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Roadrunner
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A friend thinks her daughter will benefit from submitting a piano supplement along with her application. but I am skeptical. This child wants to pursue a liberal arts major but not music at a selective university. If you have submitted a piano supplement, would you be kind enough to share which pieces your child played on it.

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DS included a music supplement to all the colleges he applied to, and he is a STEM kid.  The supplement included a music resume, a LoR, and a recording.  Not piano, but his violin recording was 5 minutes each of: 1) #2 of 4 Romantic Pieces by Dvorak and 2) Kriesler's Variations on a Theme by Corelli in the Style of Tartini. He had piano accompaniment.  He used these pieces (and others) for his Diploma for the Royal Schools of Music in the UK, it is the equivalent to a first year program for a music conservatory.

 

Ruth in NZ

Edited by lewelma
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I think that the music supplement is meant to be that -- a way for musicians to show their talent, an indication that they would be interesting people to have on campus and maybe participate in a choir, orchestra, band, etc.

 

Music majors at schools that have remotely decent programs will do auditions entirely separately.

 

Dd applied to two LAC's, one of which had a very strong music program, and one conservatory. She auditioned at the conservatory, she did a "visit" at the LAC with the strong music program, and she just submitted the music supplement to the LAC with the less-strong music program.

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I know people have done this too.  There kids have all been at a pretty advanced level and seasoned performers who bothered to do this.  I'm not sure I'd bother for an intermediate or lower musician for competitive schools.  Make sure it's something you'd be comfortable having a music professor watch.  Her teacher should be a good guide.   You can still include a resume and experience without the video.  If she is a good performer and has been playing many years, yes she should absolutely do it. 

 

My kid may be doing some of this next year - he has on piano Gershwin's preludes, a couple Chopin nocturnes, Bartok Romanian folk dances, a Beethoveen concerto and sonata, etc.  He has on voice an available song in Italian, German, French and a number of more involved musical theater songs in English.  He will liking be auditioning for programs in primarily voice, but is looking at some non-audition schools too where you could just send a supplement.

Edited by FuzzyCatz
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Please don't quote.  This is ds's resume.  The formatting is off.  We were told that *who* his teachers were in the music community was important which is why we included their titles. 

 

Music Education

2012 -- current    Private violin instruction

  teacher name - the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra

 

2017 -- current    String Quartet instruction

teacher name - Orchestra Wellington

 

2014 -- 2016    Piano and Violin Trio instruction

teacher name - New Zealand Symphony Orchestra

 

2013 -- current    Chamber String Orchestra instruction (Position held: First Violin in 2016, 2017)

teacher name - New Zealand String Quartet (most recent)

 

2016, 2017          Chamber Music Queen’s Birthday Weekend camp

teacher name - New Zealand String Quartet

 

Exams / Qualifications

DipABRSM Music Performance, Nov 2017, expected

ABRSM Grade 8 Violin, passed with Distinction, 2015

ABRSM Grade 5 Theory, passed with Distinction, 2013

NCEA Level 3 Music, achieved with Excellence, 2016

NCEA Level 2 Music, achieved with Excellence, 2015

 

Awards / Honors

May 2017 District Finalist, String Quartet, NZCT Chamber Music Competition

Nov 2015 High Scorer, all instruments - grades K-12, Wellington Region ABRSM exams

Nov 2013 High Scorer, all instruments - grades K-12, Wellington Region ABRSM exams

 

Public Performances

2012 -- current Guest Performer, xxx retirement village (4 concerts per year)

2017 -- current String Quartet, Adam’s Concert Auditorium (3 per year)

2014 -- 2016 Piano and Violin Trio, Adam’s Concert Auditorium (3 concerts per year)

2013 -- current Chamber String Orchestra, St Andrew’s on the Terrace (2 concerts per year)

 

Recent Repertoire

 

Violin (with Piano Accompaniment)

Grieg, Sonata No. 3 in C Minor, op. 45, 1st movement

Mozart, Violin Concerto No. 4 in D Major, K.218, 1st movement

Dvořák, 4 Romantic Pieces, op. 75

Kreisler, Variations on a Theme of Corelli in the Style of Tartini

Paganini, Variations on the G string on Rosssini’s Moses

Mozart, Rondo in C Major, K.373

 

Chamber Music (String Quartet / Piano and Violin Trio)

Mozart, String Quartet No.10 in C Major, K.170

Piazzolla, Libertango arranged for string quartet & accordian

Dvořák, Slavonic Dance in E Minor, op. 46, no. 2

Godard, Six Duettini, op. 18

 

Chamber String Orchestra

Rossini, Sonata No. 1

Schumann, Kinderszenen, op. 15.

Mascagni, Intermezzo Sinfonico from Cavalleria Rusticana

Mancini, Theme to the Pink Panther

Sibelius, Romanze in C Major, op. 42

 
Edited by lewelma
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"Un Sospiro" and a Debussy Toccata.

 

Most schools will indicate *exactly* what they want with regard to a music supplement. Typically, a video of two pieces from two different periods in contrasting styles with a combined time limit. Some wanted a music resume and/or letter from his teacher. Some only wanted the supplement. I can't remember the platform/system, but there was a way to upload the videos. Directions should be followed to a T. Do NOT exceed the time limit or submit anything different than they ask for.

 

At selective/elite schools, the student needs to be playing at a conservatory level. There are a TON of outstanding musicians that apply to top schools, and that is the caliber of musician with which the student will be compared. Many students submit supplements with no intention of majoring in music. It demonstrates commitment to one's craft.

Edited by Hoggirl
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I know people have done this too. There kids have all been at a pretty advanced level and seasoned performers who bothered to do this. I'm not sure I'd bother for an intermediate or lower musician for competitive schools.

^This.

 

And, the number of years playing/taking lessons is not determinative. It's the types of pieces and the skill with which they are performed.

Edited by Hoggirl
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Dd is still not sure if she wants to do math/stats or music at uni so she applied for both.  I don't think we have a music supplement type of thing for universities here in Canada but these are the pieces that dd is doing for her ARCT in Piano Performance from the RCM in June.  She'll choose from this list for her auditions for the music programs she applied to.  Note: An ARCT in Piano Performance is approximately equivalent to Level 9 or 10-ish ABRSM.

 

Toccata in C Minor, BWV 911 by J.S. Bach

Sonata in D Major, K 311 by W.A. Mozart (all mvmts)

The Lark by M. Glinka, arranged for piano by M. Balakirev

Reflets dans l’eau by C. Debussy

Fast Forward by Alexina Louie

Le papillon (Concert Etude) by C. Lavallee

 

For a competitive university music program in Canada, any student below Grade 9 RCM probably wouldn't even be considered but I don't know how that might relate to the music supplement thing.  This website gives a good idea of which pieces fall into which levels for a variety of instruments:

http://www.classicalmusicdb.com/levels

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"Un Sospiro" and a Debussy Toccata.

 

Most schools will indicate *exactly* what they want with regard to a music supplement. Typically, a video of two pieces from two different periods in contrasting styles with a combined time limit. Some wanted a music resume and/or letter from his teacher. Some only wanted the supplement. I can't remember the platform/system, but there was a way to upload the videos. Directions should be followed to a T. Do NOT exceed the time limit or submit anything different than they ask for.

 

At selective/elite schools, the student needs to be playing at a conservatory level. There are a TON of outstanding musicians that apply to top schools, and that is the caliber of musician with which the student will be compared. Many students submit supplements with no intention of majoring in music. It demonstrates commitment to one's craft.

This is it. Thank you. I think this girl is doing more harm than good to her application. If she were applying to say Eastman, should wouldn’t get in. She is good but not conservatory level. Family thinks it will help her to get into a selective school. I just needed a confirmation that my gut feeling was right.

They seem to be under the impression that since she isn’t applying to major in it, her playing is impressive.

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If it helps, this is an article I saw. I don't necessarily agree 100% with everything it says.

 

https://blog.collegevine.com/should-i-submit-an-arts-supplement-the-dangers-of-submitting-supplementary-application-materials/

 

Whoa - that's pretty brutal.  I have some mixed feelings too.  I would suspect a good teacher with a strong educational background would have a good sense if it's a good or a bad idea.  Having 2 kids that started music in preschool in a very large urban music program many of their peers who stick with it in private lessons performing through high school would probably be in a good position to do a supplement.  There are a few who would not but being part of a large program, I think they would even sense this on their own.  Maybe it's harder to know if you're a musician in a bubble or something.

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Interesting perspective in that article. My ds almost exclusively participated in competitions/programs that *should* be recognizable - Guild, State Music Teachers’ Competiton, and MTNA. He participated in only one locally-sponsored competition.

I’m not sure that listing off a bunch of awards that aren’t recognizable/standard would necessarily equate to an assumption that the student was middle of the pack, playing-wise. The local competition was put on by a bunch of blue hairs - lol. It was rather silly and winning obligated his performing at one of their meetings which was a rather good distance away, tedious, and not commensurate with their “prize.â€

 

Ds’s music resume’ also listed volunteer efforts (playing in church, accompanying the school choir, gigging for charity events) and the fact that he did paid gigs as well. He played a wide variety of styles of music, but his supplement was strictly classical. He would NOT have gotten into Eastman! But, he was pretty solid. And played at that level.

Edited by Hoggirl
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DS's music supplement supported his essays -- it was about building a whole picture, not just demonstrating proficiency.  In his community essay that he turned in to a few different schools, he used the prompt to focus on leadership and 'soft' skills he developed in music.  In it he demonstrated not just a passion for music, but the critical role it has played in his life.  The music supplement led support for this argument.

 

Edited by lewelma
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