@MikeBerkleeAdm, do you want to share some general best practices for auditioning for a Music School?
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No, but if it is possible and will not be financially challenging to attend we do encourage auditioning in person. If you attend in Boston you will have the opportunity to tour the campus and see what some of our facilities are like. The two experiences are almost exactly the same and there is no difference in acceptance or scholarship consideration so if it is easier and more convenient for you to audition virtually please feel free to do so.
Often in their third semester, but for some transfer students they may have the opportunity to enter their major in their second semester
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Completely understand what the audition process entails. Each school may have a unique audition process and you should make sure you are prepared and understand the components of each audition.
Then dedicate part of your practice routine to each component. If you have the opportunity to perform live in your community or in school do so. While performing and auditioning are different experiences, having the experience of performing prior to an audition generally helps applicants feel more comfortable performing in front of our faculty members
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@MikeBerkleeAdm, youâre a Berklee alumnus, what made you pick a music school in the first place and what attracted you to Berklee?
For the Berklee audition for songwriters/composers, it says to perform your own original piece, and a second piece from the guidelines on your site. (I.e., a well known tune, etc). If primary instrument is piano, should that be a piano solo or piano and voice song? Any advice in this realm appreciated.
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I was attracted to the contemporary music focus. Being able to pursue any genre of music was important and the Songwriting major was what I wanted to pursue which wasnât available at many institutions. There were also several alums that had been inspirations for me from John Petrucci to Steve Vai to Aimee Mann. And the community of all musicians was something I was very drawn to
Thanks for sharing, @MikeBerkleeAdm!
Completely up to the applicant. The piece should be choosen by two factors; does it demonstrate my complete ability on piano and do I love to perform it. Making sure our faculty completely understand what you are capable of as a pianist is very important, so choose a piece you love that also demonstrates your ability level at this time
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What does Berklee look for in a candidate?
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My son is a drummer (rock, alternative etc), but loves jazz which he is currently learning and music from other areas of the world. Other than what is outlined in the application requirements, any suggestions for drummers for their application and audition? Thank you so much.
Someone who is well rounded and adaptable with an ability that allows them to continue to grow and also take advantage of all of the opportunities at Berklee. Someone who understands our program and community and feels both are an excellent fit for them. Someone who is great to be around, supports others, understands that developing a career in music is about the ability level you develop but also about being a great person that others want to be around and hire for professional opportunities.
Versatility of genres/styles is important as a drummer in our program so it sounds like your son is on the right track. Being able to change âgearsâ as our faculty audition them to the best of their ability is great to showcase. Understand that the more diverse their skillset becomes the more professional opportunities will become available. And make sure to showcase what you do best through your audition
@MikeBerkleeAdm, what makes Berklee unique? Why should students apply to your programs? Do you want to share more details for our community?
Thank you for that advice! Also, if my son had a couple of challenging personal years in high school (unfortunately his most important junior and senior years), and his GPA is just below a 3.0, would you still encourage him to apply? He will be attending a community college for at least one semester starting in January to try and increase his grades. So will they still be looking at both his high school transcript or only his most recent community college transcript? Thank you.
What makes Berklee unique is the vast amount of genres that you can study in your performance-related curriculum. The community is comprised of around 5,000 musicians from around the world, who want to collaborate and learn from each other. We also offer many different opportunities to study with us. Whether it is our free massive online open courses which you can find here: Berklee MOOCs
One of our graduate programs here in Boston, in NYC or Valencia, Spain which you can read about here: Graduate Programs
Through a summer program with us or through Berklee Online
https://summer.berklee.edu/
https://online.berklee.edu/?pid=6874&c3ch=Affiliate&c3nid=bcm_start_career
There are many ways to study with you, we hope you find the best fit for you
what will they be looking for in the audition? will they want instrumental skill or musical knowledge?
I would encourage him to apply. We have many applicants who apply more than once for any number of reasons and there is no baggage from a previous applicant if someone isnât accepted or decides not to attend and reapply. It will be good to familiarize themself with the audition and interview process if they go through it more than once, and everything may work out great with their first application. Grades are important and we will want both their high school and college transcripts but if they are applying for this fall, there wont be any grades from college until after they have their decision so his college coursework will likely not be taken into consideration unless they apply for next spring which is perfectly fine to do
Thank you, extremely helpful information to know.
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The easy answer is both. We are looking for well rounded musicians who have a solid ability or strong on their instrument. We also know that not everyone has had the opportunity for formal music training so they may have gaps in their musicianship but hopefully not too many gaps. Showcase the aspects of the audition that you do best and work to develop the areas that you need to work on. But donât overwhelm yourself if you arenât the best improvisor or sight-reader, just include it in your practice routine and work on it. And make sure our faulty members see what you excel at