Who We Are
The Blair School of Music is solely for undergraduates
The talented musicians we attract want world-class music training with excellent teachers, frequent performance opportunities, and great facilities. They want to participate in their school's top ensembles, so we deliberately limit our admissions numbers. Because we are selective, our students study and perform with musicians who are equally dedicated. The student-to-faculty ratio of 4:1 provides numerous opportunities to get to know and to work closely with the world-class musicians on our faculty.
Blair students are bright and versatile, with wide-ranging interests and ideas
Some combine music in a double major or add a minor in Vanderbilt's College of Arts and Sciences or the Peabody College of Education and Human Development; (the only second major available to Blair students in the School of Engineering is Computer Science.) We believe Blair students' artistry is enriched by the intersection between the arts and other academic disciplines; students will graduate with Vanderbilt's strong foundation in the liberal arts and sciences supporting Blair's intense training in music.
Blair graduates can be found throughout the fields of performance, research, teaching and composition
Blair students have been accepted for graduate study at major schools of music in the United States and Europe. Other Blair alumni have pursued graduate work in disciplines as diverse as business, law, medicine and dentistry.
Whatever your musical or academic focus....
No matter why you choose the Blair School of Music, you will learn to think critically, listen perceptively, and write skillfully in a place long known to the world as Music City.
Read and listen to an audio slideshow about two current Blair students and why they chose Vanderbilt.
How to Apply
2023-24 Application & Audition Information (All information to follow will be fully updated by August 1, 2023 for Fall 2024 Applicants.)
Students applying for Fall 2024 entry will follow the application timeline below. Each application plan has corresponding audition dates. Please ensure your availability aligns with your selections; no alternate dates will be offered for students invited to audition.
Applicants may be notified about prescreening results on a rolling basis. However, full applications are reviewed according to the deadline schedule. Submitting your application earlier than the deadline for your chosen application plan has no bearing on when or how your application will be reviewed.
In person auditions on campus are strongly encouraged (and will be the default audition format on the Blair Application.) Requests for recorded auditions will be considered on a case by case basis for applicants who pass prescreening and live outside of a 500 mile radius of campus and/or special circumstances. If you would like to request recorded audition consideration after receiving an audition invitation, and/or if you have any other questions, please contact Blair Admissions. Funding assistance for audition travel costs is available for applicants with financial need. Because assistance funds are limited, all requests may not be accommodated. Once prescreening results have been issued, students seeking assistance with travel costs may submit a request to the Blair Admissions Team and we will be in touch with next steps. Please note that we cannot accept funding assistance requests or recorded audition requests until prescreening results have been issued.
ALL Students applying to the Blair School of Music must submit Vanderbilt and Blair Application materials by their chosen application plan deadline (see above).
1. An application to Vanderbilt University, (Coalition Application , the Common Application or the QuestBridge Application) Your Vanderbilt Application must be submitted and received by Admissions in order to access the Blair School of Music application. For details about Vanderbilt application requirements, visit the Office of Undergraduate Admissions quick guide.
2. A Blair School of Music application. This application cannot be accessed until your Vanderbilt Application has been submitted (step 1). Please plan accordingly by reviewing and preparing the Blair required materials below. Students must submit all required Blair School of Music application materials before the applicant can be considered for an audition.
Required Materials to Apply
- One artistic recommendation, with space for additional optional artistic recommendation(s)
- Music resume
- A comprehensive repertoire list of all works studied on your instrument
- Prescreening video (see below for requirements)
Prescreening Video Submission and Audition Process
Within the Blair School of Music application, ALL Blair applicants will be required to create and upload prescreening video materials. All videos must include the appropriate audition repertoire. (See below for specific department requirements.)
- All video submissions must contain a continuous, unedited performance of each selection. Cuts in between movements/selections are acceptable; separate videos for each selection are acceptable.
- All vocal prescreening videos must be recorded with piano accompaniment. Applicants may record their video with prerecorded accompaniment, or utilize an online accompaniment option (such as the Accompanist app, Virtuallyvocal.com, YouTube, etc.)
- For all other instrumental prescreening videos, piano accompaniment is optional.
- It is important for videos to provide a clear visual and audio of your performance. Please be sure that you, as the performer, can be seen clearly and that you record in a quiet space so that your performance can be heard clearly, too.
- Examples of good recording spaces for your prescreening video may include: a music rehearsal space at a school, a space at home, a place of worship, a community center with a quiet space, etc.
- Examples of recording devices for your pre-screening video include: a video camera that you own, a video camera available from your school, a smartphone, etc.
- If you have additional questions about how to create your prescreening video, please contact Blair Admissions.
After review by the appropriate Blair faculty, selected applicants who pass prescreening will be notified about next steps for auditions. Students should not make any travel arrangements until further details have been provided by Blair Admissions.
Composition Application Requirements
Applicants for the composition major must upload a portfolio of three original scores and corresponding recordings. At least one live recording is preferred.
In addition, applicants must upload a prescreening video showcasing proficiency on their primary instrument or voice. For this, applicants can select any piece from their current repertoire. After composition portfolios and videos have been reviewed by the composition faculty, selected applicants will be notified about next steps for continuing the Blair Composition interview process.
Applicants will also be required to answer a series of questions as part of the prescreening video submissions. Please see the Composition prescreening requirements for more details.
Transfer Applicants
The application submission deadline is March 15, 2024. Applicants who pass prescreening will be contacted about next steps for continuing the Blair audition process. Please refer to your application checklist.