Welcome
The Actor Musicianship audition process is designed to help us understand your potential as both a performer and a musician.
Actor-musicians use acting, music and storytelling together in performance. Throughout the admissions process, we’re interested in how you engage with both disciplines and how you work creatively with other people.
We know that applicants arrive with different experiences and strengths. Some may have more acting experience, while others may have spent more time developing their musical skills. We don’t expect applicants to arrive as finished professionals. We’re interested in your creativity, curiosity and readiness to benefit from professional training.
Audition Process
The audition process takes place across two stages, allowing us to get to know applicants in different ways and giving you multiple opportunities to demonstrate your strengths.
Round One: Self-Tape Submission
Following your application, you will be invited to submit a self-tape audition.
What You Will Prepare
You will be asked to submit:
- One contemporary monologue
- One classical monologue
- At least one instrumental performance video
Detailed guidance will be provided after your application has been received.
Instrument Submissions
Applicants must submit at least one video demonstrating their skills on an instrument.
Please note that singing does not count as an instrument for this stage of the audition process.
If you play more than one instrument, we encourage you to submit additional videos. This helps us build a fuller picture of your musical experience and interests.
Round Two: Recall Day
Applicants who are successful at Round One will be invited to a Recall Day.
Where possible, Recall Days take place on campus. The collaborative nature of the course means that attending in person provides the best opportunity to experience the training and work alongside other applicants.
Throughout the day, you will take part in a range of practical workshops and activities with members of the teaching team and fellow applicants.
The day is designed to give you multiple opportunities to demonstrate your creativity, musicality and ability to collaborate with others.
Movement Workshop
You will take part in practical movement exercises that explore physical communication, creativity and collaboration.
No specialist dance training is required.
Voice Workshop
The Voice Workshop explores communication, expression and connection through a range of practical exercises.
Singing Workshop
The Singing Workshop focuses on group singing, vocal communication and musical collaboration.
We are interested in your willingness to engage with the work and explore new approaches.
Musicality Workshop
The Musicality Workshop is one of the distinctive features of the Actor Musicianship audition process.
Led by a member of the programme team, this workshop gives applicants the opportunity to make music together and explore the collaborative nature of actor-musician training.
Rather than focusing on individual performance, the workshop emphasises listening, communication and ensemble awareness.
We want to see how applicants respond to one another, support each other and contribute to a shared creative experience.
Eyes-Up Music Making
A key principle of the Musicality Workshop is what we refer to as eyes-up music making.
This means remaining connected to the ensemble around you rather than focusing solely on your instrument.
We’re interested in how you listen, respond, communicate and collaborate through music. The ability to work as part of an ensemble is just as important as technical ability.
Individual Audition
As part of the Recall Day, you will take part in an individual audition session.
What You Will Prepare
You should prepare:
- One contemporary monologue
- One classical monologue
These may be the same speeches you submitted during your self-tape audition or completely different pieces.
You will normally be asked to perform at least one speech.
Preparing for Your Audition
Learn your material thoroughly, arrive ready to participate and approach the experience with an open mind.
We understand that applicants arrive with different strengths and experiences. Some may have more acting experience, while others may feel more confident as musicians. We are interested in your potential and how you engage with the process.
Most importantly, focus on the experience rather than delivering a perfect performance. We want you to feel comfortable exploring new ideas, working with others and showing us what you could bring to the Actor Musicianship community at Rose Bruford College.
What We’re Looking For
Throughout the audition process, we’re interested in getting to know you as an individual artist and understanding how you might develop through professional training.
We want to see how you engage with both acting and music-making, and how you use them as tools for communication and storytelling. We’re interested in applicants who demonstrate creativity, imagination and individuality through their work.
The collaborative nature of actor-musician training is central to the course. We enjoy seeing applicants who listen well, engage positively with others and contribute generously to group activities and ensemble work.
We’re also interested in how you respond to direction and new ideas. Throughout the process, you’ll be given opportunities to experiment, explore and develop your work. We value applicants who are open to feedback, willing to take creative risks and prepared to try different approaches.
Most importantly, we’re looking for people who are excited by the possibility of training, learning and growing as actor-musicians. We are interested in your musicality, creativity, collaboration and potential to benefit from the training we offer at Rose Bruford College.
For Parents, Carers, Supporters and Teachers
Many applicants are supported throughout the admissions process by parents, carers, supporters, teachers and careers advisers.
The most valuable support is often practical encouragement, helping applicants prepare their material, manage their time and arrive feeling confident and ready to take part.
Parents, carers, supporters and teachers are welcome to accompany applicants to campus and make use of the College café while the audition day is taking place. Please note that workshops, music-making sessions and individual auditions are only open to applicants and members of staff and cannot be observed.
For answers to common questions about supporting an applicant, please visit our Auditions & Interviews FAQs.