Forte School Of Music Auditions

For your audition, please prepare the following

Class Teacher

PART A: Action Song - Rainforest Walk (5 mins)

Teach the song “Rainforest Walk” to a class of 5 year olds (who will be played by adults for your audition).  You will be provided with the necessary backing track, and will be shown how to use the equipment to play the track before your audition.  You should base your presentation on the video example and demonstrate the steps below, though feel free to add your own creative  flair:

• Use some sort of prop to make the presentation fun
• Learn the actions that go with the song and teach these to the class
• Lead your class in singing the words as you perform the actions with the music (provided on disk at your audition)
• Lead your class in singing the note name (Do) as you repeat the performance
• Teach the class how to find the note 'Do' on a piano
• Get the class to play Rainforest Walk on their pianos with the disk accompaniment (provided)
• Show that you can encourage correct playing and praise good performance 
• You will need to be enthusiastic & dynamic to get the best out of your class!

PART B: Memory Solfege Song - Old MacDonald (5 mins)
Teach this to the children exactly as it is taught on the video example using the steps below:

• Print off the sheet music for Old MacDonald here
• Learn to play the piano accompaniment while singing the melody in words and in solfege as per the video
• Sing Old MacDonald three times with three different animals
• Use props for each animal (props will be available in the audition, though it is great to bring your own)
• Explain how Old MacDonald liked to sing
• Sing it a fourth time, introducing “Mi, Re, Do” (EDC) at the end of each line instead of E-i-e-i-o
• Demonstrate that you can sing & interact with the children whilst playing the piano

PART C: Performance

Prepare a short performance on each instrument which you are offering to teach:

• Play something which would inspire and enthuse one of our students
• We may stop your performance when we have heard enough, though the whole piece should be prepared

When preparing for your audition:

• Write a lesson plan so you remember what you have planned.
• Practice your teaching (to someone else if possible)
• Put yourself in the shoes of the children in the class – Is it fun? Would you get bored? It there too much to take in?

We will be looking for the following:

• Knowledge of the songs (words & melody)
• Your playing skills (accompaniments known well)
• Use of appropriate actions
• Knowledge of solfege (Do is always C)
• Use of props
• Enthusiastic, dynamic and motivational approach
• Eye contact
• Projection of voice

Good luck with your audition.  If you have any questions please contact us on 02920 631340:
To watch a video, please click below:

Rainforest Walk

Old Macdonald (Part 1)

Old Macdonald (Part 2)

Private Teacher

PART A: Performance

Prepare a short performance on each instrument which you are offering to teach:

• Play something which would inspire and enthuse one of our students
• We may stop your performance when we have heard enough, though the whole piece should be prepared

PART B: First Lesson

Provide a ten minute lesson (on each instrument which you are offering to teach) to a ten year old student, who will be played by an adult in your audition:

• Where possible, we will provide an instrument for the student, though it may be necessary for you to provide an instrument yourself if you have one.  If you don't, or do not wish to share your own instrument, then the student will mime for the purposes of role play.
• Bring your own tuition materials to the lesson, including any books or handouts
• Introduce your instrument as if the student is a complete beginner, with no prior musical knowledge
• Demonstrate your own teaching style so that we can assess your suitability for becoming a Forte teacher