Candidates are given the opportunity to showcase their musical prowess in their own inimitable style. The attending lecturers will expect you to arrive to the admission examination well prepared.

On commencement of the practical exam, you will be required to submit in triplicate a list of all works studied and prepared. This list must be comprehensive and clearly structured, and state the title of the work(s), composer or performer. You will be required to submit the material as a score and/or text complete with chord symbols.

You may wish to provide an accompanying musician (for the singing component or performance on a melody instrument). Alternatively, the admissions committee may accompany you. In general, the quality of your performance (interpretation and musicality) is weighted more heavily than the complexity of the piece. The practical exam takes approx. 30 minutes.

Some guidelines regarding performance standard:

Chord instrument
The candidate should demonstrate an ability to play one or more chord instruments to a satisfactory standard.

Piano
Classical Music:
The piece must be of equal complexity to:
J.S. Bach :  Klavierbüchlein für Anna Magdalena
Clementi :  Sonatinen
Lemoine :  Etudes opus 37
Burgmuller :  Opus 100

Jazz/pop
Guidelines regarding choice of repertoire:
Real Book, Fake Book. Melody with chords. Own interpretations of pop songs, integrating melody and harmony. Musicals. Blues, including improvisation.
The candidate is able to add chords to a simple melody and play the piece on a keyboard instrument. Other keyboard instruments such as accordion, keyboard or synthesizer are also permitted.

Guitar
- The candidate will be required to sing two pieces from a pop/rock/blues repertoire and accompany these pieces on electric or acoustic guitar. Other forms of guitar play (classical, improvisation etc) work in your favour.

- If the candidate restricts his or her choice of chord instrument to the guitar, the following shall apply:

• the candidate will be required to sing five pieces from a pop/rock/blues repertoire (preferably memorized), accompanied on electric or acoustic guitar, accented after-beat with guitar pick and bass on the first note of each measure, arpeggio, open chords and barre chords.
• the candidate will be required to perform two melodies with limited position shifts, written in notation. The candidate will be assessed mainly on his or her ability to maintain tempo, timing, rhythm, balance between voice and accompaniment and musical expression;
• the candidate is permitted to perform a pop or jazz repertoire;
• ability for some musical improvisation talent works in your favour.

Singing
You will be required to prepare ten songs, with or without your own accompaniment, in Dutch, French, German and English, from a classical and popular light repertoire. Vocalises, spirituals or gospel songs, musicals, pop songs, arias, folk songs, chansons, cabaret and children songs are all permitted. The purpose of this exercise is to assess whether the candidate's voice and expressive ability can be further developed and improved. The candidate is additionally expected to accompany him/herself / in the performance of several of these pieces.

Melodic instrument
If you play a melodic instrument, it is recommended that you also demonstrate your proficiency on this instrument. Candidates wishing to take a melodic instrument as a minor subject along with chord instrument/vocals may be permitted to do so, subject to certain conditions. Candidates wishing to take this as their main degree subject should apply to the Classical Music or Jazz department.