<p>I am a major beginner with the piano. Can anyone tell me exactly what happens during that part of the audition? Is the piece they give you in a different key? Is it hands together or treble clef? Was the piece long? What kind of piece did you have? Also, do they do music theory too? Please reply if you know anything about this because I’m freaking out.</p>
<p>Take a deep breath and calm down, LOL! It’s just a PLACEMENT test to see where they would put you for instruction if you get admitted. It has absolutely nothing to do with the admission decision. Matter of fact, when my son auditioned, there was a mess up with the scheduling, and the person who was supposed to do the testing didn’t arrive until over an hour late, when most of the kids already had to leave for their monologues or songs. They told them not to worry about it, they could do it during orientation or even at the beginning of classes, so obviously it wasn’t impacting whether or not they get in. </p>
<p>My son (also a beginner, self-taught with absolutely no formal instruction) stopped back later in the day and did it, and he said it was fine. They’ll ask you to do as much or as little as you can. If you can play two hands together, fine. If not, also fine. There is no theory, it’s just playing. And they are very nice about it. No pressure.</p>
<p>Hope that helps.</p>
<p>thank you so much! I just came home from the audition and it wasn’t bad at all!!!</p>
<p>Best of luck, Laughlove. UMich did not work out for us, unfortunately, but I wish you all the best!!</p>
<p>My daughter didn’t apply to Michigan because of the piano audition. She’s never played. Guess she should have read this first! 
Anyway, things always seem to work out for the best.</p>
<p>You don’t need to know how to play piano to be admitted to UMich as the piano audition is for placement purposes only. That said, it is advisable for any MT performer to know how to play piano and the sooner they start, the better. Brent Wagner, head of UMich’s MT Program also makes this point.</p>
<p>That said, the piano audition at Michigan was different four years ago when my D applied. She had to bring in a piece she had prepared, as well as do sight reading. And even if you play proficiently and place out of the piano requirements at Mich (she placed into the fifth level at their college and thus out of all the piano requirements), it still won’t get you admitted. She wasn’t. At her BFA program, there is a Music Theory placement test (not on piano) on the first day of freshman year and you can place out of Music Theory and she did for all of college. But the majority, who did have to take it, had to learn piano as part of the coursework.</p>
<p>If I could do things over again, I would have had my daughter study piano from the time she was small. Even if you don’t aspire for a career in MT, it is wonderful to know how to play as an adult. I would have also had her study ballet, which she never really studied. She is strong in jazz, hip-hop, and tap, but ballet is the basis for all dance. I had no idea that this career would be her calling, so I didn’t plan accordingly. Oh well. It seems that every time I got her in ballet classes, she was cast in a show and had no time for the lessons. Almost everything she has learned has been from being in shows. Not a whole lot of formal training. Live and learn. Someday, when I am a grandmother :), I will make sure my little grand-daughters take piano and ballet!</p>
<p>Tina, keep in mind, it is never too late! Lots of kids in MT programs have not taken piano or ballet and then they study it in college. </p>
<p>While my D did not plan to be a ballerina, she took a lot of dance and realized that knowing ballet was imporant as it is the basis of all the other forms and so she did study ballet/pointe for years, but also did like your D and took jazz, tap, modern, hip hop. I kinda miss seeing my D in ballets in a tutu but I know she won’t be doing that anymore (though took ballet in college of course). With piano, I had no idea my kid was gonna pursue the arts when she started piano at age seven. Both my kids have taken piano since age seven, as well as a second instrument. Never would I have dreamed back then that one of my D’s would earn money playing piano. She didn’t take it with a MT career in mind originally (though has been in MT her whole life). But I can tell you that being a pianist has been invaluable to her in terms of musical theater and her career in general. So, I recommend it to all the kids out there looking to go into MT!</p>
<p>I wish you were around to give me advice 10 years ago! :)</p>