I hope someone who recently applied to Oberlin will chime in, but I would think piano accompaniment for a concerto would be allowed and even preferred.
You could also cut the spoken introduction from the beginning of the recording to submit the concerto to Oberlin without the intro. That would not be viewed as an edit.
Hello everyone - I feel like I’m late to the game but just found this thread. My son is a drummer/percussionist and we are in the thick of auditions now. It’s been a wild ride so far and reading past threads it’s only going to get crazier as the waiting game begins. Here is his list…
Frost
Berklee
CCPA/Roosevelt
Loyola New Orleans
UIC - University of Illinois Chicago
Manhattan School of Music
He had an audition at UIC a couple of weeks ago that went very well.
Berklee was yesterday and he didn’t feel great about it. Although he asked them to turn his backing track up, it wasn’t enough and he couldn’t hear it. He is pretty bummed, but said the other parts of the audition went well.
He passed the prescreen at Frost and is headed there on Dec. 7th for an audition.
Has anyone heard anything about CCPA/Roosevelt? We absolutely loved it there. So warm and personal. And the jazz drumset professor is amazing. But I just don’t see much about it on the threads. Thanks!
There is a chance that the panel knew what was going on. While he may have struggled, they may not have intervened. They may have just listened and watched how he handled himself. That may have been the test for a talented student.
This can happen for voice students as they often need to walk into the audition room and give their music to a student accompanist and pray that the student plays it well and at the right tempo. Almost every year there are stories here from vocalist that got a bum accompanist and then struggled with the audition. My opinion is that the panel gets it, but doesn’t intervene bc they don’t have time to make it perfect and can learn a bit by seeing the reaction (note I don’t believe it’s done on purpose…it just happens sometimes).
So, be prepared for issues during auditions. And remember on stage there is little you can do…but work with the issue with a smile on your face. It is not uncommon for students to get an acceptance for “their worst” audition.
There is a chance, he still did well…despite the technical issue.
Agreed. Happened to my son. He couldn’t hear his backing tracks. He was accepted and it was his 2nd largest scholarship.
@Shellg and @bridgenail Thank you so much! That makes me feel so much better. I will tell him. I was thinking he should have stopped and told them that he couldn’t hear it but now I see that it was better for him to keep playing. Because it could happen on stage. It’s going to be a LONG winter and probably many ups and downs.
yes! It’s a long season! Hoping he finds the best place for him…then it is all worth it!
Hi! Welcome! My son (guitar) is applying to some of the same schools are yours. We did tour Roosevelt but he decided not to apply because he didn’t feel like the department was a good fit. I did notice that the kids seemed really happy there and I talked to a current student’s mom who said her son loved it! She said that it was a very warm and non competitive atmosphere.
My son decided to apply to Columbia, but after UArts closing I looked into their financials and they are pretty weak. It seems a lot of the smaller, less prestigious music/arts schools are struggling since Covid. So you may want to check into Roosevelt as well. I could actually see those two combining since they are right next to each other!
The only people to stop an audition should be the panel. Otherwise the student’s job is to continue professionally as best they can. He did it right!
@Blmom23 Thank you! Mind if I PM you?
Sure!
With auditions I agree, just keep playing. If they want you to stop they will stop you, otherwise just keep playing. Among other things, recovering from a mistake or slip is part of being a musician, it happens, so that can be important.
One thing I would stress is don’t let anything affect you in the audition, try not to read anything into what goes on there. What do I mean? A panelist yawns, that doesn’t mean your playing is bad, or they grimace or they close their eyes or when you are done, they say something or don’t say anything at all. That grimace could be it has been a long day and they still have a lot of kids to see. If they don’t say anything when you go into the room, or they say something, same when you exit, don’t take anything out of it. I have seen a lot of people saying things about auditions at X school, if the panel doesn’t talk to you they don’t like you, if they don’t say anything when you are done you must not have imporessed them because when they auditioned, why, they told him he was like Heifetz (this was supposed to be Juilliard lol).
The audition process is stressful enough and you will be second guessing yourself as it is, don’t put that pressure on yourself creating scenarios like that. The panel I can tell you isn’t in there looking to eliminate kids, many of them are rooting for them because they have been there and they understand. They know the difference between bad playing and when someone slips because they are nervous or have a memory slip, they can tell the difference between bad playing and the instrument (they can also tell where a good instrument is covering for someone who isn’t as good as you might thing; I am talking violin here, on other instruments it may not apply).
It is already so stressful, try not to create even more stress, the reality is not what your imagination is coming up with:)
Agree! Your kids should be prepared for any panel reaction or lack thereof. And often it is not a reflection on your kid but just the way they hold their auditions.
At one audition at a top conservatory, my son started playing and the professor stood up and walked over to a window and had his back turned the rest of the time! My son just continued as if this was normal audience behavior. Didn’t throw him one bit. My son was accepted there with a full scholarship.
It turns out this particular teacher always held his auditions in this manner. I guess he could listen more accurately without a visual image. You just never know.
Wow! That would be really hard to keep playing through that. For me, anyway. But so good to know. I will tell my son he did the right thing. Thank you!
Good to keep in mind that behaviours can be easily misinterpreted.
Sooo happy to have all the applications in and waiting to hear back on prescreens!
Any other cellists in the thread here this year? Maybe we’ll meet in person at some point.
HI All,
My D is interested in songwriting, music technology, and production. She’s got her sights set on CCM’s Commercial Music Production Program, but we imagine it’s fairly competitive.
I was wondering if anyone has any experience with LIU-Brooklyn’s Roc Nation School of Music and their BFA in Music Technology, Entrepreneurship, and Production. It looks like they’re just getting ready to graduate their first class in the spring, and so we’re having trouble finding out lots about the program.
Thanks!
@GirlDad2 I am sending you a private message (see the green oval with envelope upper right).
I noticed that Roc Nation is a school for “Music, Sports and Entertainment,.” which is an unusual combination. Its focus is commercial and includes , according to the website,
Does she also want music business or is that a distraction?
I would be a little nervous about a new program but maybe a visit would be helpful-?
@compmom Thanks so much!
Yes, this type of combination of music training along with music business focus is exactly what she’s looking for. It’s also what has drawn her to Cincinnati’s Commercial Music Production program.
We’re hoping to visit sometime in the spring. She put LIU-Brooklyn on her list after reading the website. And she found out she was accepted with a fairly generous scholarship a couple of weeks ago. So that made it bubble further up her list.
In fuller disclosure, she’s had some fairly interesting criteria for herself, including being within a 8-hour drive of home, being in an urban area, having more options available besides just music in case she switches directions, balance with some non-audition based programs. So, here’s her list:
Cincinnati–Commercial Music Production
Depaul–Sound Recording Technology
LIU-Brooklyn–MTEP Program (accepted)
Ohio State–BS in Music: Creative Practice, Business and Technology
Syracuse–Music Industry or Sound Recording Tech
Pitt–BA in Music (accepted)
GW–BA in Music
This list is not consistent in terms of focus, and it sounds like that is probably intentional on her part. I assume she knows BA programs will have a lot more non-music classes and that they also tend to have more traditional liberal arts music classes (Pitt and GW) though there will be some tech. of course.
She’ll figure it out when the time comes!
Mine is finishing the last couple of takes and submitting today for his grad school apps. And yes, one deadline is 12/1. Yikes!
He has it completely under control. So I did not ask out loud, “Ever think about what would happen if you got sick in these last few days?”
But you know I was thinking it. 
Same here. Son turned in his last app last night with a 12/1 deadline. So glad it worked out, but I was a bit anxious about what could go wrong.