<p>I play the piano. It’s a hobby and I don’t plan to be a professional. After playing for five to six years I consider myself a good player, though obviously not as refined as one who has played ten or more years.</p>
<p>I’m considering sending UPenn a sample of my playing both to prove that I actually play and to hopefully give my application an edge over other applicants’. </p>
<p>However, after talking to an experienced piano teacher, I realized that I do not want to send a recording of something that will in fact hurt my application. I will be compared with those who have been playing and practicing far longer than I. My recording will appear severely inferior and I might even seem cocky, thinking that my abilities are better than they actually are.</p>
<p>My pieces are all classical, and would include Rubinstein’s Melody in F, an easy Valse by Chopin, Variations on a Russian Folk Song by Glinka, and Tango by Albeniz.</p>
<p>I’m hoping that someone out there has experience with this type of question and maybe might be familiar with a few of those pieces. Even if those pieces are performed well, is it worth sending them in?
I don’t want to pay money to record this (probably would have to do it at a recording studio?) if it won’t help me, or even worse: if it would hurt me.</p>
<p>Unless you're applying to a program that requires an audition or a portfolio or some kind, stick to the basics with your application. Given the number of applications and the way they are processed, your recording probably wouldn't even be listened to unless the adcom needed a tie breaker.</p>
<p>In any case, without professional help, piano is somewhat difficult to record well - its definitely a studio project if you go for it.</p>
<p>On the other hand it would probably be fun, especially if you haven't been in a recording studio before. So if you have the time to sharpen up one or two pieces, really "make them you own" as they say, and a couple hundred bucks for studio + engineer time I'd say go for it!</p>
<p>I was in a similar position as yours. I had been playing piano like for 4 years at that time and I made really quick progress in that time, and all my teachers told me that I was good, but I in now way compared to people who have been playing piano since age 3 with professional/prestigious piano teachers. I decided not to send anything, mostly because I think they advice you to send something only if you're really exceptional at it, which I obviously was not (with much dedication, I might have been, but I was not). I could've sent Mozart's rondo alla turca, or Chopin's Minute Waltz, just so you get an idea...</p>
<p>I have been playing piano for 10 years and am concert level. I had an interview at Penn today and the admissions offer told me to not bother so it's probably just an extraneous piece that they don't feel like dealing with.</p>