Hundreds of prospective first-year students from all over the world audition for UM’s highly-competitive Frost School of Music each year.
With several Grammy Award-winning alumni, a 91% post-graduation job placement rate and a mention in The Hollywood Reporter’s 2022 World’s Best Music schools list, the Frost School of Music has become a dream school for many hopeful music majors.
Lóren Littlejohn — a senior jazz trumpet player — remembers his Frost audition as something out of a movie. Littlejohn watched with wide, mesmerized eyes as the Frost Band of the Hour performed, stunned by the sheer size of Gusman Hall. From the moment he arrived on campus, he knew Frost was the place for him.
Now, as President of the Frost Ambassadors program, Littlejohn strives to make prospective students feel welcome.
“I give back by making the audition process light-hearted and fun for the auditionees,” said Littlejohn. “The audition process can be overwhelming, and I do everything in my power to make it a wonderful experience for Frost’s prospective students.”
Annual undergraduate auditions take place in December and February. Roughly equal numbers of prospective students audition in the fall and spring.
Frost is the one and only UM school that does not allow students to apply under early decision. Prospective students can only apply under early action or by the regular deadline to Frost due to the time-consuming audition process.
All students — except those applying to the bachelor of arts in music industry — are required to submit a prescreen video in accordance with Frost’s requirements. Prospective contemporary songwriters, must submit video recordings of three original songs, while jazz pianists must submit video recordings of four standards. Certain specialized programs — such as composition or music engineering — require portfolios.
After submitting their prescreens, select students are invited to an in-person audition.
What sets Frost apart from other music schools is that an audition day at UM is more than a quick in-and-out performance. Applicants and their families are welcomed to campus with live performances, Q&A sessions and campus tours.
“Welcoming the applicants and their families to campus to show them what makes Frost so special has such an impact on applicants envisioning what their four-year college experience could look like at [UM],” Frost Director of Admissions Dominic Castillejo said.
For the Frost Admissions team, audition season marks the culmination of a six-month-long recruitment tour across the United States. Decked out in Frost green while carrying bags filled with promotional pamphlets, Frost recruiters visit college fairs, high schools and summer music camps in an effort to introduce potential students to UM.
“It is so exciting to see that applicant we met at a college fair in Texas or at a high school visit in California step foot on our campus and see the magic that the University of Miami and the Frost School of Music offer that can’t be found anywhere else,” Castillejo said.
College auditions are often one of the most trying experiences in a young musician’s life, but current Frost students, faculty and staff strive to make the process as seamless as possible.
Ask anyone who’s gone through the process, and their advice is simple: come prepared and prove your passion and you’ll end up where you’re meant to be.
“You are here for a reason: someone at the school believes in you and thinks you would be a good fit at [Frost],” Frost Ambassadors Vice President Zoë Latanision said. “You have done all the work to get where you are today. Take a deep breath before you go in, and be yourself. They want to see you and who you are. You got this.”