<p>I was recently invited to audition and interview at UCLA and Michigan for music composition. I already auditioned at NYU but think these will probably be more serious; can anyone give me some insight into what the "appointment" entails? It's supposed to be 15 mins long.</p>
<p>Also, I was wondering how many people are invited for auditions for comp (roughly)? Is it really common to be invited, or is it a huge privilege? I just want to know sort of "where I stand".</p>
<p>I really appreciate any help/answers. Thanks!</p>
<p>I think you should be happy that you passed the prescreens, yes. My guess is that in general the larger schools interview three to four times the number of applicants that they plan to accept - and Michigan and UCLA will also accept more students than they expect to enroll. When my son interviewed at Michigan it was an all day affair - audition on instrument, info meeting with the head of the department along with parents, and a couple of interview sessions so that all the composition professors had a chance to meet the applicant. Then there were some concerts to attend, as well, and some socializing with the professors after. (Not sure that’s always the case - we were lucky that the Midwestern Symposium was happening at the same time.) Be prepared to talk about your music, as well as your general application to Michigan, your interests and goals. Unlike for instrumentalists the interview is not like the audition - the most important part of your application has already happened - your portfolio submission. The interview is just to get a sense of you as a prospective student as they already know your music. (Do know that some of the conservatories - not UCLA and Michigan, do have some notorious interviews, as well as overnight composition assignments, and theory tests.)</p>
<p>You should be ready to talk about your music, where you want to go with it, future goals. and talk in a general way about composition, composers you like, and so on. These interviews can vary from a true grilling that includes questions about history and theory, to an informal chat that veers into random conversation. </p>
<p>Does, UCLA or MIchigan involve a panel or is it a one on one interview? Is it with one professor or a few? Is there also a placement test, or an overnight assignment? Are you also doing an instrumental audition?</p>
<p>They already like your music, as Spirit Manager said. At some schools the interview is not terribly significant; at a school like Juilliard, for instance, where they only take 1 or 2 per year, it can be a deciding factor.</p>
<p>Hopefully more people who have experienced interviews at these two schools will post, but you can also call admissions and ask questions there.</p>
<p>I know for my son’s interview at Umich it was a panel that included the department head. In his case, it was a production-composition hybrid program, so in addition to discussing his influences and compositional approach, there was also discussion about his production techniques on different portfolio pieces. He really enjoyed his interview.</p>
<p>On “audition/interview” days there are usually additional activities that Spirit manager described even when it’s not the symposium – information sessions, mini-performances, tours, and if you request it in advance through the department, you may also be able to sit in on a few classes. Mcson was able to sit in on both a freshmen class and a senior class in his discipline, which was really helpful to him and sealed the deal for knowing if he was accepted, the program was his first choice.</p>
<p>He also seemed really confident that he would be accepted after the interview. I don’t know if that was a case of youthful optimism or if the way they discussed his work telegraphed that info to him, but he was right.</p>
<p>Congratulations and best wishes for some great interviews! While its hard to predict final outcomes, you’ve certainly cleared a hurdle to be invited.</p>