<p>Hello everyone:) So I decided to go to Mcgill and major in piano performance, and I got some problems here... can anyone help me? thanks a lot</p>
<ol>
<li>What does "Ensemble Auditions " means?</li>
<li>Does the "Ensemble Auditions" include students major in piano?</li>
<li>Since I was never a student major in music, can someone tell me how's life as a piano student??</li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks a lot!</p>
<p>I am not as familiar with piano as with other instruments, but I think I can start the ball rolling on what to expect. I assume the ‘ensemble’ auditions are for placement into Chamber music groups, Piano trios, quartets, etc, which is a standard part of most conservatory training. I don’t know McGill directly, but chamber is a major part of the training and it is possible you would be in several ensembles, depends though. </p>
<p>On top of that, performance majors also obviously have lessons with their private teacher and are expected to practice many hours each day (not a big surprise, i am sure).</p>
<p>At the conservatory level, you also will be expected to take music theory, depending on the program may be all 4 years or may be only to a certain level (I suspect 4 years is common)…you also will be taking ear training/solfege, that usually is to a certain level and then you are done in my experience. </p>
<p>Plus generally there are elective courses, in things like music history…and some general liberal arts courses, though at a conservatory generally has less of these then some music schools that are part of liberal arts colleges (I don’t know about McGill, others on here prob know).</p>
<p>Plus schools often have performance abilities in other things, ensembles playing student composition works, or possibly if the school offers it playing with dance student recitals and so forth (depends on the school, obviously).</p>
<p>The one thing I have heard is it is a full day, that with all the required work days stretch into the night…:). </p>
<p>Hope this helps!</p>