. One of the works must consist of one or more movements of a sonata from the Classical period.
MUS 31A-C, X, Beginning & Intermediate Piano (Lessons with a Piano Graduate Student)
MUS 33/133 Advanced Piano (Lessons with Faculty), posted on the first day of pre-instruction week in front of room 0305 (located in the basement of the Music Building). Only sign up for this audition if you are a BM student in Piano, have been advised by the audition committee after an audition for MUS31, or otherwise directed by the keyboard faculty.
An audition is required. Students who audition may be assigned for voice study with either graduate teaching assistants or, in some cases for advanced students, with voice faculty members.
MUS 20, Elementary Voice (Lessons with a Voice Graduate Student):
MUS 25, Intermediate Voice (Lessons with Faculty)
Audition information for Music Dept. ensembles may be found here, click on the ensemble you are interested in. Some ensembles (most world music, all choirs except chamber choir) do not require an audition.
All Ensembles can be found in GOLD under the MUSIC A - PERFORMANCE LABORATORIES section for registration. For ensembles that require an audition, approval (aka add) codes will be distributed by the instructor after a successful audition.
Students should register for ensembles based on their class level. Students with Freshman or Sophomore level standing should register for classes numbered 0-99, Juniors and seniors 100-199, Graduate students 200-299.