ITT:Music Majors

[Brandon_S]

The point of this thread is to ask,why did you choose to study music?,Audition Do's,Dont's etc etc very open thread. Im in grade 10,and come 2 years for now,im certain I want to study music,so I would like to gather as much advice as I can.

Have at it :thumb:

[oak tree]

I took a year in uni at an academic course but I realized by the end that while I could make a decent career of it I could never put enough time or effort into academia to really excel, whereas if I could put the time into music and while I may not even make as much money as I would have I'll at least be able to honestly say that I put everything into what I do and have a blast while I do it, so I auditioned for courses and changed. Theres always the chance that I'll actually be able to make a successful career as a bassist (I'll graduate with touring and studio experience, a music major degree and grade 8 for Double Bass, so I'll be in an ok position at least), but that'd really just be a bonus.

[Left Shoe]

The point of this thread is to ask,why did you choose to study music?,Audition Do's,Dont's etc etc very open thread. Im in grade 10,and come 2 years for now,im certain I want to study music,so I would like to gather as much advice as I can.

Have at it :thumb:

because i like doing things im good at, i was debating between music, english, and philosophy for a major. Getting into Berklee made that an easy choice. Audition, make yourself sound good dont pick a song you cant play just because you think they want to hear it.

[Akira]

How are you liking Berklee Phil?
Good professors?

[EADG]

I took it because it's what I like the most and it's what I'm best at. Some of the classes don't even feel like classes, the work doesn't really feel like work.. you get the idea.


for your audition, be prepared, confident, polite. Don't be an asshole, just do what they ask but have a little personality at the same time. Don't try to bullshit them and give them the answers you think they want because they'll see right through you. At my audition, my adjudicator actually asked me this: "Is that the answer you really wanted to say, or the answer you think I want to hear?"

Don't worry too too much about your audition pieces. Typically (at least around here) they'll cut you off after a minute or so if they like what they hear.

Don't play something at a Grade 8 level if you can't handle it. I've heard professors themselves say that they'd be more impressed by a Grade 6 piece played than a Grade 8 played poorly.

[Understanding In a Crash]

The point of this thread is to ask,why did you choose to study music?,Audition Do's,Dont's etc etc very open thread. Im in grade 10,and come 2 years for now,im certain I want to study music,so I would like to gather as much advice as I can.

Have at it :thumb:
I spent 2 years figuring out what I wanted to do in a more versitile state school experimenting with automobile engineering but finally figured that I wanted to study music because it probably consumes more of my life then anything else (except for cars). Audition Do's is to feel as comfortable as possible while being as spot on as possible. I know I'm not that great at bass but partly why I think I got accepted into a good music program is because I brought something unique into my audition. I was accepted straight out of high school and was not again accepted as a transfer with an associates degree in a state school.

My best advice for you is to learn as many styles as possible and become as diversified as possible in many different types of music.

[Akira]

Matt just went to music school because his grades weren't good enough to do anything else. :p ;)

[EADG]

Matt just went to music school because his grades weren't good enough to do anything else. :p ;)

Shhhhh don't tell anyone :upset:

[Understanding In a Crash]

The only thing I also have to add that I forgot is partly why I got cold feet about going to a music majoring school is because if I figured out I didn't like it then my back was really up against the wall. You really need to have ambition to continue because not all professors are out their to be your friend. Now I got my associates degree and can really do alot of things that I want without feeling pressured.

[Akira]

Shhhhh don't tell anyone :upset:

o rite

<3

[Left Shoe]

How are you liking Berklee Phil?
Good professors?

to quote my ensemble teacher:

"when you have a faculty this big, you are bound to get a few bad eggs"

all mine are good, except two who i wont specify. but dont worry they dont teach music class

[Naminator]

Can someone explain to me what Grade 6 and Grade 8 are?

Sorry for being an international jumping bean...

[EADG]

Can someone explain to me what Grade 6 and Grade 8 are?

Sorry for being an international jumping bean...


RCM Grades, basically just the difficulty of the piece

[Naminator]

http://www.rcm.ac.uk/

that ?

or this?

http://www.rcmusic.ca/flash/Intro/playintro.html

[EADG]

RCM is Canadian and British, so both


not sure if they have it in the States, I don't think so though

[Naminator]

Do they perhaps have a list of songs with the ratings next to it?

[Radiobass81]

to quote my ensemble teacher:

"when you have a faculty this big, you are bound to get a few bad eggs"

all mine are good, except two who i wont specify. but dont worry they dont teach music class

You're bound to have bad teachers anywhere you study. Just hope it's not in your concentration classes.

Sometimes there are ones that are hard, and others that just want to fail you. :-/

[EADG]

Do they perhaps have a list of songs with the ratings next to it?

Not sure if they have any on the site

University/college websites usually give a list of sample repertoire though, and they usually have a minimum grade level of performance for your audition pieces


This is more for classical programs though

[Naminator]

What are the hardest pieces?

I guess they would be in Cello, amirite?

[EADG]

What are the hardest pieces?

I guess they would be in Cello, amirite?

I'm not really sure, I've never auditioned for a program that went by RCM grades


I know I've seen Simandl repertoire on there, and I think some Bach cello pieces but other than that I can't really help you out, sorry

[oak tree]

I'm working on the ABRSM (the main exam board for musical grades in the UK) syllabus for Double Bass at the moment, you can download their syllabuses here:

http://www.abrsm.org/?page=exams/gradedMusicExams/latestSyllabuses.html