Auditioning for UBC school of music

[imperfection]

Hey GMG,

I'm finishing high school next June, and I'll be auditioning next April for University of British Columbia's School of Music. I'll be playing Chopin's Tristesse Etude in E major, and the last movement to Beethoven's Tempest sonata. The requirement for those two works are at least RCM grade 10, but both of them are at ARCT (Associate of Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto), so I guess it'll be fine...just wish me luck. I started practicing these two pieces couple months ago. I'm just trying to apply to General Studies, not Piano performance, by the way. I am currently studying intermediate harmony and history with a teacher, so that will help me in the theory/aural test portion of the audition next year. Does anybody here have tips/advices on auditions like these? All input appreciated, thanks! 

[toledobass]

My advice is to not only practice the pieces, but also practice performing them in as many performance situations that you can.  Play your pieces for whoever you can in whatever situations you can.  Practice them when you are tired, when you feel like you haven't quite had enough warm up, with no warm up at all, for musicians, for non musicians, whatever you can think of.  Record these these and study your performances trying to remember what was happening and what led to things being good as well as what led to things coming across in a way that was not quite what you intended.  Use your normal practice sessions to focus on addressing those problems.  The practice of the actual performance is something that many overlook the importance of. 


Good luck and keep us informed of how your preparations go,
Allan

[imperfection]

Valuable advice, thank you Allan! 

[(poco) Sforzando]

Hey GMG,

I'll be playing Chopin's Tristesse Etude in E major, and the last movement to Beethoven's Tempest sonata. The requirement for those two works are at least RCM grade 10, but both of them are at ARCT (Associate of Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto), so I guess it'll be fine...

I don't follow you here. Is there any doubt that these pieces are eligible for your audition?

[Joe_Campbell]

I don't follow you here. Is there any doubt that these pieces are eligible for your audition?

Perhaps he means that the requirement for UBC admission is grade 10, and the works he is playing are ARCT? RCM can be picky sometimes, only allowing for one "substitution piece" from the standard grade 10 matieral, even if it's from a more difficult syllabus.

What I find interesting, looking at RCM's new syllabus, is that the variance in difficulty in the ARCT repertoire is huge, from something as (relatively) simple as the 'Tristesse' etude to 'Ondine' from Ravel's Gaspard de la Nuit.

[imperfection]

No I am not doubting if my selections are eligible for the audition, as I already know they are. I'm just looking for advice from members who did auditions before.

And JCampbell, Tristesse isn't "simple" by any means. Maybe you should post a video of yourself playing it, I would like to see it 

[Joe_Campbell]

  I said relatively simple. Surely you aren't comparing the first movement of Gaspard de la Nuit with Chopin's 3rd Etude? And what does my ability at the piano have to do with anything? Does that somehow qualify or disqualify me from giving an assessment of the work's technical aspects?

[imperfection]

I said relatively simple. Surely you aren't comparing the first movement of Gaspard de la Nuit with Chopin's 3rd Etude? And what does my ability at the piano have to do with anything? Does that somehow qualify or disqualify me from giving an assessment of the work's technical aspects?

I don't doubt your piano skills (or lack thereof), in fact I'm interested in them. Want to show me? Doesn't matter if you don't have any, just asking.

[Joe_Campbell]

I don't doubt your piano skills (or lack thereof), in fact I'm interested in them. Want to show me? Doesn't matter if you don't have any, just asking.

Well...that's a nice thing to ask for, but I don't currently have any recording equipment. I'm making an audition in April/May sometime, so if you're still interested then, I can let you know.

BTW, the pieces I'll be performing are in a thread somewhere else:
http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,252.140.html
(Reply #146)

BTW, Op. 10 No. 3 is probably beyond my current skill level. (well, most definitely the middle section!)

[imperfection]

Actually I doubt it very much that no.3 is beyond your skill level at all! I mean, you're doing Bartok! That could be technically less demanding than virtuosic etudes of Chopin and Liszt, but its definitely just as, if not, more musically challenging to play well, especially in a formal setting like an audition. When you do get around to it and have the chance to record, be sure to let me know! I would like to hear a fellow GMG member play the instrument I love. 

[Joe_Campbell]

I'll definitely let you know! Thanks for the encouragement!

[(poco) Sforzando]

If the two of you live in BC, how far apart are you?

[imperfection]

I don't know where JCampbell lives, but I'm in Vancouver, the most boring major city in North America.

[Joe_Campbell]

We're pretty darn close, it seems! I'm in Victoria on Vancouver Island, just a stone's throw away!

[Joe_Campbell]

Imperfection, have you even been to the towering HMV in downtown Vancouver? I wouldn't say it's completely boring...plus BC Lions and Van Canucks, if you like sports.

[M forever]

I heard that Vancouver is really nice. How is it boring?

[(poco) Sforzando]

We're pretty darn close, it seems! I'm in Victoria on Vancouver Island, just a stone's throw away!

Then the two of you guys can meet and spend an afternoon getting bored by Vancouver together. 

[karlhenning]

We're pretty darn close, it seems! I'm in Victoria on Vancouver Island, just a stone's throw away!

Not that you'd actually throw the stones.

[(poco) Sforzando]

Not that you'd actually throw the stones.

It might make the place less boring if he did.

[Joe_Campbell]

Not that you'd actually throw the stones.

We did collectively throw them back and forth a while ago. They were called "fastcats."

http://ferryfiasco.blogspot.com/