Need help!

[vincentl]

So... Here's my problem, I have never taken any music lessons in my life, and I am now given an opportunity to audition to get into a university, my problem is I don't know what pieces I should prepare. Any suggestions?

[bleicher]

What pieces have you played so far?

[vincentl]

I can't really remember all the pieces I can play; I have only been playing some pretty basic pieces such as Fur Elise, Frölicher Landmann, Chopin's Cantabile Op.P2 No.6, Valse Op.Posth.69 No.2, Pathetique Sonata 2nd mov., Traumerei, Jesu, joy of man's desiring, Moonlight Sonata 1st movement, a few of Bach's Minuets and Gymnopedie No.1, but I don't know if they are good to be played for an audition. I am currently studying Mozart's K.545 and Rondo Alla Turca for the audition.

P.S. This is my first audition ever so I am a little nervous.

[quantum]

We need more details.

What program are you auditioning for?  Music major, music minor, to take courses in music department while belonging to an external faculty, etc.

Do you know the level of music being played by current students in the program?

[vincentl]

I am auditioning for Music Major. Unfortunately, I don't have a clue what level of music the current students are playing, I'll try to ask around though.

[quantum]

The audition requirements for music major are usually made clear.  Inquire with the institution.  At the very least they will require two contrasting pieces.  They may also specify pieces from different periods.  Something typical would be: selection by J.S. Bach, Classical sonata, Romantic work, 20th century work.  It really depends on what school you apply to.

Your current repertoire may be technically a bit on the easy side, but that doesn't really mean much out of context.  Generally people auditioning for music major would be selecting pieces at a higher difficulty than your current repertoire.  It does depend on the amount of applicants to the particular school, and the competitiveness to get in. 

Some general pointers where you probably can't go wrong: 

Learn some J.S. Bach Inventions or Sinfonias.  Even better if you can get a WTC Prelude and Fugue under your belt. 

Learn a complete classical sonata - that means all movements.  I see you are studying K.545 and the Rondo from K.331.  You also have some Beethoven Op 13 and 27/2.  You may want to consider learning all movements from one of these.


For getting into a music major program, seriously consider getting a teacher to help you.  Most of the other applicants to a music major program would have been taking lessons for some time. 

Is there any reason why you have decided to pursue a music degree?  Do you plan to become a professional musician? 

[bachbrahmsschubert]

Follow Quantum's repertoire advice, but please specify what area of music you are auditioning as. Audition requirements are different for Music Education, Performance, Theory etc. If it's just "music" I'm fairly certain that is only available as a minor. At least in the United States...

Also, instead of talking with us, I highly suggest emailing or setting up a meeting with the Department Chair at the school you're interested in to get all the information that you need.

If it's a performance degree you're after, you don't currently have the necessary repertoire. You HAVE to find a teacher.

If it's not a performance degree you're after, all they want to know is that your fingers can move (especially if piano is your main instrument) and you understand the music. Of course, they aren't going to accept a musician who is musically inept.

First thing: find a teacher. Now.

Best wishes,

[vincentl]

Luckily, I do have a book of Bach's WTC and two-part inventions, but I studied his more basic pieces first; I'll focus on Bach for now. I'll complete Mozart's K.545 instead for a classical sonata, and put K.331 aside for now. My only problem would probably be a 20th century work.. I don't know that much composers from the 20th century. I better start working on it now I guess. And I'll try to find a teacher asap. Thanks for the help everyone!

And yes, I do plan to become a professional musician. I want to have a degree so it would be possible for me to live a life of music.

[quantum]

Sounds like your starting to form a plan - that great.  A teacher at this point is essentially a must for you.  Things will just go much easier with the guidance of one.

If you want more insider insight into the audition talk to current students at the school.  Ask what they played, about any theory or ear tests, the general procedures of the audition, etc.  Also do some research on the school you are applying to.  The jury may ask you some questions: like have you been to our recital hall, are you familiar with professor so and so's work, etc.  You don't have to know in depth info, just show that you are interested in the place.  It's also a good idea to prepare questions to ask the jury, most likely you will be given the opportunity to do so. 

[naaga]

for the 20th century repertoyre i think you could do something not too difficult, maybe debussy's children's corner or one image, or something by ravel (sonatine..)
they shoudn't be too difficult for you..
i agree with quantum:do a lot of bach!
 hope I'm beeing helpful

[larapool]

I know your questions have been answered, but I can relate to your situation (somewhat).

So... Here's my problem, I have never taken any music lessons in my life, and I am now given an opportunity to audition to get into a university, my problem is I don't know what pieces I should prepare. Any suggestions?

I, personally, taught myself piano my whole life until I was just under 19 years old.  That's when I began taking classical piano lessons (I am 20 years old now, I've had 1.5 years of study under my belt).  After one full year I managed to successfully pass my university's audition with these three simple pieces: Chopin's Prelude No. 7, Bach's Invention No. 1, and Mozart's K545 second movement.

Granted, a couple weeks later I found out I could play Bach's Sinfonia No. 15, which is pretty much the hardest of the sinfonias, but I still made it into the music major program.  However, due to the level of difficulty of the pieces, I did not make it into the composition/theory major which is what I was going for.

I will say that your pieces seem to be of a greater difficulty level than the ones I played so you should be fine if you can play them well.  However, be prepared to step things up..  I just received the list of pieces my piano at said university wants me to have prepared by the end of summer and it's going to be quite a bit of work.  This was also my first audition as well.  Even though I taught myself quite a bit of musical theory and knew my way around the piano before I began lessons, I had no classical training at all, so if I can make it into a university, anybody can.

Just thought I'd throw my two cents in there since I was in a similar situation.  Basically, if you pass the audition, you'll be good to go.  Just be prepared to do a lot of work!

[vincentl]

Sounds like your starting to form a plan - that great.  A teacher at this point is essentially a must for you.  Things will just go much easier with the guidance of one.

If you want more insider insight into the audition talk to current students at the school.  Ask what they played, about any theory or ear tests, the general procedures of the audition, etc.  Also do some research on the school you are applying to.  The jury may ask you some questions: like have you been to our recital hall, are you familiar with professor so and so's work, etc.  You don't have to know in depth info, just show that you are interested in the place.  It's also a good idea to prepare questions to ask the jury, most likely you will be given the opportunity to do so. 

Thanks for the advice! I feel like I am somehow moving forward on a path whereas I was a bit lost before. Now I have an idea on what may happen when I do audition.

for the 20th century repertoyre i think you could do something not too difficult, maybe debussy's children's corner or one image, or something by ravel (sonatine..)
they shoudn't be too difficult for you..
i agree with quantum:do a lot of bach!
 hope I'm beeing helpful

Thanks for the advice as well, I'll probably try Debussy for my 20th century repertoire.

I know your questions have been answered, but I can relate to your situation (somewhat).

I, personally, taught myself piano my whole life until I was just under 19 years old.  That's when I began taking classical piano lessons (I am 20 years old now, I've had 1.5 years of study under my belt).  After one full year I managed to successfully pass my university's audition with these three simple pieces: Chopin's Prelude No. 7, Bach's Invention No. 1, and Mozart's K545 second movement.

Granted, a couple weeks later I found out I could play Bach's Sinfonia No. 15, which is pretty much the hardest of the sinfonias, but I still made it into the music major program.  However, due to the level of difficulty of the pieces, I did not make it into the composition/theory major which is what I was going for.

I will say that your pieces seem to be of a greater difficulty level than the ones I played so you should be fine if you can play them well.  However, be prepared to step things up..  I just received the list of pieces my piano at said university wants me to have prepared by the end of summer and it's going to be quite a bit of work.  This was also my first audition as well.  Even though I taught myself quite a bit of musical theory and knew my way around the piano before I began lessons, I had no classical training at all, so if I can make it into a university, anybody can.

Just thought I'd throw my two cents in there since I was in a similar situation.  Basically, if you pass the audition, you'll be good to go.  Just be prepared to do a lot of work!

Thank you for the reply, we are both the same age actually, and in a similar situation, so we can probably relate better with each other about this I guess.  Thank you for your kind words, I feel more confident now after reading what you have written, although I am not too familiar with Bach's Sinfonias yet.. I better start right now I guess. Thanks for the heads up as well. (I am aware that I may be saying thank you too much  )

[rodogg]

There's some great advice in this discussion! Yeah, I would go with Bach's Inventions and Sinfonias and the Mozart works mentioned below for the auditions.
If you're looking for good Romantic pieces, Schumann and Chopin are great composers to choose from. Both have beautiful works that can be quite simple yet deep and immersive as well.
Debussy is an excellent choice for 20th century! Bela Bartok and Dmitri Kablevsky are also reasonable choices for 20th century if you're looking for more.
And, of course, you will need a teacher. Haha.
Best of luck on your auditions and music!

Ryan