music colleges help please

Julliard, its difficult....you have to be like a Prodigy......

I am looking into the Conservatory of Music in Paris (which is still open)

Howdy howdy. I'm a student at Carnegie Mellon University doing music composition. It's a great place and I've truly learned a lot, but this isn't a plug for CMU.

I do a lot of work for the school when it comes time for auditions and one piece of advice is this: listen to new music with scores. You're applying to music schools, you should not only look up your teachers (most reputable composers have websites and some even have wikipedia articles) but famous composers from that area. Find out if the local symphony has a composer in residence and if they do, do some research. Be able to talk about new music in depth because a good music school will want to turn out a professional, someone who can hold his or her own in the music world.

For example: the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra's composer in residence when I applied was Jennifer Higdon (blue cathedral) so I looked up some of her stuff which really helped my interview. It's great to be familiar with a bevvy of classics, but you have to know contemporary as well.

(Also, I agree with the advice to make your scores look as professional as possible. It helps a lot. Professionalism in all aspects (espescially your interview!) is almost as important as your portfolio and potential.)

I knew someone who had a scholarship to julliard, but get this, he turned it down to go to 'nam.... really hoow sad!

Would anyone feel comfortable sharing an audition composition piece? Or something similar would be very helpful too. Thank you

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Here are the pieces I used when I auditioned:

Wind Quartet

and

Wind Quintet

I also showed a string quartet....but you'll have to find that yourself

Hope that helps :musicwhistle:...

hey verdi_lver

thank you for your pieces, the melodies you have are very cute and catchy

may i ask you where did you go for music college?