<p>Hello all! I'm a high school junior and will be auditioning for music schools in Jan/Feb of 2012. Most of the music schools I'm interested in require a 15 minute audition. I'm worried that my audition program might be too long. I've thought of possible programs and all of them clock in at over 30 minutes. I know I will be stopped and won't complete every piece, but is it okay that my prorgam is longer than 15 minutes?</p>
<p>Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>First off, you want to be sure to satisfy whatever audition requirements the school has published. If they ask for specific pieces, do not substitute without explicit permission. If they have left the choice up to you (e.g. “contrasting works from three different musical periods”) and you have any questions, don’t ask a bunch of strangers in a chat room - contact the school, ideally one of the teachers who will be hearing your audition.</p>
<p>Chances are the judges at your audition will be familiar with the pieces that you have chosen. (In fact, I would be quite surprised if you came up with something they have not already heard at several dozen prior auditions.) Many times you will be asked to select the first piece to play at the audition and the judges will take over from there. Pick that first piece to display your playing at its best then do as they ask. Don’t get too hung up on the overall timing. If they are on a tight schedule, they will move you along to the parts they need to hear.</p>
<p>Current students at the school are another very good source for finding out what particular teachers want to hear at an audition - after all, they have already gained admission. See if you can contact any of them to find out what they played and how their auditions were handled.</p>
<p>Yes, it is absolutely fine that your program is over 30 minutes long. At most of the better schools, on competitive instruments like piano and violin, it would be highly unusual to have a program of less than 25 or 30 minutes. The significant advanced repertoire does not have a lot of 2- or 3-minute movements! My son’s programs varied from school to school, but all were at least 30 minutes and some were over 45 minutes (and the audition slots at those schools appeared to be about 15 minutes in length). While he chose not to audition at Curtis, the program he prepared for it was around 90 minutes.</p>
<p>Not only will you not complete every piece, but at some auditions you might not be asked to even start some pieces or movements! You may be asked to jump around within a piece. </p>
<p>As well, the length of your actual audition does not correlate at all with your likelihood of acceptance. There was a thread earlier this year about a student’s very very short audition on a Saturday; the student believed the brevity meant a certain rejection; she was, of course, accepted. </p>
<p>Choose repertoire which scrupulously follows the schools’ requirements and which shows your abilities off to best advantage. Do not worry about time.</p>
<p>Thank you violindad and BassDad for answering my question. The pieces I have in mind do fit the requirements that each school I’ve been looking at have posted on their website. Would it best to email the SOM directly or professors?</p>
<p>That depends on what you want to ask. I would try going directly to the applied teacher if you want to schedule a sample lesson or if you have specific, detailed questions about musical issues such as audition repertoire. I would start with the music school office for most other things like scheduling visits, auditions, finding out about upcoming recitals and concerts and so forth. If in doubt, contact the school first.</p>
<p>what on earth is an audition program</p>
<p>^Within the context of the OP’s statement “audition program” refers to the full required instrument specific repertoire.</p>
<p>“what on earth is an audition program”
Your audition program is the series of pieces (i.e., the program) that you prepare for your audiions. The program will be determined by the requirements of the school/s you are applying to. For example, a violinist might typically prepare 2 movements of unaccompanied Bach, a Paganini caprice, a showpiece, and two movements of a Romantic or 20th century concerto. The actual auditions are only about 10-15 minutes long, but the program itself might have a duration of 50 minutes or longer if played in entirety.</p>