12/21/13 College Audition Recording Session

[hsheck]

Hi!

I am currently in the process of preparing for college piano performance auditions. On Jan. 23rd I'll be auditioning for the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. I'm still waiting to hear back from the Eastman School of Music regarding my prescreening audition tape.

Yesterday (12/21/13), I recorded all of my audition repertoire. Needless to say, I have a TREMENDOUS amount of practice to do to have them ready in time. The following is my personal critique of the recording session and links to watch them on YouTube. I would really appreciate any constructive criticism!!! My next recording session will be on 12/28/13. We'll see what improvements I can make. Thank you for your time!!! Harrison Sheckler

  Chopin Etude in C Sharp Minor Op. 10 No. 4- m. 5-6 l.h. drill; p. 2 Needs metronome work 29-33; 47 softer; m. 54 L.h. perfectly in time; 79-80 clarity

Bach Prelude and Fugue in D Major No. 5 WTC II PRELUDE -More dynamic contrast; m. 18 softer m.34 softer; 39 drill for balance and left hand fluiditiy; FUGUE- All notes need to sound and bigger dynamic contrast.

Beethoven Sonata No. 13 in E Flat Major Op. 27 No. 1 Out of all the audition repertoire, I believe this needs the most work.
MOVEMENT 1 - Allegro section drill with metronome; m. 50 l.h.; Tempo 1 m. 80 -end all chords fully sound.
MOVEMENT 2- Softer beginning entrance; memory slip at m. 37; m. 135 l.h. to end clarity and more into the key.
MOVEMENT 3- More cantabile feel; m. 11 notes, 13-16 memory; m. 26 accuracy
MOVEMENT 4- softer l.h. MEMORY!!! M. 50-55; 70 not enough beats played; memory 95-105; 105-120 needs to be fluid; 205-225 drill and 225-255 memory; 260-265 memory; Presto work on accuracy and memory.

Chopin Fantasy in F minor Op. 49 - m. 63 l.h. timing with r.h.; 72 not repeated; m. 77-85 l.h. drill; m. 87 and m. 91 drill; 127-143 softer; 130-153 r.h.; m. 164-172 drill; 172-179 accuracy; 192 l.h. not correct notes; m. 212, m.244-251, m.252-260, and m. 316-319, m. 322-end r.h.

Copland Piano Variations - Stupid memory mistake at beginning, m. 38 notes; m. 70 octave lower in l.h., Variation 11 l.h. chord, variations 17 octaves drill; Overall counting and memory; sostenuto pedal on last measures.

[awesom_o]

I was quite a bit more impressed by the video you posted on Pianoworld of the 10/4 where you were in a shopping mall.

This one sounded pretty scrappy overall.

In my own personal experience, professors at conservatory don't teach technique in very much detail. Instead, they coach you mainly on musical interpretation.

Therefore, the more advanced your technique is when you enter, the more value you will get out of the conservatory experience.

These are very prestigious schools you are talking about applying for! The technical standard amongst undergraduate students is liable to be quite high, even if it is slightly lower overall than what is to be expected at Juilliard or Curtis.

My question to you is.... what's the rush to begin conservatory training? Why not take a gap year, and use it to really solidify your technique?

[hsheck]

Thank you for your reply!  I agree 100% with you regarding the two recordings of the Chopin 10/4. The first one was better and fluid. I was not very happy with this recording and I remember having troubles with my hands being stiff that day. Overall technique on all pieces needs much work, yes.

I am already accepted to very nice private college which is my backup school.

[awesom_o]

 Overall technique on all pieces needs much work, yes.

If you really want to improve your technique, I would advise you work on it outside of the context of these pieces which you have learned!

Once you have developed your technique, you will be able to come back to these pieces, and they will be easier for you.

[awesom_o]

Bravo on the Beethoven, however! 

Despite many flaws and a several egregious memory stumbles, I thought that in some ways, this was the most musical of the performances which you posted today!

Straighten out the memory in the 3rd and 4th movements a wee bit and it will be quite nice.

I do think it's a bit dangerous to attempt to perform a work at full-tempo in this manner before you are more sure of the structure!

Do you ALWAYS practice with the music? It's good to ALWAYS practice with the score!

Overall, you mustn't try to play something faster than you can actually play it! It's okay for the tempo to be a little bit slower if it means you will be able to deliver the structure with greater clarity!

[steinway43]

I haven't had time to listen to everything here, but on the Chopin Fantasy your dotted eighth-sixteenth rhythms in the opening are sounding more like triplet figures. I'd work on that.

[emill]

This one sounded pretty scrappy overall . . . x x x x . . . My question to you is.... what's the rush to begin conservatory training? Why not take a gap year, and use it to really solidify your technique?

It might a bit harsh, "brutally frank", maybe .. but I am sure a well meant advice.  Personally, I feel it is a little bit late in the day to perfectly polish the pieces since your auditions will be in a month or two. Although they say, what they are looking for is your "potential" to be a fine artist ... a "perfectly" played piece from the technical point of view helps a lot especially with the competition one is going to encounter at Eastman and Oberlin. The "Asians" auditioning are very well prepared and polished on this aspect, many of them having been immersed in their pieces for a long time now.

I also understand, that many schools, among them Eastman and Oberlin have special auditions in Beijing, Shanghai and Seoul .... and one must be able to match or overcome the competition the applicants there put up.  So the advice to develop, strengthen and perfect technique needs very serious consideration.  The attitude is one of attaining "perfection".

btw .... in Oberlin, the Faculty might ask you to play a "common piece" by ear like the Star Spangled Banner if you are an American ... or in the case of my son, who auditioned there last year ... the "Happy Birthday"  .

In my own personal experience, professors at conservatory don't teach technique in very much detail. Instead, they coach you mainly on musical interpretation.  Therefore, the more advanced your technique is when you enter, the more value you will get out of the conservatory experience.

How very true!!  My son at Eastman is all praise for his Russian teacher, who gives him an excellent overview of the pieces they are studying and how it should sound, how it should flow, what effect it should produce.  On the several times he has asked for specifics on how to play or produce the effect desired .... he gets a standard answer ... "try to find out for yourself" .... "try to discover it yourself".  Initially in the 1st month he was somewhat frustrated, being used to another method here in our country.  Now he is all praise for it ... makes learning more meaningful and fulfilling.

GOOD LUCK!!!! 

[yohankwon]

one question to ask: were these the recordings you sent to oberlin? If not, I'd like to see those

[noambenhamou]

I just listened to Etude No 4 and the reply is in regards to it.

I thought it was very good and I don't think it's too late to get it even better.

Get a metronome. And find a tempo where you KNOW that everything is perfect!

Play at that tempo 10 times.
Then increase by 5bps and play another 10 times.

Next day go back to the baseline slow tempo - 5 times, then increase 5bps then play 5 times then increase ANOTHER 5bps and play 5 times.

slowly work yourself up to full speed, but every day go back to base tempo and slowly creep up.

I found this tactics worked very well for myself when I used to play La Campanella.

I know some people don't like the concept of practicing with a metronome, and if I offended anyone by suggesting it, I'm sorry.
Noam