A Word About DMA Piano Auditions
Peabody is proud to receive many applications for our DMA program in Piano. The program requires a very high level of performance, combined with a background appropriate for doctoral-level academic studies. For that reason, the admissions process involves evaluations by both the piano faculty and by the academic side of the school.
In order to maintain a good balance of programs at Peabody, we must hold the number of DMA entrances down. No, we don’t have a fixed number each year, but with so many highly qualified applicants the competition for entrance can get intense and the evaluation process can become time consuming. When all is said and done, our DMA applicants tend to fall into four groups. Of course, we are able to accept some directly to the DMA program. Some excel in performance, but are less well developed on the academic side. Others come from an academic environment, and would love to attend Peabody, but fall short of the elevated performance standards for DMA. Those in the fourth group are applying to the doctoral program because they feel they could benefit from continued private study, and they see the DMA as the next logical step beyond a masters degree. We would like to accommodate as many of these applicants as possible within the opportunities offered at Peabody, so DMA acceptance is a multi-step process.
The first step is pre-screening. The faculty pre-screens with a “broad brush” saving time and expense for those who may not have realized how competitive things can be. Those passing pre-screening are invited to continue the process with an audition before the piano faculty. After your audition we will have enough information to discuss the possibilities with you. The setting will be an advising session scheduled that same day. If it looks as if the DMA program would not be a good fit for you at that time, the advisors can discuss alternate opportunities. It will not be necessary to do a formal DMA interview. If it looks like you have a reasonable chance at acceptance to the DMA program, you will take your placement tests and complete the required interview with the academic faculty the next day.
We realize it is difficult to make travel arrangements without knowing if you will be in town for one or two days. At worst you can do some sight seeing in Baltimore, a city with a significant history. We have heard rumors that dining on a dozen or so Chesapeake Bay Blue Crabs is a great morale booster. In any case we are hoping that giving you this information ahead of time will allow you to make your travel plans as flexible as possible. The Peabody Inn (our Elderhostel facility on campus) has told us they can work with you if you tell them you are a DMA piano applicant.
I need to emphasize that the advising session is just that—a fork in the road, if you will. Actual accept/reject decisions to either the DMA or to an alternate program cannot be made until we have everything in front of us. Results will be emailed to you in the usual time frame.
