College pre-screenings

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Okay so one of these schools want two works of contrasting styles but they have to be 15-20 minutes for the prescreening.  And another one wants a classical work and a romantic work which also has to be like 15-20 minutes.

I don't have two pieces that add up to at least 15 minutes!!!  I'm doing the first movement of my Beethoven and my one piece by Liszt but that only adds up to 14 minutes (like 14:42 or something)!!!  Should I just add more stuff in there or just keep it strictly two pieces?

And apparently some school thinks that they're really cool and want and audio AND video recording, but I only have an audio recording.  My deadline is freaking December 1st!!!  I already talked to my former teacher about that and he was like, 'yeah man, I have a buddy back in Chicago, maybe I could hook you up with his studio.  I think he can do it for you before December 1st but it's not guaranteed'.

So in the event I can't do an audio/video recording by then, do you guys think the audio will suffice?  

[chopin2015]

so why not do the whole Beethoven sonata and rethink the Liszt or do the first movement of the Beethoven and do a longer Liszt? Like a Hungarian Rhapsody?

[ajspiano]

do you guys think the audio will suffice?  

I think you could call the college and ask..

[rachmaninoff_forever]

so why not do the whole Beethoven sonata and rethink the Liszt or do the first movement of the Beethoven and do a longer Liszt? Like a Hungarian Rhapsody?

I was gonna do the whole thing but...  They only want the first movement!!!

And there is no way I could learn a whole Hungarian Rhapsody by next Sunday.  Maybe if I skipped school and practiced ALL DAY EVERY DAY then maybe, but it would still probably suck.

[j_menz]

do a longer Liszt? Like a Hungarian Rhapsody?

And what exactly do you think the chances are of getting one of those from scratch to college audition standard in a week are?  

Rach.. what's your full rep again?  I honestly don't know how picky they are about the time limits, so you may be OK, or maybe you could just slow it down a tiny bit or leave a few seconds silence before and a few more at the end on each track so it looks OK timewise on the CD. You're pretty close..

On the vid, again I don't know how picky they are. I'd suggest you do you damndest to get a proper vid, but if you can't, can you come up with a mood picture collage type vid to accompany your playing - not quite what they want, but it is a vid and they may just think you misinterpretted (rather than ignored) the requirement.

[chopin2015]

I was gonna do the whole thing but...  They only want the first movement!!!

And there is no way I could learn a whole Hungarian Rhapsody by next Sunday.  Maybe if I skipped school and practiced ALL DAY EVERY DAY then maybe, but it would still probably suck.

OOH!! well I am sure what you have, the Beethoven and the Liszt is great! but yes, ask the school.
Also, j_menz- I forgot about the 1 week thing, I thought he had couple of months, audition for fall!
 

[rachmaninoff_forever]

And what exactly do you think the chances are of getting one of those from scratch to college audition standard in a week are?  

Rach.. what's your full rep again?  I honestly don't know how picky they are about the time limits, so you may be OK, or maybe you could just slow it down a tiny bit or leave a few seconds silence before and a few more at the end on each track so it looks OK timewise on the CD. You're pretty close..

I'm doing the first movent of the Pathetique sonata, La Campanella, Rach prelude 32 10, Bach prelude and fugue in A flat major from WTC book 1, and some short 20th century piece by Arno Babajanian.

On the vid, again I don't know how picky they are. I'd suggest you do you damndest to get a proper vid, but if you can't, can you come up with a mood picture collage type vid to accompany your playing - not quite what they want, but it is a vid and they may just think you misinterpretted (rather than ignored) the requirement.

Surely a picture of Valentina Lisitsa would do!  

NOTE:

I only need the audio/video for one school.  I might need to redo the Rachmaninoff anyways because in the beginning, I freaking messed up one freaking chord!  The sound engineer said he didn't really notice it but it's freaking bothering me soo much right now!   . And maybe the Babajanian too because I think I could do a cleaner job with that.   

[j_menz]

I'm doing the first movent of the Pathetique sonata, La Campanella, Rach prelude 32 10, Bach prelude and fugue in A flat major from WTC book 1, and some short 20th century piece by Arno Babajanian.

Then stick with the Beethoven and Liszt. Add the seconds to the CD to get a tad closer but don't overdo it.  If you do a vid recording, slow down the tiniest bit. I can't believe they're gonna sweat 18 seconds.

Surely a picture of Valentina Lisitsa would do! 

No. Just, No.

[outin]

I am a bit confused...Do they really expect applying students to provide studio quality videos? Can't you just ask someone to make a video of your playing? Or set up a camera yourself? I would expect them to see the difference in your playing without providing professional quality picture and sound quality?

[rachmaninoff_forever]

I am a bit confused...Do they really expect applying students to provide studio quality videos? Can't you just ask someone to make a video of your playing? Or set up a camera yourself? I would expect them to see the difference in your playing without providing professional quality picture and sound quality?

I already have a kind of professional recording.

We used 2,000 dollars in mic's and the schools sound engineer (student).

So technically it's not professional because he doesn't have a liscense or whatever yet, but still...  It's good. 

I couldn't sleep last night.  That Rachmaninoff and Babadjanian was really bothering me.

[Bob]

Just tack another easy piece in.  They'll know what you're doing but they won't care that much.  They'll notice the more difficult piece.

[Bob]

Actually, tack one of those "sounds more difficult than it really is" piece in to fill out time.  They'll still know, but it will sound more impressive. 

[j_menz]

Or include 4'33

They probably don't get that in auditions often. 

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Or include 4'33

They probably don't get that in auditions often. 

I was listening to some of John Cages more Approachable music in terms of listening and I was thinking that I should have played him.

[j_menz]

I was listening to some of John Cages more Approachable music in terms of listening and I was thinking that I should have played him.

Clearly your lack of sleep is starting to affect your thinking.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Clearly your lack of sleep is starting to affect your thinking.

Hey his "Dreams", and "A landscape" are freaking awesome!  Not like his prepared piano at all.

[chopin2015]

you could totally "prepare" a piano for 10 seconds in your recording, that might work...

[rachmaninoff_forever]

you could totally "prepare" a piano for 10 seconds in your recording, that might work...

This is what I want you to do.

I want you go go to the search engine.
When you go to the search engine, I want you to search, 'John Cage prepared piano youtube'
When you search 'John Cage prepared piano youtube', I want you to click on the first video.
When you click on the first video, I want you to hit the play button.
When you hit the play button, I want you to listen to it all the way through.

[j_menz]

When you hit the play button, I want you to listen to it all the way through.

That is the nastiest thing anyone has ever said to anyone on this forum. Ever! 

[rachmaninoff_forever]

That is the nastiest thing anyone has ever said to anyone on this forum. Ever!  

Dude, what are you talking about?

That Alkan is getting to your head man.

[chopin2015]

That is the nastiest thing anyone has ever said to anyone on this forum. Ever! 

I don't get it...do you guys not like me?

[j_menz]

I don't get it...do you guys not like me?

I'm not a Cage fan. Rach is. Read again with that in mind.

[chopin2015]

I'm not a Cage fan. Rach is. Read again with that in mind.

Oh! thank goodness, you guys are my only piano friends.

[slane]

well it seems to me ... back to the topic, that
1. You don't have time to prepare more music. So its gonna be a tad under 15 minutes. Its only a tad.
It will be fine.
2. You don't have time to get a professional video so get an amateur one. Everyone else will do the same.
3. You don't have time to fix the teeny mistake in your recording, so go with what you've got. Everyone else will have teeny mistakes. You should read Johnathan Biss's Kindle short on recording beethoven's piano sonatas and you;ll realise that prefect recordings are a stitched together out of perfect segments from 20 different recordings. Everyone will have imperfect recordings.

Now what you do have time to do. Practice, but not too much.
Visualisiation practice ...imagine youself sitting down at the piano and having a lot of fun playing to a receptive audience. And it will be a receptive audience because universities need students. They are looking to pass students not fail them, or they will be out of  a job.
You know that you will perform better than a lot of the applicants and that's all you have to do to get in. Be realistic! Have confidence!

[outin]

I don't get it...do you guys not like me?

I kind of liked that a lot

[rachmaninoff_forever]

2. You don't have time to get a professional video so get an amateur one. Everyone else will do the same.

Hahaha I just found a guy who said that he'll record for me on Sunday.

Swag in the freaking bag!

[chopin2015]

well it seems to me ... back to the topic, that
1. You don't have time to prepare more music. So its gonna be a tad under 15 minutes. Its only a tad.
It will be fine.
2. You don't have time to get a professional video so get an amateur one. Everyone else will do the same.
3. You don't have time to fix the teeny mistake in your recording, so go with what you've got. Everyone else will have teeny mistakes. You should read Johnathan Biss's Kindle short on recording beethoven's piano sonatas and you;ll realise that prefect recordings are a stitched together out of perfect segments from 20 different recordings. Everyone will have imperfect recordings.

Now what you do have time to do. Practice, but not too much.
Visualisiation practice ...imagine youself sitting down at the piano and having a lot of fun playing to a receptive audience. And it will be a receptive audience because universities need students. They are looking to pass students not fail them, or they will be out of  a job.
You know that you will perform better than a lot of the applicants and that's all you have to do to get in. Be realistic! Have confidence!

worst comes to worst, you can audition again for fall, and prepare longer pieces, I can recommend some. But I have a feeling you will do great. You are really smart, and they are not going to trip over a few mistakes over a good performance.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

It turns out that I'm gonna go to a recording studio on Sunday.

My first piano teacher is gonna help me pay for it. 

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Okay guys, so I did the recording, and everything is freaking shorter what the heck?!!??!!?

So I'm down do like 13:30.

But then I might use the schools recording of the Liszt because it MIGHT be better, so maybe 14:00

I think I should try squeezing in my 20th century piece.  It's like 1:45 long

But they said TWO contrasting works, not three!  What the freaking heck?!?!!?!?!??!

[chopin2015]

Have you talked to the school?

[imbetter]

I had to make similar recordings for my pre-screening recordings this year. My recordings have not only been under the time limit, but the Liszt Dante also had a considerable amount of mistakes and so far I've been called for a live audition at every place that has responded so far so don't stress it too much.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Have you talked to the school?

I'm scared.

[j_menz]

I'm scared.

Don't be. Just submit as is. If it's at the quality of your P&F, you're in.

[ajspiano]

I'm scared.

Don't be..  besides the fact that your playing is good..  there are surely multiple colleges, the option to defer for a year.. 

also.. I never studied music at a tertiary level, and despite my notably bad playing people still pay me for advice..   your future looks very bright.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

I had to make similar recordings for my pre-screening recordings this year. My recordings have not only been under the time limit, but the Liszt Dante also had a considerable amount of mistakes and so far I've been called for a live audition at every place that has responded so far so don't stress it too much.

Thank god...