Professional Theater Pianist, Going Classical

[patrickyoung]

Hi Everybody.

     I ran across the board when looking up some information, and I thought I would set up an account and ask for some thoughts!

     A little about me: I have been working as a musical director in the theater for the last 10 years, and as much as I love it, I decided to go back to school to get a Music Ed degree. I was planning on going to a community college for a couple of years to get back into the swing of things, but a few people in teaching positions at the school have strongly encouraged me to audition for admission to some programs for Fall 2012, which basically gives me 2 1/2 months to put an audition together, with a style of music that I am not as familiar with.

     Since all of the schools I am looking at want to hear classical pieces (one school is requesting 1) a Two or Three Part Invention or a  Prelude and Fugue from the Well Tempered Clavier of J.S. Bach, 2) the first movement of a classical sonata by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven or Clementi,  3) any work of Chopin, Liszt, Brahms, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin OR a work by an impressionist or 20th century composer.), I am trying to figure out where to begin to give myself the best chance of getting into the program, and also be able to realistically do the work on my own.

     Playing level ----- My biggest weakness is pure, good old fashioned technique, and my biggest strength is being able to fill out whatever I am given with solid harmonies (which is great for the theater, not so much for classical). In general, I prefer pieces that have a more vocal idiom than an instrumental idiom (Chopin's Prelude in D-Flat is one of my favorites). I picked up a copy of Bach's 2 Part Invention in C Major today and was able to sight read through the hands individually, and played it hands together at about 70 BPM, and hand separate at 90 at the end of my session today.

     I guess what I am looking for is thoughts on what level to aim for for the audition --- if it isn't a Performance degree, do they expect people to come in with a 2 part invention, or is it better to go for a 3 part --- I don't know if I could do a Prelude and Fugue combination justice. What about the Chopin piece? Would it be bad to do the "Raindrop" seeing as it is so well known?

     Any thoughts that you have would be greatly appreciated. I am currently working on meeting with an instructor here at the school, but I want to have an idea of what I should try to focus on to bring in and work with her.

Thanks!

[m1469]

Welcome to the forum!

(...)but a few people in teaching positions at the school have strongly encouraged me to audition for admission to some programs for Fall 2012, which basically gives me 2 1/2 months to put an audition together, with a style of music that I am not as familiar with. (...)

This is nice but, it would be best if you could work with one of those teachers to help prepare.  2.5 months is really not very much time at all to learn these pieces (whatever they are) from scratch and to perform them up to an audition standard - so, again, it would be best if you work with somebody who really has a feel for what that standard truly is and for where you are truly at in relation to it.  *Especially* if you are truly needing technical development and Classical is not a genre you are used to, besides.

In general, though, it's best if you aim for something you can play well, even if it's on the easier side, vs. something that is a struggle but more difficult.  And it depends upon the school, too.  [edit] I just read that you are working on meeting with a teacher, which is obviously good!  They would have a much better idea on what you should be preparing than others who have never met you or heard you play, etc., even having told us a little about the Bach invention you picked up.  That sounds like it will be fairly easy for you, but I've realized people often have varying ideas on what they are actually accomplishing, and why!    

[patrickyoung]

Hey there! Thanks for writing back so quickly.

There are a few piano teachers at the school, and one of them seems to be for more experienced players, so I am talking with her about getting together.

I do think that you are right though ---- I just need to sit down with a teacher and talk about my experience, and let them see what I can do, and hopefully they can guide me too some pieces that I would be able to do well.

The scary thing is that I never planned to be a music teacher --- I was going to go to FLCC for an Associates in Music with a voice concentration, and then move on to get a theater education degree. I figured I would be able to help with singers a bit more than I could now when working on shows...but after reflecting on it for a while, I see that I would rather work with older students on things like theory and history, and I found that music would be the better way to go.

Isn't it strange that even when you think you have things figured out, that they can change so quickly!

[m1469]

Isn't it strange that even when you think you have things figured out, that they can change so quickly!

All I've ever known is that I want to play the piano.