Brass Study and Performance

This page is designed to provide information for horn, trumpet, trombone, euphonium, and tuba students seeking information about performance and lesson opportunities in the Department of Music. This page will provide information regarding course offerings, ensemble opportunities, scholarship auditions, and applied lessons. If this page fails to address all of you inquiries, please contact one of the brass faculty listed at the bottom of this page            

                        

COURSE OFFERINGS

The department offers applied music lessons in brass for both music majors and non-music majors. The department also offers a host of ensembles in which brass students may participate. Music majors have specific ensemble requirements and it is recommended that each student pursuing the BA or BM degree in music carefully review those requirements. These requirements are posted on the Music Department website. Ensemble participation is open to any university student. Participation is usually determined by auditions held at the beginning of the school year, at the end of the fall term, and/or at the beginning of the spring term. Directors normally post audition information and sign-up sheets on departmental bulletin boards prior to the audition period. Please feel free to email or call any director to clarify audition requirements and schedules if you can not easily find this information posted. The Department of Music website lists all faculty and their contact information.

DEPARTMENT OF MUSIC ENSEMBLE COURSES (featuring brass performers)

Course/Ensemble                                                           Director                   Contact Info
Music 211, section 1 / UNC Symphony Orchestra    Tonu Kalam             kalam@mindspring.com
Music 211, section 2 / UNC Wind Ensemble              Evan Feldman          Feldman@gmail.com
Music 211, section 3 / UNC Symphony Band            Jeffrey Fuchs            jfuchs@email.unc.edu
Music 212, section 1 / UNC Jazz Band                        James Ketch             jketch@email.unc.edu
Music 213, section 1 / Marching Tar Heels                Jeffrey Fuchs           jfuchs@email.unc.edu
Music 213, section 7 / University Band                      Matthew McClure   mcclure@unc.edu
Music 213, section 8 / Charanga Carolina                    David Garcia           daga@email.unc.edu
Music 214, section 1 / University Chamber Players  Donald Oehler        dloehler@email.unc.edu
                                                                                            Michael Kris           mkris@email.unc.edu
               
SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR BRASS PERFORMERS

Students interested in majoring in music at Carolina are eligible to audition for the department’s Scholarship Committee. The committee consists of representatives from divisional areas of the department. The auditions are held between mid-January and early-February each year.

The first step for any student seeking admission to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is to complete and submit an application to the university (admissions.unc.edu). Following this, students should go to the Department of Music website (www.music.unc.edu). At this homepage you should click the link prospective student. This link leads you to a link called undergraduate students. Click this link and you will be able to read detailed information about scholarships and auditions. If you elect to apply for a scholarship audition, you may do so by clicking on the audition registration form.  Once you complete and submit this online scholarship audition request form you are sending a clear indication of your interest in music and the scholarship audition process. Following this step, you will begin to receive information from the department regarding the auditions.

It is recommended that you contact the brass instructor in your area as soon as you determine that studying music at Carolina is of interest to you. The instructors can be helpful in assisting you with your audition questions.

Audition materials will vary from student to student. In general, brass area faculty advise students auditioning to perform two contrasting audition selections. Lyrical playing is an essential part of the artistry of brass performance. Select a solo that demonstrates the beauty of your tone, the projection of your singing sound, and your ability to shape a musical phrase. Contrast this lyrical selection with a composition that demonstrates technical ability and fluency.  Articulation, accuracy, precision, range, flexibility, endurance, finger dexterity or nimble slide work all represent aspects of technical ability and control. The audition selections you perform may be from the solo repertoire for your instrument or from an etude or orchestral excerpt. Auditions performed from school band parts are not encouraged. Students are normally not expected to audition with an accompanist but we welcome this investment in your musical preparation should you elect to bring an accompanist to your audition. Your audition should reflect your investment of much musical study and practice. Select a program that reflects the most mature music you feel capable of performing at this moment in time. Remember, that it is more impressive to project preparedness and musical confidence on literature you can master, than it is to tackle too difficult a work and project musical insecurity.

APPLIED LESSONS FOR BRASS PERFORMERS

Applied Horn Lesson Courses (Instructor Andrew McAfee)
Music 105, section 1-Individual Lessons (1credit hr)
Music 205, section 1- Advanced Lessons (2 credit hrs)
Music 305, section 1- Advanced Lessons + Recital (3 credit hrs)

Applied Trumpet Lesson Courses (Instructor James Ketch or David McChesney)
Music 105, section 2-Individual Lessons (1credit hr) McChesney
Music 205, section 2- Advanced Lessons (2 credit hrs) McChesney
Music 305, section 2- Advanced Lessons + Recital (3 credit hrs) McChesney

Music 105, section 3-Individual Lessons (1credit hr) Ketch
Music 205, section 3- Advanced Lessons (2 credit hrs) Ketch
Music 305, section 3- Advanced Lessons + Recital (3 credit hrs) Ketch

Applied Low Brass Lesson Courses (Instructor Michael Kris) –trombone, euph., tuba
Music 105, section 4-Individual Lessons (1credit hr) Trombone
Music 205, section 4- Advanced Lessons (2 credit hrs) Trombone
Music 305, section 4- Advanced Lessons + Recital (3 credit hrs) Trombone

Music 105, section 5-Individual Lessons (1credit hr) Tuba
Music 205, section 5- Advanced Lessons (2 credit hrs) Tuba
Music 305, section 5- Advanced Lessons + Recital (3 credit hrs) Tuba

Music 105, section 6-Individual Lessons (1credit hr) Euphonium
Music 205, section 6- Advanced Lessons (2 credit hrs) Euphonium
Music 305, section 6- Advanced Lessons + Recital (3 credit hrs) Euphonium

It is always advised that any student seeking applied music lessons initially contact the appropriate instructor to discuss the matter. Applied music lessons carry a fee and therefore these classes require two registrations. In addition to enrolling in the appropriate music course, students will also complete an applied music lesson form for the registrar of the department. This form is available in Room 104 Hill Hall and should be submitted to the appropriate applied music instructor. The completed form is returned to Angeline Warren (see contact info below) in Room 104 Hill Hall. The current cost for one semester of applied music lessons is $375 for a weekly one-hour lesson and $187.50 for a weekly thirty-minute lesson.

BRASS FACULTY CONTACT INFORMATION (bio material available on faculty page link)

Andrew McAfee – horn
Office:   Kenan Music Building
Phone:   919-843-7964 (O)    919-787-3022 (H)
Email: amcafeerr@nc.rr.com

James Ketch – trumpet
Office: 2125 Kenan Music Building
Phone: 919-962-7560
Email: jketch@email.unc.edu

David McChesney – trumpet (adjunct instructor)
Email: dmcchesney@ravenscroft.org

Michael Kris – Low Brass (trombone, euphonium, and tuba)
Office: Kenan Music Building
Phone: 919-962-1070
Email: mkris@email.unc.edu

Chairman Scholarship and Admissions Committee
Jeffrey Fuchs
Office: 106 Hill Hall
Phone: 919-962-5695
Email: jfuchs@email.unc.edu

Music Department Registrar
Angeline Warren
Office: 104 Hill Hall
Phone: 919-962-1039
Email: awarren@email.unc.edu