Auditions - Norwegian Folk Music/Folk Art

Audition Round 1 consists of a three-part digital submission. In Round 1 of the audition, applicants will be assessed by a jury as qualified/not qualified. Applicants who are assessed as qualified in Round 1 will be invited to Audition Round 2 (a digital audition and interview). In Round 2, applicants will be ranked by a jury on a scale from 0 – 50+.

• Audition Round 1 - Digital Submission
• Audition Round 2 - Digital Audition and Interview
• Jury
• Assessment Criteria

Audition Round 1 - Digital Submission

In the first round of auditions, applicants must send in a three-part digital submission consisting of (1) a letter of motivation, (2) a video recording (folk music applicants) / digital portfolio (folk art applicants), and (3) a resumé.

The following guidelines apply to the digital submission and its contents:

1) Letter of motivation
In the letter, you should:

• Present yourself, your educational background, relevant work experience (if applicable), future plans
• Elaborate on why you have chosen to apply for the Norwegian Folk Music / Norwegian Folk Art programme. What do you hope to get out of your studies?
• Length: max. 1 page

2) Video recording (folk music applicants) / Digital portfolio (folk art applicants) demonstrating relevant artistic experience

• Guidelines for video recording submission (folk music applicants):
  • Contents and length: You should record 2 tunes/pieces, or repertoire equivalent to approx. 4–8 minutes. If your main experience is in a genre other than folk/traditional music, you may submit a recording of music from a different genre
  • The full video does not need to be completed in one take, but each tune/piece must be performed in one take (not multiple takes edited together)
  • Use the recording equipment you have on hand (e.g. your mobile phone/computer/tablet). It is not necessary to use professional recording equipment
  • Format: Acceptable formats are mp4, mov, wmv, flv, avi
    • If you are unable to submit your video file, you may submit a link to a video hosted elsewhere (YouTube, Vimeo, Google Drive, etc.). Please ensure your sharing settings are correct (e.g. unlisted on YouTube, accessible to anyone with the link on cloud storage). Please include the link in your letter of motivation.
• Guidelines for digital portfolio submission (folk art applicants):
  • Set up an online portfolio. Please select a platform that works best for you. Some examples of free hosting platforms include: Blogger, WordPress, Weebly, Tumblr, Google Sites
  • Contents: Your digital portfolio should include 5–10 images of your work.
    • Please write a sentence to accompany each image that describes the work and any relevant information about its theme or involved processes
    • Images may show both works in progress and completed work (e.g. sketchbook pages, samples, paintings, final products, photos of three-dimensional work)
    • If your main experience is in a genre other than folk art/traditional craft, you may submit a portfolio documenting your work in a different genre
  • When your digital portfolio is complete, submit the web address for the portfolio in your letter of motivation.

3) Resumé documenting relevant artistic experience

• List any relevant previous experience in the field of music/art and craft (e.g. education/training, studio work, performances, exhibitions) in a short resumé (max. 1 page)

Audition Round 2 - Digital Audition and Interview

Following the jury’s evaluation of applicants in Round 1, qualified applicants will be invited to a digital audition and interview (Round 2).

Qualified applicants will receive a separate e-mail invitation to Round 2 of the audition, which is a digital audition and interview to be held via Zoom or MS Teams. The date and time of the digital audition and interview will be specified in the e-mail. The digital audition and interview will last approximately 15 minutes.

The following guidelines apply to the audition portion of Round 2:

Folk music applicants: You should prepare one tune/piece of your choice to perform live for the jury.

• The duration of the tune/piece should be no longer than 4 minutes
• Select a tune/piece that you feel demonstrates your strengths as a performer on your main instrument (you may select a tune/piece that you submitted in your video recording from Round 1, or a different tune/piece)
• Give a brief introduction to the tune/piece before performing it
• High-quality audio is not imperative; use the equipment you have on hand. We suggest testing your audio and video quality, and ensuring a stable internet connection, in advance of the audition

Folk art applicants: You should prepare to present one piece of your own work for the jury.

• The duration of your presentation should be no longer than 4 minutes
• Select a work to present that you feel demonstrates your strengths as an artist/craftsperson in your main artistic medium (you may select a work that you presented in your digital portfolio from Round 1, or a different work)
• In your presentation, describe the work and any relevant information about its theme or involved processes
• You may use audiovisual aids (e.g. PowerPoint, photos, video clips) in your presentation
• We suggest testing your audio and video quality, and ensuring a stable internet connection, in advance of the audition

The following guidelines apply to the interview portion of Round 2:

The interview will take place in the form of an individual conversation with the jury (duration: 5-10 minutes). The submitted material from Round 1 of the audition will be the starting point for the conversation. In the interview the jury and the applicant will discuss the applicant’s aims and motivation for applying to the programme, their preferred area of specialisation within the programme (e.g. their preferred main instrument/preferred material area—woodworking, metalsmithing, or textiles) as well as the applicant’s previous musical/artistic/crafts experience, knowledge of the field, and future plans. The applicant will also have the opportunity to ask questions about the programme to the jury.

Jury

The jury consists of 2-3 faculty members from the Department of Traditional Arts and Traditional Music. The same jury will assess both rounds of auditions. The jury will use the criteria listed below to evaluate all applicants. The ranking framework (below) will be used to rank applicants in Round 2 of the audition.

Assessment criteria

The assessment will be based on both admission rounds.