College Audition for IU Summer Piano Academy

[brendan765]

I'm going to be applying for IU summer Piano academy and I'm pretty confident i'll get in.

they ask to play 2 contrasting pieces and record...
  .Chopin Nocturne Op. 9 No. 2
  .Rachmaninoff Prelude Op 23. No. 5

They ask of repertoire studied in the past two years...
  .a few various Bach Preludes and Fugues
  .some of the Beethoven Sonatas from the first book and the 1st and last in 2nd book as well as waldstein and appasionata.
  .a few chopin nocturnes, most of the waltzes, scherzo no. 2, fantasie impromptu, polonaise militaire, ballade no. 1, a few chopin preludes and etudes.
  .Some Mozart Sonatas
  .Debussy Clair De Lune, Feux D'artiface prelude
  .Godowsky-chopin etude left hand
  Shubert impromptu no 2 , and a sonata
  .Liszt Liebstraume, a few transcendental etudes, rigoletto paraphrase, hungarian rhapsody no 2
  .a few mendelsohhn song without words
  .Kuhlau Sonatas, and most of the sonatas from Shrimers Sonatina Album book
  .Rachmaninoff Prelude C sharp min, op 23 no 5.
  .gottschalk-dying poet
  .resphigi nocturne

this is what I could come up with from the top of my head...I actually have a list but not with me rightnow.
 
and my own compositions..

Ill have a more organized list and try to polish up most of these before camp but am I on the right path with my repertoire?

[lukediv]

Vids or it didn't happen.

[brendan765]

Vids or it didn't happen.

No I haven't applied yet, I have until April 19th to do 2 pieces for it. I'm pretty sure they don't have time to listen to my whole repertoire.  I'll be uploading my repertoire on youtube, I plan to make recording arrangements with a local church who has a Steinway Model D at some point and rerecord my repertoire to youtube with a steinway and better mics. I actually foundout that my Iphone 4 has better recording quality than my 400$ Sony handycam, isn't that pretty sad lol.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

I wouldn't do the Chopin and rachmaninoff.

By contrasting, I think they meant cntrasting eras.

So Do like a Bach prelude and fugue, and a Chopin or rachmaninoff.

[brendan765]

I wouldn't do the Chopin and rachmaninoff.

By contrasting, I think they meant cntrasting eras.

So Do like a Bach prelude and fugue, and a Chopin or rachmaninoff.

I know as a pianist that most people think i'm crazy for saying this...but I really don't like Bach too much! It honestly makes me yawn.  I play it when the teachers make me and I force myself to play and analyze his boring music occasionally. And I'm afraid here soon in college (dual in performance and composition) that a professor will insist that I learn the complete Bach Prelude and Fugues..so i've already got a head start.

I understand what you mean though.  How does a Mozart Sonata and I honestly think I could pull off Godowsky-Chopin Left Hand Etude op. 10 no. 6 by then

So beautiful, this is an amazing pianist and composer I admire.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

I know as a pianist that most people think i'm crazy for saying this...but I really don't like Bach too much! It honestly makes me yawn.  I play it when the teachers make me and I force myself to play and analyze his boring music occasionally. And I'm afraid here soon in college (dual in performance and composition) that a professor will insist that I learn the complete Bach Prelude and Fugues..so i've already got a head start.

I understand what you mean though.  How does a Mozart Sonata and I honestly think I could pull off Godowsky-Chopin Left Hand Etude op. 10 no. 6 by then

So beautiful, this is an amazing pianist and composer I admire.

No dude I completely agree with you.  I freaking HATE Bach!  We will always be enemies.  In this life, and the next.

[lukediv]

I was talking about all the pieces you have claimed to tackle. For someone who has supposed played the first chopin ballade, some liszt etudes, you would think you would be able to deal with some octaves and big chords, however, your own composition suggests otherwise. I wouldn't mind seeing your versions of both of these pieces.

[brendan765]

I was talking about all the pieces you have claimed to tackle. For someone who has supposed played the first chopin ballade, some liszt etudes, you could think you would be able to deal with some octaves and big chords, however, your own composition suggests otherwise. I wouldn't mind seeing your versions of both of these pieces.

Yeah, I put that in there because I figured I'd have the Wilde Jagd, then Chopin Etude in A minor op 25 no 11, etude in e flat (the one with all the rolled chords) the Aflat (ocean etude) and the 1st cmaj etude, my Chopin Ballades coming along quite well. I have the pathetique well and moonlight 1st mov well, I know a few others but could use some polishing up.

and my version of what 2 pieces?

[andreslr6]

seriously.... dude.... what are you trying to accomplish? when it comes to music you can't fool anyone, not even on the internet, a lot of us saw your video playing the Chopin nocturne and the polonaise, that plus all of your ridiculous posts, we don't need anything more to know that you're like 5 years away to even play half of the supposed repertoire you've "played". Besides, if it were true you would already have the brains to figure it out by yourself without needing to ask for any advice of what you should play, and you would only be "bragging" your "accomplishments", which as it is obvious they're false.

But anyways, enjoy it here while it lasts, you won't be able to get away with it in real life...

[brendan765]

seriously.... dude.... what are you trying to accomplish? when it comes to music you can't fool anyone, not even on the internet, a lot of us saw your video playing the Chopin nocturne and the polonaise, that plus all of your ridiculous posts, we don't need anything more to know that you're like 5 years away to even play half of the supposed repertoire you've "played". Besides, if it were true you would already have the brains to figure it out by yourself without needing to ask for any advice of what you should play, and you would only be "bragging" your "accomplishments", which as it is obvious they're false.

But anyways, enjoy it here while it lasts, you won't be able to get away with it in real life...

You don't think the professors will like my music huh...Think im stupid? I know im a shitty pianist. But I obviously have a talent for composing and reading music/playing extremely hard music I just need to learn proper technique, which im getting the hang of rightnow. I have good musicality but my technique holds it back is what my teacher says. both my music theory and piano teachers have doctorates degrees. I just got back to piano after about 2 years of not playing at all and 3 years of playing a small amount(slacking majorly) from when I was about 4-12 yrs old my grandmother was my teacher and I excelled with her, but she never taught me the slightest thing about technique. Ive been practicing like 6+ hours a day, probably 10+ hours on weekends by myself no teacher for about 6 months straight and just began with 2 of the best teachers in town. And my composition/theory teacher has me on a good path...He says alot of the same stuff about my compositions and how theyre too virtuosic, so this last week he had me   write a rounded binary piece with limitations to make it very simple. a intermediate level pianist could play it just fine. he says I have a natural ability to write music beautiful melodic/harmonic music even before I had studied theory.

My techniques improving I can feel it in my hands, it becomes like an efortless feeling where my fingers have the weight and my wrists and elbows are free.

[andreslr6]

.....

Sincerely, I'm telling you this with good intention, if you're really not just a troll laughing at us behind your computer, being a little bit more humble and a lot less arrogant might help you out reaching any goal you have. Good luck.

[outin]

I wonder...haven't your new teachers suggested you go back to some less demanding repertoire to improve your technique? That would seem to be the way to get rid of bad habits and sloppyness caused by frequently learning pieces that exceed your technical skills.

[lukediv]

Yeah, I put that in there because I figured I'd have the Wilde Jagd, then Chopin Etude in A minor op 25 no 11, etude in e flat (the one with all the rolled chords) the Aflat (ocean etude) and the 1st cmaj etude, my Chopin Ballades coming along quite well. I have the pathetique well and moonlight 1st mov well, I know a few others but could use some polishing up.

and my version of what 2 pieces?

You cannot play any of those pieces. But congrats playing the first movement of the moonlight well.

[brendan765]

I wonder...haven't your new teachers suggested you go back to some less demanding repertoire to improve your technique? That would seem to be the way to get rid of bad habits and sloppyness caused by frequently learning pieces that exceed your technical skills.

I was at first with this russian, who had trouble speaking english. we were very succesful, he was honestly better with technique. this new lady is great with technique and musicality, but I dont think she has quite the right idea of practicing. she knows I have a terrible technique and is telling me to go home and try to play scherzo no 2 by chopin...I know how to practice but not how she wants me to by repeating phrases 50 times with a metronome to get the feeling. That doesnt work for me, it usually ends up with a really angry pianist. I tend to keep a good tempo already, if I have rhythmic issues I take it hands apart and tap or something with the other and it works. or sing count the melody more-less.  Im considering begging the russian guy to take me back because he had competitions, programs, etc lined up...I mean he already got me into a free masterclass with world class concert pianists Anderson and Roe and a few other of his students. 

[outin]

I was at first with this russian, who had trouble speaking english. we were very succesful, he was honestly better with technique. this new lady is great with technique and musicality, but I dont think she has quite the right idea of practicing. she knows I have a terrible technique and is telling me to go home and try to play scherzo no 2 by chopin...I know how to practice but not how she wants me to by repeating phrases 50 times with a metronome to get the feeling. That doesnt work for me, it usually ends up with a really angry pianist. I tend to keep a good tempo already, if I have rhythmic issues I take it hands apart and tap or something with the other and it works. or sing count the melody more-less.  Im considering begging the russian guy to take me back because he had competitions, programs, etc lined up...I mean he already got me into a free masterclass with world class concert pianists Anderson and Roe and a few other of his students. 

To learn better basic technique sometimes the teacher with competitions and master classes may not the right one. Someone who has been used to teach the basics and teach self learners/transfer students how to get on the right track may often do a better job. But it probably only works if one is humble enough to let go of the "level" one is used to...

Not that I am an expert in teaching piano, but I doubt the missing technique and diciplined practice habits will just suddenly appear by learning more demanding repertoire.

[pianoman53]

You claim your a great composer, and you don't like Bach? Dude, come on.. It's getting lame.

[brendan765]

To learn better basic technique sometimes the teacher with competitions and master classes may not the right one. Someone who has been used to teach the basics and teach self learners/transfer students how to get on the right track may often do a better job. But it probably only works if one is humble enough to let go of the "level" one is used to...

Not that I am an expert in teaching piano, but I doubt the missing technique and diciplined practice habits will just suddenly appear by learning more demanding repertoire.

well the lady has 4 advanced students, the guy is a technique freak though

[outin]

well the lady has 4 advanced students, the guy is a technique freak though

So did either of them analyse and explain to you what what exactly the problems in your technique are and how to work on them?

[brendan765]

So did either of them analyse and explain to you what what exactly the problems in your technique are and how to work on them?

Yeah they did, I know what my problems are. My hands are too tense and they need to be more curled

[indianajo]

is this Indiana University Bloomington IN?  Or U Illinois?  IU is 60 miles up the road from me.  Hard to find any teachers around here that aren't using a Ya***** from that "handsome blue eyed salesman in Georgetown". 
I don't know if this will help you like JSB, since watching JS Bach Toccatta & Fugue D min in Fantasia hit me like an electric shock in 1958. My parents never heard of JS Bach until then, and he got no airplay on the radio until FM became affordable about 1962.   But people in the fifties bought the G Schirmer edition of Busoni's notation of the JSB 2 part inventions.  My teacher started me on Invention #8, not #1.  The articulations are all lined out with staccato dots and slurs, so you learn how to articulate like you were playing a harpsichord.  That was the only expression they had in JSB's time, they couldn't do loud and soft.  Try making it interesting without volume or pedal sustain or any romantic techniques.  Its doable. I play the same fingering every time, and coming back 30 years later I was sorry I didn't write more of them down in 1961, I had to re-invent them with some tedium.   Then Glen Gould records came along in 1963? and changed everything JS Bach, for the worse IMHO. I bought his records and thought he was an idiot.  I still play like Busoni, and the articulation skills have helped the transistion to electric organ starting 2010. 

[brendan765]

IU - Bloomington. And that's how I play Bach. And I actually rarely use pedal in my Mozart sonatas..I love Mozart, don't care for bach though.

[outin]

Yeah they did, I know what my problems are. My hands are too tense and they need to be more curled

Better not comment on the tenseness/curling thing, enough threads on that already 

But I just wonder...could it be that the "technique" is not the only problem here... Maybe not taking time to really learn the pieces properly and instead focusing on quantity and the amount of "difficult" repertoire one can claim to play no matter how is not the best way to advance as a pianists...

[j_menz]

Then Glen Gould records came along in 1963?

His first Goldberg was 1955.

[brendan765]

Better not comment on the tenseness/curling thing, enough threads on that already 

But I just wonder...could it be that the "technique" is not the only problem here... Maybe not taking time to really learn the pieces properly and instead focusing on quantity and the amount of "difficult" repertoire one can claim to play no matter how is not the best way to advance as a pianists...

It could be. But I pay attention to the music...just don't often play it with accuracy