<p>I'm a sophomore and I'm trying to get back to piano. I haven't played since May, and I want to get back to it. I don't think I as very good because I only played once a week. I definitely want to practice more now. I want to incorporate this into college apps (of course). Are there competitions or something like that? Or are writing down your hours and recitals sufficient? I don't want to compose because I'm not THAT much into it, I just want to play for fun.</p>
<p>What do you guys do?</p>
<p>I wrote that I took piano lessons since I was in elementary school, and practiced for an hour every day.</p>
<p>Piano was a huge part of my high school life. </p>
<p>You can see it in my college apps in a few ways:</p>
<ol>
<li>Private lessons & competitions (included several awards)</li>
<li>Theory class & ensemble adjudications (included leadership roles & awards)</li>
<li>Jazz band pianist</li>
<li>Small Jazz Ensemble pianist (we are a 6-member group, play at jazz clubs, get paid, are known around the state, and have released 3 albums)</li>
<li>Piano accompanying (paid; for several competitive ensembles through my band program)</li>
<li>Piano accompanying (I was the entire pit orchestra for 3 years for a local jr high, and I also play background music for events at my school)</li>
<li>School music awards</li>
</ol>
<p>So…you could go however far you’d like to go with it.</p>
<p>I play Piano too. 
I have lessons every Monday. My instructor and I have recitals once in a while. I do solos and duets. I think there’s competitions. I personally haven’t been in any competitions. I just do it for fun. It’s more like a hobby to me, I don’t take it too seriously. I guess you would write down that you played piano for so and so years, etc.</p>
<p>I have lessons once a week and have two recitals a year. During second semester, I typically have five different piano “events” (I can’t really call them competitions, but you play for judges and they, well, judge you… festivals, perhaps?). A tad stressful during April/May since AP exams start becoming important, but doable nonetheless.</p>
<p>I’ve accompanied for our school choir a couple times and I <em>might</em> play in the pit for our musical, but since our entire fine arts department changed this year, I might not be able to.</p>
<p>It helps that I have an extremely obsessive piano teacher, though :p.</p>
<p>I would talk about it as your hobby in a college essay perhaps, rather than pinning a number to your college apps. If you speak about your passion, that’s what matters most.</p>
<p>Music is subjective. As long as you grow in some way from playing piano, it would shine through. Sometimes, music means winning a competition. Some people shine onstage (my teacher, for example). Yet, sometimes, music means just a cold night, cold hands, and a random concerto. Some people are private like that (or have stage-fright. Or can’t perform).</p>
<p>I never really participated in any competition because I can’t care less about the opinions from a panel of judges. I am not going professional, so competitions feels too much like a performance for my taste. Piano is a way I express my innermost feeling. Sometimes hurt, sometimes sad, sometimes happy. Pure emotions, and everything else fades into the background. Just me and a piano. And perhaps some angry neighbors in pj at 1 AM asking why on Earth am I playing at 1 AM. But that doesn’t matter. ;)</p>
<p>Music is your story, so as long as you tell your story the way it is, the authenticity would shine through. A college may or may not admit you, but make sure they make the decision on who you really are, not a fake persona.</p>