Need help for college application (undergraduate)

[cardinals]

Since the deadlines are just a month or so away...I will need your help in determining where to apply...The thing is that my teacher told me that there are still many things to work on musicality (especially the tempo control and tone or "color" of sound) and suggested applying for smaller programs in Ohio such as Ohio University, Kent State Univ., and Northern Kentucky Univ....for better person-to-person assistance from the professors to help improving those elements...

After listening to the attached recordings for pre-screening, what do you believe the chance of getting into U Cincinnati, U Texas-Austin or U Illinois for the bachelors?

Also, for the previous six months, I have focused mostly on technical stuffs believing that I needed to form the technical background first in order to add musical details on top of it...and it is only 1-2 weeks or so since I spent more hours on them...actually, there is still over 2 months left till the audition dates...

Any comments or suggestions will be welcome so please just let me know how you would do in case of this situation...Thanks

[lostinidlewonder]

This is nice playing, in auditions they generally don't look for perfect playing, otherwise why would you need to study music with them? It would be helpful if you posted sheets you study from so its easier to highlight critique.

The Bach is nice, many traditional interpreters of Bach however dislike when you give more to one part or the other. Over legato touches also are somewhat distasteful.

Funny enough the Beethoven 81a Sonata, Les Adieux, I am currently teaching to a student of mine, and you play it not too bad. Musically there is just so much I could point out. Note that when playing Beethoven we always have to highlight contrast. You have to be careful that one phrase doesn't sound the same, or is played on the level as the other all the time. Like one random example I can pull out is after the sf octaves at around 2:50,  then moving into the lighter 2:52 area, the Lh is too heavy, not light enough to define the contrasting character. Numerous instances of this exist throughout, but this isn't hard to improve, you have the notes which are the hardest.

The Chopin is nice although slightly harsh (it could be the recording) in places like in the opening runs, and when this theme is repeated throughout to me its entry sounds just that little too hard. There is more refinement required in your legato ties but it is somewhat useless to talk about these in a paragraph. The melody has to in my opinion be much more stronger like in 4:22, in the recording the melody seems just a little strangled. Then at 4:55 things should become slightly more excited. Then at 5:24 the same melody returns, you should have a different feel to this, not echo the same as before, I would have liked the intensity in the melody to be lifted further more. And like in 7:53 that last chord wants to melt into the music you can give a very very microscopic slight pause before you play it. I'm just pulling random examples.

From listening to this I would be surprised if you didn't get in, lots of potential, they're missing out if they snub you. You surely have put a lot of work in your playing.

[thalberg]

I listened to all four of your recordings, and in my opinion I'd say for the schools you mentioned this kind of playing would get you in with near certainty.