[Rambling] Auditions at the Reina Sofia, a bit depressed.

[ahmedito]

Yesterday, we had auditions for piano at the Escuela Superior Reina Sofia (I didnt audition, Im already a student). I got to meet a couple of people from the piano forum. Right now, its such a sad time here. It was a bit depressing.

There were 50 pianists of all nationalities selected from more than 300 people who sent in their packages with documents and things. Only 1 person was accepted. Thank God I dont have to go through that again! I was so happy last year when I got in, but now I'm forced to look at it from the other perspective. Close friends of mine were not accepted, and some of the guys who auditioned are still hanging around.

Today I had class with my teacher, and four times she got called on her cell phone from people  who auditioned and managed to get her number. All asking the same thing: "what did you think?" "will you take me?"

Competitions are hard, but this is the toughest kind. When you fail in this one, you see your whole future go down the drain; it doesnt, but thats hard to remember when the moment comes. Why should it be like this? I just wish they could take you all, I heard so many people play incredibely well yesterday, but there simply was someone else who the profesors prefer.

This really gets me down, I cant imagine how it must be for all you guys out there who didnt get in. But I write this because, at least in the case of some close friends, some of you need to hear this:

You are probably not a bad pianist.
Whoever got in over you, or is already in the school may be really really good, or better than you, but probably he also had a bout of good luck.
The profesors choosing the students many times had VERY hard choices, and many time it boiled down to something a bit more personal, so if you did not get in maybe its because the teachers also didnt think that they could help you as much as they could help someone else.
Many people here wish you good luck and I am very sure that you will probably have no problem entering another school, just as good.
The teachers were very sorry not to be able to take some of you, but in the end there was only one place. Sometimes it boiled down to nationality, availability of scholarships and age, not so much the quality of playing, because all the choices were amazingly high.

I say this because I heard a lot of the people who auditioned, and I was surprised at the amazing talent out there...

Were any of you guys here yesterday? I met some of you at the auditions.
Have you seen something similar at your school? How does that kind of thing make you feel?

[Dazzer]

really really sh*t.

but not that i've actually... auditioned for anywhere. I also dunno where to go. I also dunno whether i really want to go anywhere. I dunno if i can take it, the pressure, and the most probable rejection... what's the point when there's so many others so obviously much better... maybe i need to stop giving myself these false hopes that somehow i have some innate talent that'll help me.

[anda]

since you're talking about reina sofia... there's one thing i can't understand: it's not a conservatory, but it's a post-graduate school, right? and if so, why do they accept young instrumentists that just graduated from high-school, persons without a graduate degree? i have a friend who studied there some time ago (not piano), and he was making fun about how he will have to go get a univeristy-graduate degree as soon as he gets his post-graduate one from madrid

[janice]

I got to meet a couple of people from the piano forum.

Who?!?!?!  I bet that we are all curious!!

You are probably not a bad pianist.
Whoever got in over you, or is already in the school may be really really good, or better than you, but probably he also had a bout of good luck.
The profesors choosing the students many times had VERY hard choices, and many time it boiled down to something a bit more personal, so if you did not get in maybe its because the teachers also didnt think that they could help you as much as they could help someone else.
Many people here wish you good luck and I am very sure that you will probably have no problem entering another school, just as good.
The teachers were very sorry not to be able to take some of you, but in the end there was only one place. Sometimes it boiled down to nationality, availability of scholarships and age, not so much the quality of playing, because all the choices were amazingly high.   

It is very nice of you to post this!  You have been there, so it's great that you are encouraging  people, most of which are total strangers!

[ahmedito]

Anda, the Reina Sofia is a non-official school specialized in producing soloists and concertinos. Its whole view is that one, so the best age for entering is 14-18, although I got in at 22. You dont get any kind of official degree for finishing the course here (which can last anywhere from 3 to 8 years). This unofficiality makes it a very unique and flexible school with programs adapted individually to its students.

Janice, I wouldn't want to post the names of the people I met, although Im sure if some of them read this, they'll reply.

[alhimia]

I was one of the 49 who didn't get in the school... I can say that I actually don' t feel so bad. The reason that I auditioned was the fact that many people (among them are Volodos and Kocsis) recommended me to study there, therefore I even never heard about the school. At that time I was 17 (now I'm 19) and studied the piano seriously 1 year, although playing since 11. So I've all the possibility to develop myself, because I'm a really late starter and have little experience. I'm also interested in a lot of other things, playing jazz and composing.
Actually, I don't take this all so seriously, 1 out of 50 (or 300) is just a lotery. And we must not think that this school is the only way becoming a superb artist, because there is so much more involved than a only good teacher and school. It's also important to live, to read, to open your mind etc.
I always learned that you train your fingers to play well, your brain to think well and understand well, but then you have to practise your soul. Well, that's the painfull practise, very few think about that. That' the reason why we have each year so much winners of competitions or so much pianist who studied with a great teacher but how many do we remember?...
The only thing I want to point out that introspection is very important. I think focussing on competitions, great teachers is a bad thing. I don't say that I'm not entering competitions or auditions, but I do it just for experience, and accept the results. Actually at this moment I'm in the final of a dutch competition (not the liszt competition), and I'm the youngest and the only Dutch-man. So I just try-out, play, enjoy and see what happens.

[ahmedito]

And we must not think that this school is the only way becoming a superb artist, because there is so much more involved than a only good teacher and school. It's also important to live, to read, to open your mind etc.

Well said, that is precisely the point I wanted to get across with this thread.

Granted the Reina Sofia is one of the best piano schools out there, that has absolutely nothing to do with your own future as a pianist. When only one person out of 50 gets in, luck is a big factor. Few people in my school can say that luck had nothing to do with getting in.

[Dazzer]

well you can easily say that when you're in a international competition. and not stuck in a screwed up country surrounded by screwed up people screwing you over and then being stuck in a screwed up national service draft.

not to mention being right in the backyard of such schools.

yup... very easy.

[ahmedito]

Huh?

I have absolutely no idea what you meant by that last post.

[Dazzer]

was directed at alhimia.

[ahmedito]

I still have absolutely no idea what you meant.... care to elaborate?

[Dazzer]

i'm actually stuck in the military. conscription. forced draft

but they call it national service (serving the country)

yeh... - cough - right.

[ahmedito]

Ugh! Thats terrible? What country are you in, Israel?

Luckily I dodged my national draft. In Mexico there is a mandatory military service, but people who go to college can avoid it. And even then, there is a lottery and I got lucky and didnt get drafted.

[Dazzer]

Singapore actually.

no lottery here either.

All males ages 18 and above must serve the country.
They can, however, disrupt their service, to furhter their studies (which i stupidly didn't do) but must still serve their national service at the end of their studies.

life's a pregnant dog.