--- Introduction ------------------------------¬
The Technology in Music and Related Arts Department (TIMARA) is most suited to students who wish to pursue a creative career with contemporary music and other arts-related technologies. While the primary focus of the department is in music composition, we also provide support for creative work in new media, video, and other related arts activities. We place a priority on performance and realtime interactive media environments. We are not, however, focused on training recording engineers, or in training technicians. Some of our graduates do go on to further study in these areas, however.
When applying to the Oberlin Conservatory as a TIMARA major, you are expected to show experience working with music technologies, and your portfolio of compositional work will be the central focus of your application package. Each year we select a limited number of students either applying to Oberlin for the first time, or transferring from other majors in the Conservatory or the College of Arts & Sciences. We expect to see a mature portfolio of work that represents your best work. Please submit work on CD or DVD. For more information on submitting a portfolio see The Audition Process, below.
---- Applying to TIMARA -------------------¬
If you are applying to Oberlin for the first time, or if you are applying to transfer from the College of Arts & Sciences you may apply using the on-line Unified Application for Conservatory Admission. You will need to submit the application to Oberlin Conservatory no later than December 1. In addition, you will need to have letters of recommendations and official academic records and test scores submitted in your behalf. The application, academic records, and recommendations must be received by December 1. Your portfolio must be received by February 1. For more information about submitting a portfolio, please read the section below. You will also be expected to audition, either at Oberlin for the TIMARA faculty, or at an Oberlin regional audition site, where your audition will be video-taped for the TIMARA faculty. Audition dates and locations are available from the Admissions Office, or on the Conservatory Admissions website. Please note that TIMARA applicants are strongly encouraged to come to campus for an in-person audition and interview.
If you are already a student in the Conservatory, but are applying to transfer into TIMARA, or to add TIMARA as a second major, you only need to submit a portfolio. You do not need to fill out a full application. You will, however, be asked to audition.
Please note that the TIMARA Department does not offer early review. Admission to our program is very competitive and the number of admissions we can make is small. We encourage applicants to choose the February or March audition dates rather than December weekend. We feel this gives you the most time to prepare your portfolio. It is our experience that young composers can grow enormously in the few months between December and March and that this growth will be reflected in their portfolios.
---- The Audition ------------------------------¬
TIMARA auditions are thirty minutes in length. We encourage an on-campus audition during one of the scheduled audition weekends. Our goal is to determine your level of musical, technical, and intellectual preparation for study of music and related technologies at Oberlin. We highly recommend an on-campus audition.
You will be asked to perform one or more pieces on an instrument of your choice during the first five minutes of your audition so you should come prepared to do this. The pieces may be original compositions or works chosen from traditional literature. Improvisations in any style are also acceptable. The purpose of this performance is to give the TIMARA faculty some indication of general musicianship.
The remainder of the audition centers on a discussion of work you have submitted in your portfolio as well as your background and career goals.
YOU MUST SUBMIT A PORTFOLIO BEFORE THE AUDITION. IF WE DO NOT HAVE YOUR PORTFOLIO AS EVIDENCE OF SERIOUS PREPARATION FOR WORK IN THE TIMARA DEPARTMENT, WE WILL HAVE NOTHING TO TALK ABOUT IN YOUR INTERVIEW.
---- Your Portfolio ------------------------------¬
Your portfolio is the MOST IMPORTANT part of your application and should reflect what you consider to be your best work. It is most likely to include music using technological media. It may also be interactive media or video, including web-based work. See below for further instructions. Some candidates include works that have been composed jointly by members of an ensemble. You may include one work of this kind but please make clear what role you had in the making of the piece.
Your portfolio should include 15-20 minutes of original music consisting of 3-5 compositions. The work should be primarily in electronic media but you may include pieces composed for traditional ensembles. Scores should be submitted for those pieces that require them. Pieces that do not involve live performance need not have scores.
Professional recording is not necessary but work must be recorded in a manner that allows us to judge your music in the best possible light. Successful candidates in the past have used inexpensive recording systems to produce quite acceptable audition materials. Your work should be clearly marked as to content and accompanied by appropriate program notes. If there is a printed score for the piece, it should be included in the portfolio.
Acceptable formats include:
- DAT, with separate sheet of paper clearly describing the tracks, and their index numbers.
- Cassette, (don't forget to tell us what noise reduction you are using).
- VHS video, NTSC.
- CD, with a separate sheet of paper describing the tracks.
- Web-based work, but please provide a separate sheet of paper with the URL and a description of the site or work. Web-based pieces should only be included if they are original artistic work and are not simply your homepage or a catalog of your work.
- CD-ROM. Include a separate sheet of paper describing the contents of the disk, and how it should be accessed.
- DVD. Include a separate sheet of paper describing the contents of the disk, and how it should be accessed.
Remember, the portfolio is the most important part of your application and it is in your best interest to ensure that we have all the information necessary to hear it or view it under the best possible circumstances. If you are sending pieces on audio cassette or video cassette, put each piece on a separate tape.
If we decide that your work meets our admission standards we will look at other aspects of your application. Since Oberlin is a challenging school, we place a high value on your academic record including SAT and ACT scores. We are looking for bright and mature students who are able to manage their time for optimum performance at the college level. Because we value intellectual, artistic, and social breadth, we look next at your extracurricular activities.
---- Preparing ------------------------------¬
You will read in the Oberlin College Bulletin that you are required to complete a four-semester sequence of courses in the fundamentals of music. You will also read that "part or all of the Music Theory 131, 132, 231, 232 requirement may be waived by placement examination when the student enters Oberlin." We encourage you to take advantage of this possibility. Passing one or two semesters of music theory can enhance your opportunities for more advanced study and increase flexibility in your choice of courses in your second, third, and fourth years. If you are serious about your application to Oberlin, we encourage you to devote some time during the weeks before you audition to the study of music fundamentals. We recommend the following programmed workbook:
John Clough: Scales, Intervals, Keys, Triads, Rhythm and Meter.
Published in 1999 by W.W. Norton, $48.30.
---- Additional Help ------------------------------¬
If you have questions about your application or audition, please contact Tom Lopez at 440.775.8748 or by e-mail at tom.lopez@oberlin.edu, or explore our main website.
---- Afterwards ------------------------------¬
Our graduates take a variety of professional career paths in the industry and performing arts. Visit our alumni page for a sampling. Many of our students go on to further study in the field. Where do they go? Here is a partial list of graduate schools that have accepted TIMARA graduates into their composition and/or electronic and computer music degree programs.
CalArts
Ohio State University
Cincinnati College Conservatory
Columbia University
Dartmouth College
Glasgow University (UK)
University of Illinois, Urbana
McGill University
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Mills College Center for Contemporary Music
MIT
Northwestern University
Peabody University
Princeton
RPI (Rensselaer)
Stanford University
Texas State University
University of Southern California
Washington State University
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