<p>I've got two pieces: one, for which I have a piano accompaniment played by a guy I go to school with, and the other is some obscure trombone solo that came with CD accompaniment but no written accompaniment. Would it be too weird to play along with the provided accompaniment? I absolutely love the piece, it's perfect for my instrument (trombone) and my tone (I can get a really good soft, mellow trombone sound) and I think it would show off my skills the best. But basically, is it taboo to play along with a CD?</p>
<p>You described this as a supplement. I assume you are making a recording to submit in the hopes that your music talent will help you with admissions. If this is the case, then I guess anything is acceptable. I would suggest you find out the format for auditions for music majors at the specific school(s). There may be restrictions on accompaniments and there may be a list of requirements or specific pieces required for auditions. I would suggest following those guidelines. If you want to demonstrate your talent, a live audition is best. If there is no formal mechanism for auditions, then you should contact the music dept and the trombone instructor. See if you can arrange a meeting and perhaps and informal lesson/audition. For this type of format an accompliment would not be appropriate or feasible.</p>
<p>My understanding is that most schools prefer to hear YOUR instrument solo. Even if it is a piece that usually has piano (and most do) you should record your part alone. After all, you want them to hear YOU and not have to sieve your playing out from someone elses.</p>
<p>Actually most say that you should have accompaniment, because it shows preparation and just boosts the overall quality. </p>
<p>I'm not formally auditioning, I'm just adding something to my application that gives the admissions officers "a more complete view of me as a person, not just as a set of statistics" There are live "performances", but I will not be able to make them, simply because of distance. They just ask us to send in a CD with two songs, showing a variety of styles and tempi.</p>
<p>So.....any more input?</p>