Bachelor's Programme Computer Music and Sound Art

BEFORE THE END OF THE REGISTRATION PERIOD

Please send until June 3 to office(at)iem.at

• two examples or your artistic work, (compositions, improvisations, drafts of your work regarding computermusic and sound art) each with a duration of approximately 5 minutes
• preferably send links
• otherwise please send compressed data formats like mp3 for audio or h264 for video, or similar. If you are sending data, the total data volume must not exceed 150MB
• currently it is not possible to audition multichannel files. Please provide stereo versions of pieces with more than two audio channels.
• Without submission of examples of artistic works, it is not possible to attend the admission examination.

All parts of the entrance examination take place online.

Only those candidates who have passed the music theory and ear-training test will be admitted to the interview.

ENTRANCE EXAM

The test consists of two sections.

1) Written entrance exam

The first section of the test consists of a written entrance exam. This lasts for ca. 120 minutes, takes place in either the German or English language, and contains 3 parts:

1. Written aural test: recognition of scale types (major/minor), triads
2. Written music theory test
3. Written aural test: Seashore text, using headphones

2) Interview

The second section of the test consists of an interview that is to be held in either German or English. The basis for the interview is formed by two artistic works by the applicant (for example, sound installations, documentation about the performance or interpretation of music compositions for computer, the development of instruments used in computer music or other usages in the area of music informatics) that must have been handed in as an audio-document or video-document (preferably in compressed format, as e.g. mp3) two weeks before the entrance exam. The candidate will receive the invitation to submit these items, along with further instructions, after the application to enter the study program has been made.

AURAL TEST (length: about 40 min)

• Three music examples will be played and you must indicate whether they are in the MAJOR or MINOR mode, in duple or triple meter, and with or without an upbeat (pickup).
• Melodic dictation with a given rhythm.
• Rhythmic dictation with a given pitch progression.
• Recognition of triads: MAJOR – MINOR – DIMINISHED – AUGMENTED
• Recognition of instruments in two music examples.
• You must find the mistakes that have been put into the printed notation of a music example.

Practice Example

MUSIC THEORY (length: about 40 min)

• Forming and/or analyzing a series of intervals.
• Forming a scale (MAJOR/MINOR) with the scalar triads.
• Scale analysis and formation (MAJOR/MINOR/PENTATONIC/WHOLE TONE SCALE).
• Rhythmic transfer from note stems with flags to note stems with beams, using a given meter/time signature.
• Correcting the mistakes in a given rhythmic example.
• Explaining music theory technical terms.
• Forming inversions of triads.
• Analyzing cadences (FUNCTIONS/DEGREES/CHORD SYMBOLS)

Practice Example

SEASHORE TEST (length: about 40 min)

Pitch:
This test determines the ability to distinguish between pitches. Two tones are played, one shortly after the other. The second tone is either higher or lower than the first tone. On the answer sheet, one writes H if the second tone is higher than the first tone, or L if the second tone is lower than the first tone.

Loudness:
This test determines the ability to distinguish between the volume of tones. Two tones are played, one shortly after the other, with differences in volume. On the answer sheet, one writes L if the second tone is louder than the first tone, or S if the second tone is softer than the first tone.

Rhythm:
This test determines the ability to distinguish between rhythms. Two rhythmic sequences are played, one shortly after the other. The second sequence has either the same rhythm as the first, or it is different. If the rhythmic sequences are the same, one writes S, and if they are different, one writes D.

Tone Duration:
This test determines the ability to distinguish between tone lengths. Two tones are played, one after the other. If the second tone is longer than the first tone, one writes L. If the second tone is shorter than the first tone, one writes S.

Klangfarbe (Tone Quality):
This test determines the ability to distinguish between Klangfarbe/tone quality. Two tones are played, one after the other, with either the same or different tone qualities. If the tones have the same quality/colour, one writes S on the answer sheet, and if the second tone is different in tone quality, one writes D.

Tonal (Melodic) Memory:
This test determines the ability to remember melodies. In each example, one hears a melody that is played twice. Each time that the second melody is played, a note has been changed. One must identify which note has been changed, the first note, the second, note, the third note, etc., and mark this particular numbered note on the answer sheet.
 

Test example Seashore-Test

Further information on the origin of this test can be found under http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi1736.htm

READING LIST FOR TH AURAL AND MUSIC THEORY TESTS

Kurt Johnen "Allgemeine Musiklehre" (Reclam 7352)
Imogen Holst "Das ABC der Musik" (Reclam 8806)
Malte Korff "Kleines Wörterbuch der Musik" (Reclam 9770)
Hermann Grabner "Allgemeine Musiklehre" (Bärenreiter)
Salmen/Schneider "Der musikalische Satz" (ED.Helbling)
Wieland Ziegenrücker "Allgemeine Musiklehre" (Schott)