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Topic: First audition coming up... and I need a piece  (Read 1243 times)

Offline newkidintown

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First audition coming up... and I need a piece
on: November 12, 2014, 06:52:22 PM
Hello! I found out just a couple days ago that my school's auditions for Tri-M (a music honour society, for those who don't know) are coming up... In just under two weeks. And the only piece I've been practicing at all the past few weeks (aside from pieces for an orchestra I'm in) is for a piano competition in January that all the judges for the audition will also be judging.

So I'm in need of a piece or excerpt I can learn quickly. Lately I've been playing pieces from grades 7-9, as keyboard and orchestra obligations allow, and I'm strongest playing more modern, slower pieces that need a lot of expression -- for example, the piece I mentioned earlier is Ravel's "A la maniere de Borodin".

Also, this is my first piano audition... Any advice?

Offline stringoverstrung

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Re: First audition coming up... and I need a piece
Reply #1 on: November 13, 2014, 04:55:57 PM
The best bet is to play a piece you have played before. 2 weeks is really on the short side IMHO.

Offline visitor

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Re: First audition coming up... and I need a piece
Reply #2 on: November 13, 2014, 04:57:33 PM
The best bet is to play a piece you have played before. 2 weeks is really on the short side IMHO.
agreed. polish up something you played say in previous 18 months is likely to result in better outcome than trying to pull something new out unless is is WAY under your current level (and still will be more superficially learned unless op has unusually high standard working memory).

Offline newkidintown

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Re: First audition coming up... and I need a piece
Reply #3 on: November 15, 2014, 11:15:06 PM
Thank you both! My issue is that I don't have any other pieces at my level ready... Lately I've been focusing on keyboard and orchestra, and I only got a teacher again very recently. However, going so long between teachers - about 5 or 6 years of my 11/12 - has really forced me into having a rigorous work ethic and a lot of attention to detail, and I tend to practise 2 hours a day at the very least (as homework allows).

So between making my post and you all replying, I've started learning the grave portion of Beethoven's Sonata Pathetique. So far so good, I have most of the technique under my belt; I really just need to bring those last couple measures with the 128th notes up to speed and start focusing on my interpretation and musicianship.

But would this be okay for an audition piece (considering, again, this is only a high school honour society audition, nothing major by any means)? Looking through other posts I've seen a lot about "_______ is a great piece, but not for auditions"...
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