Entering the music industry to play your favorite instrument is by far one of the hardest challenges you can face as a musician. Not only will you need to be the best at what you do since the market is relatively narrow for this industry, but you will also have to be unique in your own way to make a strong impression on others. Being a musician is not all about glamour and performing. It’s also about practicing, preparing, and more practicing. You want to become the best version of yourself and show the world how well you can play your instrument. You will need to fend for yourself when no one else believes in you, and, many times, that will take a toll on you.
However, it’s vital that you keep your hopes high and your skills sharp as a knife despite the rough patches in your musical endeavor. You will need to prepare yourself mentally and musically to find the right college music program and follow your dreams. Music schools are unlike any other. They require applying students to perform to be considered for a position in their education system. Essentially, you need to know music to learn music.
Here are some ways in which you can prepare yourself for a music school audition.
Dedicate enough time to practice your music.
As you may have already figured out, you will need to be relatively good at playing your instrument to enter a music school. On your first unofficial day of school, you will need to win your place in the system by outperforming your peers. This will require you to make more than enough time available in your schedule to dedicate it to practice your music. From reading sheets to playing your choices of instrument, you will need to come prepared for the unexpected.
Prepare your home for music practices.
This being said, designate a spot in your home or room to practice your instrument for several hours a day. You can do this by making enough space to fit your instrument, setting up a microphone to record yourself, and a computer to playback the music. You can place sound dampening tiles on the walls for more quality music sessions, and you can use a tablet or smartphone to look for music sheets and easily learn from videos how to play a particular note or style. Be sure to give yourself milestones to achieve prior to your audition so you can come prepared with everything you worked on and not just play it by ear.
Research music schools.
Next, you’re going to want to research music schools in your area, or any other area in particular, in which you would like to go study in. These can be ivy leagues (dream big), community colleges (start local), or universities (shoot for the stars). Each type of music school has its own advantage, so be sure to understand and know what you want to achieve to know where to look.
If you’re having a rough time deciding where to look for this information or what to study, you can always speak with college admissions consulting firms that help students find their career paths. They offer college admission guidance, essay editing, and financial planning for future students just like you. Speaking with them will put you on the higher ground versus another student who only knows they want to play an instrument. Be sure to study the requirements and gather any paperwork prior to attending the audition and expect the unexpected.
These tips will help you get started on your journey towards a music school audition
