<p>After countless debates with myself and my parents and two major reality checks, I believe I may have finally gotten myself situated in the college sphere. My goal has always been to major in music education and teach music at a high school. After learning about the audition process and difficultly of auditions from these boards, I became a bit frazzled and overwhelmed, believing my dreams of teaching were crushed. </p>
<p>However, as I began to take deeper breaths and calm myself, I decided in June that if I worked hard enough, I would be able to learn new pieces and perfect old ones and be able to audition for college and become a teacher. Though I also play alto sax and percussion, but main instrument has always been piano, but it often took a back seat to the others.</p>
<p>This summer, I've dedicated all my spare time to my piano audition. I really did not know where to start for repertoire, so I chose the following pieces for my audition because they matched what the schools I want to apply to require. However, I am worried that these pieces are too simple for college auditions and that I may make a fool of myself...</p>
<p>Bach's Two Part Invention No. 1
Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 4 in E-flat major (Third Movement)
Schubert's Waltz in D Major
Chopin's Waltz in A Minor</p>
<p>And the schools I would like to apply to are:
University of the Pacific
University of Puget Sound
Ithaca College
Pepperdine University
San Diego State University (financial safety) </p>
<p>My academics are rather good, so I'm not extremely worried about getting into schools for academics. Should I have given up the music idea and spent the summer searching for something else instead of wasting my time on piano? Should I have picked more difficult pieces? I don't want to continue to push myself if I'm not going to get accepted for music anywhere =/</p>
<p>If you are a piano major in music education, you will most likely be on the vocal/choral track. If you are interested in instrumental music education, i.e. band, you may need to explore majoring in a wind instrument or percussion. There may be schools that allow a piano major in instrumental music education, but you need to find out. Good luck.</p>
<p>I’m not going to address your choice of repertoire. From my limited knowledge of the piano literature, they appear to meet the criteria of most of your choices. You appear to be missing a 20th century work, a requirement for one of your options (UPacific?)</p>
<p>Are they “too simple”? That’s a hard question, as no one can assess your skills and talents over an internet forum. Theses choices are best made in conjunction with your private instructor. It is not advisable to self-prepare for any audition centered process. You do not specify if you are taking private instruction, but I would strongly urge you to engage a teacher with experience in preparing students for undergraduate music admissions. The common wisdom is to truly master a “lesser” piece than struggle through a more difficult selection. The audition committee is looking for technique, intonation, musicality. They are looking for potential. They are not looking for perfection. Ithaca and UPacific are most probably the toughest audition pools on your list.</p>
<p>Any audition is a crap-shoot and a certain amount of angst is normal, regardless of the amount of preparation. Having said that, you need to know where you might stand within a specific audition pool. The best way to do this is objective professional assessment from private instructors, professional musicians, and college level faculty. Participation in competitive audition based immersion programs and interaction with high level peers is a gauge as well. </p>
<p>Realize that many programs will have less stringent audition assessment criteria for music ed applicants and not hold them to the same standard as they would pure performance aspirants. This does not mean that you will not encounter competition that possesses greater skill and talent, but realize a number of applicants will have skills equal or less than your own. </p>
<p>Think long and hard about why you want to pursue music education. Most music ed programs look at academics, audition, and an interview component. An honest, enthusiastic less skilled applicant can be selected over a more technically proficient competitor who is unsure, or sees music ed as a back-up or fall back plan. Some additional reading: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/949738-about-admissions-interview.html?highlight=interview[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/949738-about-admissions-interview.html?highlight=interview</a></p>
<p>And lorelei2702 is right. You do need to check the parameters regarding the track you choose.</p>