-- PREPARING FOR COLLEGE, SCHOOL OF MUSIC -- CURRICULUM & REPERTOIRE ---

[pianoplayerstar]

Friends:

What would you recommend for CHECKLISTS, BOOKS, & REPERTOIRE for incoming Freshman auditions for entering undergrad music school?

1) Anyone have a CHECKLIST of absolute must-know's & to-do's for entering Classical Piano Performance/Composition majors?

ie. "counterpoint", "transposition", ....

2) Which BOOK(s) is most recommended as MUSTS?

3) And which REPERTOIRE of music is suggested for Auditions?

... one could simply look to the Royal Conservatory (Canada) or the simple ABRSM, but I'm looking for something that is STREAMLINED as to the "MUST-KNOWS" as to A CHECKLIST, BOOKS, AND REPERTOIRE.

Thank you -

[visitor]

each school will have their own requirements and standards
generally you will be required to\ these are usually the musts:

take a theory proficiency and placement exam = for this a solid grasp of theory as set out in Tonal Harmony by Koska and Payne (ie 8th edition is what is probably most current, many schools build their theory sequence on this book, we did as we had 5 semesters of Theory ie I->V all built on this and then expanded on)
take an aural proficiency and placement exam so far as books below those by Bach, books of Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn sonatas, etc. see below

audition- firm grasp of to the school's specific standards/or historically successful standard
baroque works such as those of the WTC I and WTC II by Bach, suites by Handel, sonatas of Scarlatti
classical sonatas and themes with variations and fantasies by Mozart, Bethoven, Haydn
Romantic large scale works such Chopin Ballades, Brahms Rhapsodies, Liszt Paraphrases, etc
early 20th century including but not limited to impressionist works such as preludes of Debussy books  I and II
post impressionist early Modern such as Prokofiev, Kabalevsky, Copeland, Barber, etc.
Contemporary classical such works by Bernstein (ie Anniversaries) , Carl Vine (ie sonatas, bagatelles).

be able to sight read to sufficient standard  something from late intermediate through early advanced grade, be able to harmonize, technique patterns of scales in parallel octave (for admission , once in the variants kick in) for major, minor, harmonic minor, melodic minor to 4 octaves , arpegios of major and minor triads and inversions in parallel octave to 4 octaves, broken chords of major and minor triads to 4 octaves.

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Look at the audition requirements for the schools you're interested in

[quantum]

In addition to the above:

Know about the pieces on your audition program.  It does not look good if you pick a Bach WTC P&F and can not answer basic questions on who Bach was, what time period he lived in, what was the significance of the WTC, can you name the main elements of a fugue.  You don't have to give answers at the level a graduate researcher would give, but you need to know something about the music.  

Prepare for a mini viva voce at your performance audition, even if one is not explicitly stated.  

Brush up on musicianship, and that includes activities away from the piano - like rhythmic tapping, transcription and singing.  Yes, singing.  You want to go to music school for any instrument, you will be learning how to sing, no getting around it.  

For composition, prepare a portfolio.  It could be scores, performances, recordings, etc.  Don't just bring a shoebox of stuff and dump it in front of the jury.  You need to show you put effort into assembling a presentation of your creative work.  

Not everyone gets accepted into undergrad music with complete knowledge of essential elements, that is what first year foundations courses are for.  However, you do have to show you have the potential to succeed in the program and have a certain level of competence.  

[pianoplayerstar]

Would you advise GRADES as important?
.. or not at all

[quantum]

Schools vary in their weighting on grades.  Some may put greater importance on academics, while others on performance skill, and yet others take the holistic approach and look at the package a candidate brings in their application.  

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Would you advise GRADES as important?
.. or not at all

Grades usually don't matter at all. 

Unless you're tryna go to Ivy League or northwestern or something

[visitor]

Like rach forever said. It might
If the music program you apply to is part of an academically competitive program at a top tier university then it absolutely matters. Because you must go first meet the university entrance std ie Shepard school of music at Rice university you can
audition well but they won't extend an offer if the university admissions screening as a general student doesn't
It's a two part admission there, johns Hopkins Peabody,  top Ranked public schools like university of Texas,  cal State Berkley etc, they need to know You can not only handle the academic core but that you are the caliber student they want that enriches the learning environment at the school

As for other more pure conservatory type places it can vary but you certainly need to be better than decent

[pianoplayerstar]

True or False? (or Please Elaborate)

Julliard - Grades Don't Matter - It's ALL about PERFORMANCE, hands down

Yale - Grades Matter - Performance is Irrelevant compared to schools like Julliard

Harvard/Berkeley - Same as Yale

Princeton (if they have one) - Same as Yale

UCLA/USC/Any other Schools in CA - Same as Yale

Bottom Line:  WHEN SEEKING TO GET ADMITTED TO ONLY THE BEST, AKA, 'JULLIARD', DO GRADES ACTUALLY REALLY MATTER?

yes/no/or/..let me explain" ?

[rachmaninoff_forever]

True or False? (or Please Elaborate)

Julliard - Grades Don't Matter - It's ALL about PERFORMANCE, hands down

Yale - Grades Matter - Performance is Irrelevant compared to schools like Julliard

Harvard/Berkeley - Same as Yale

Princeton (if they have one) - Same as Yale

UCLA/USC/Any other Schools in CA - Same as Yale

Bottom Line:  WHEN SEEKING TO GET ADMITTED TO ONLY THE BEST, AKA, 'JULLIARD', DO GRADES ACTUALLY REALLY MATTER?

yes/no/or/..let me explain" ?

For Juilliard as long as you pretty much graduate you're fine.

every school has like a minimum GPA requirement in order to get in regardless of program for people who want to go to school for sports or music performance  (like 2 something)

So to be safe just graduate with like a 3 or something.  It's not too hard and you'll have time to practice your audition repertoire.

ALSO...

Have you not asked your teacher about this?  They know you best and will tell you what schools best fit for you and which ones you're likely to get into

[visitor]

Fyi since you keep saying Jules = best
It is among the very best, but honestly for undergraduate it doesn't matter as much as for masters degree, graduate artist diploma or DMA.
The teacher matters more I would say, also at many schools aka sleeper schools, there are teachers that are every bit as good or in some cases dare I say better in some Regards depending who you ask than at Jiliars. Many music programs in order to be competitive w the more famous conservatories have artists in residence that take.on the very best students, and trust me you can learn from a d be pushed every bit as hard as at Jules in some of These studios.
Dang Thai Son (Chopin comp winner) is AIR at a school in Canada last I read
Vladimir Viardo (cliburn winner and crazy lineage) and Joseph Banowicz , Krasimira Jordan (amd she tskes  many of her students ti Vienna Academy ofb Music in summers ) at schools Tx, and on and on, the studio matters more than the "school" in general, and actually away from glitz and glam, you can shine more and get more performance opportunities and more time w these incredible artists at these schools.
Oncce you graduate the school can matter a little more and getting an assistanship at said school almost even more so for the financial side of it

[pianoplayerstar]

What about the Chopin winners like Trifinov? and now that Cho guy?

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Fyi since you keep saying Jules = best
It is among the very best, but honestly for undergraduate it doesn't matter as much as for masters degree, graduate artist diploma or DMA.
The teacher matters more I would say, also at many schools aka sleeper schools, there are teachers that are every bit as good or in some cases dare I say better in some Regards depending who you ask than at Jiliars. Many music programs in order to be competitive w the more famous conservatories have artists in residence that take.on the very best students, and trust me you can learn from a d be pushed every bit as hard as at Jules in some of These studios.
Dang Thai Son (Chopin comp winner) is AIR at a school in Canada last I read
Vladimir Viardo (cliburn winner and crazy lineage) and Joseph Banowicz , Krasimira Jordan (amd she tskes  many of her students ti Vienna Academy ofb Music in summers ) at schools Tx, and on and on, the studio matters more than the "school" in general, and actually away from glitz and glam, you can shine more and get more performance opportunities and more time w these incredible artists at these schools.
Oncce you graduate the school can matter a little more and getting an assistanship at said school almost even more so for the financial side of it

Everything you said

[quantum]

Fyi since you keep saying Jules = best
It is among the very best, but honestly for undergraduate it doesn't matter as much as for masters degree, graduate artist diploma or DMA.
The teacher matters more I would say, also at many schools aka sleeper schools, there are teachers that are every bit as good or in some cases dare I say better in some Regards depending who you ask than at Jiliars. Many music programs in order to be competitive w the more famous conservatories have artists in residence that take.on the very best students, and trust me you can learn from a d be pushed every bit as hard as at Jules in some of These studios.
Dang Thai Son (Chopin comp winner) is AIR at a school in Canada last I read
Vladimir Viardo (cliburn winner and crazy lineage) and Joseph Banowicz , Krasimira Jordan (amd she tskes  many of her students ti Vienna Academy ofb Music in summers ) at schools Tx, and on and on, the studio matters more than the "school" in general, and actually away from glitz and glam, you can shine more and get more performance opportunities and more time w these incredible artists at these schools.
Oncce you graduate the school can matter a little more and getting an assistanship at said school almost even more so for the financial side of it

Absolutely.


Choosing a school is more about what you can get out of the program.  Name recognition only can take you so far.  You want to be able to continue learning and growing on your own after you graduate. 

[pianoplayerstar]

Is Julliard really overrated now and outdated?  What's the forefront worldwide for the best schools?
RCM? Paris Conservatoire?

[pianoplayerstar]

 Revisiting this very important topic again, what about the repertoire for jazz? Jazz theory? What are some of the good repertoire in the preparations that would be necessary for jazz music theory?

[visitor]

Revisiting this very important topic again, what about the repertoire for jazz? Jazz theory? What are some of the good repertoire in the preparations that would be necessary for jazz music theory?

lots info on this is available but here is.one of the better outlines for one of the best programs in the country

...Piano Audition Guidelines
The Audition
Prepared Piece: we embrace and value all music styles so you should prepare a piece that you are comfortable with and displays your strengths as a musician. It should be approximately 3-5 minutes in length, in any style, which demonstrates your instrumental proficiency and your overall musicianship. Do not choose a piece or a style of music you think the audition team wants to hear. Rather, select a piece that puts your "best foot forward" and highlights what you feel represents your best playing. Ultimately, the audition is a discovery process and we want to find out what you do well.

It is recommended to seek the guidance of your private instructor and/or musical mentor when selecting your prepared piece. Here are some examples and additional guidelines that may help when selecting your prepared piece:

A tune from a well-known artist or band (any style)
A standard or jazz tune (which may include blues and rhythm changes) with your own improvisation
A composition from the instrumental/voice repertoire or a movement, sonata, concerto or etude
A transcription of a well-known artist's solo
If composing or songwriting is your primary focus, you may choose to play an original piece that showcases your individual style. However, the original piece should be no longer than three (3) minutes, and you should also prepare a second piece from the above listing (no longer than 3 minutes).

If you require accompaniment for your prepared piece you may bring an accompanist, play-a-long CD or MP3 player. It is not recommended to use the original tracks of artists or bands as play-a-longs. If you are playing to a track, it is preferred that you use standard play-a-long/music-minus-one or karaoke tracks so that you are not playing your part along with the part on the recording. For example, we would prefer a piano player use a play-a-long track that does not have your part on the track rather than playing along with an artist's original recording.

Improvisation: We would like to hear you improvise over a short progression to gauge where you are in your instrumental development. Your prepared piece may include improvisation, but it is not required.

Blues: You should be prepared to play over a standard I-IV-V blues progression.

Reading: The examples range from basic to complex in order for the audition team to gauge your reading ability. You will have 15 minutes before your audition to warm-up on your instrument and review the reading material before being asked to play the examples in the audition.

Ear Training: You will be asked to participate in call-and-response exercises. The audition team will play short rhythms and melodies, which you will either sing back or play back on your instrument. You may also be asked to identify intervals and chord qualities. The audition team will also gain a sense of your ability to match pitch during this section of the audition.

You may also be asked to demonstrate your technical facility via typical practice routines and exercises (scales, arpeggios, etc.).

Some valuable things to remember

We have provided online audition practice materials (play-along exercises) that will help you prepare for the Improvisation and Blues sections of the audition.

Applicants accepted will be taking core music classes including harmony, ear training and arranging classes, in addition to private instrumental studies and ensembles, so the audition is formatted to assess students' overall musicianship. In addition, we are also interested in seeing how you function in an ensemble setting.

We take a holistic approach in our evaluation process where each component of the audition helps the audition team assess your overall abilities as a musician. While each component is important, we recognize it is common for applicants to have imbalances in their playing abilities. We realize many applicants may not have advanced skills in improvisation, reading, ear training or multiple musical styles, but our curriculum materials are designed to help students build skills in these areas.

The Interview
You will participate in a 15-minute interview with our admissions representative to discuss your goals and aspirations, and what you will bring .The board of admissions encourages applicants to share their creative work. Instead of bringing supplemental material to your interview, please provide a link to Youtube, MySpace, or a personal website when you submit your application.

[pianoplayerstar]

“Visitor” ,
Thank you. Yours and “quantum”’s input have always been helpful and very detailed.

However, how about actual repertoire and books to prepare for the jazz (and “pop”) career path.  I do know most musicians who are so called professionals in pop are generally Classically jazz music trained rather than classical music trained.

?

 I was thinking on the jazz path one would have to know more like blues Duke Ellington and jelly rolls things like that Scott Joplin Duke Ellington Monk Gershwin and the likes?

[rachmaninoff_forever]

Gershwin isn't really accepted by the jazz community though.  As it's already composed so it's not REALLY jazz.

But yeah uuh...  Just learn all your standards

Whatever happened to asking your teacher?  You should be able to get more personalized information out of him/her/them than us