 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: anna
Date: 2001-12-11 17:49
at what level are most people that audition for the schools are? Are they mostly doing the rose etudes already or are they in like easier etudes?
like how big of a repertoire do they expect u to have?
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2001-12-11 17:55
If you're thinking of NEC then you're going to have to get moving! Their requirements (right from their Web page -if you're thinking of attending you <b>have</b> investigated their site, right? If you're a senior already it's too late!)
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Prepare one of the following etudes from Rose 32 Etudes (Carl Fischer edition): 1, 11, 13, 19, 21, or 31.
Prepare one of the following etudes from Rose 32 Etudes (Carl Fischer edition): 10, 16, 20, or 24.
Prepare one of the following solos (memorization is encouraged, but not required):
A. Mozart Concerto, K. 622 (movements 1 and 2 or 2 and 3)
B. Weber Concerto No. 1 (movements 1 and 2 or 2 and 3)
C. Weber Concerto No. 2 (movements 1 and 2 or 2 and 3)
D. Debussy First Rhapsody (complete)
Prepare a 20th-century unaccompanied solo, such as:
A. Malcolm Arnold Fantasy for Clarinet (complete)
B. Leslie Bassett Soliloquies (choose a two-movement combination of 1 and 2, 1 and 4, 3 and 2, or 3 and 4)
C. Donald Martino A Set for Clarinet (first movement)
D. Olivier Messiaen Abyss of the Birds (complete)
E. Miklos Rozsa Sonatina op. 27 (first movement)
F. William O. Smith Five Pieces (choose between 1st, 3rd, or 5th piece plus 4th piece)
G. Igor Stravinsky Three Pieces (complete)
H. Heinrich Sutermeister Capriccio (complete)
Prepare all three of the following orchestral selections:
A. Beethoven Symphony No. 6
B. Mendelssohn A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Scherzo)
C. Rimsky-Korsakov Capriccio Espagnol
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None of this is stuff you can adequately prepare for in a month or two ... you need to start at least a year in advance. I've been there during the auditions - more than one came out sobbing, being unprepared for the entire audition or not being even close to the level of playing required.
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Author: Been through it.
Date: 2001-12-11 22:57
The NEC list you posted is correct as far as the published information. However, there has been a bit of confusion in the near past as to the extensive nature of the list and whether or not the department really meant to have it published by the admissions office. If I were you, I would contact Bill Wrzesien directly. He's the head of the Winds and Brass Dept and can confirm this list. I've a feeling that the list will stand as is, but you should certainly check first.
Also, the application deadline is either fast approaching or just past. In the future, you'll need to research these things in Oct. at the very latest. The repertoire, however, takes about 6 months to a year to prepare. Sorry for the bad news.
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Author: anna
Date: 2001-12-12 02:24
repertoire as in the audition pieces or as in all the major works that you have played?
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2001-12-12 06:18
sarah wrote:
>
> Are these for undergrad performance majors?
Yes. Grad level audition pieces are similar - but you're expected to be able to play them at a professional or near-professional level. I don't know about McGill, but NEC is a pretty demanding conservatory. Unfortunately their merit scholarships for clarinet perfoermance aren't very big.
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Author: Been through it.
Date: 2001-12-12 16:24
The scholarships at NEC seem to focus mainly on excellent cellists and pianists, with the occasional violist tossed in. However, merit scholarships combined with loans can easily make it affordable.
The grad audition list is similar with more excerpts and extra etudes, I believe.
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2001-12-12 22:09
As the father of a kid who was accepted at NEC - I say that their merit scholarships for clarinetists are pretty poor compared with other conservatories of similar caliber. They were the 2nd lowest of 6 schools that accepted my kid, and one of the highest in tuition costs. A fine school, but don't look for much financial help.
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Author: Been through it
Date: 2001-12-12 23:19
As the son of a father of a kid who attends school at NEC, I know that they do give money to some students occasionally. As at all schools (other than Curtis), the financial aid situation here is nowhere near where I would wish, but it is acceptable if the student is willing to combine a scholarship and a work-study position. As to what other conservatories are awarding their clarinetists, it's been a while since I've been through the mill, so I don't know. Remember, however, that there are fine schools besides MSM, NEC, Juilliard, and Curtis. Yale, USC, and Boston University (at which Craig Nordstrom (I think) and Tom Martin (I'm sure) also teach) all have fine clarinet faculties and quite a bit more money. With this, of course, come the trappings of a non-conservatory education ...Well, perhaps not trappings, but definitely diferences.
Of course, if anyone here is a Bill Gates-type willing to fund the educations of NEC's many students, we could certainly use your funds. Life at NEC is not perfect, but it's not exactly a money-pit if you play your cards right...
Also, there's always a chance to up the scholarship from year to year.
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2001-12-12 23:49
USC doesn't give much on merit, either, along with being very expensive.
Work-study is sometimes very hard to get, especially if the parents' income is too high to qualify for low-interest aid.
What I'm really whining about is the dearth oif woodwind money - much of the merit money goes to piano and violin, since they get the notice. When room, board and tuition exceed 30K/yr and all they can give is 5 or 6K in merit (if they really want the student), you're going to come out of school with a 100K debt minus what the parents can afford to put in.
For an engineer - the chances are you won't default on the loan.
As a musician ... you're going to need a lot of people to "supersize" that order ...
I'm supportive as can be of my kid, but it gets pretty scary fast!
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Author: been through it
Date: 2001-12-13 02:40
A wonderful thing about NEC is the rather large student worker program. We have both work-study and non-work-study positions available at all times during the year. There is never a time when every position in each category is filled. Of course, work study is preferable due to the fact hat some positions are work-study only while no positions are non-work-study only. If getting work study eligibility is impossible due to the gov't's limits, a hard working student can get through NEC if NEC is really the place they want to go. It's all a matter of how much a person is willing to work for what they want.
Back to the initial subject a bit: If one is attempting to audition for NEC, I would whole heartedly suggest taking a lesson with a teacher here well before the auditions. Also, go to an orchestra rehearsal or (if you have perfect timing on your trip) a clarinet recital. Come to think of it, that seems to be decent advice for darn near any school. In schools with limited space available (maybe 3 freshman this past year (alot for around here)), it's a bit difficult to make a cold audition in front of strangers. Good luck.
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Author: Sylvain
Date: 2001-12-13 14:56
Hi All,
I would like to send a little note on favor of canadian universities.
They are cheap compared to US schools!
As an international student you won't benefit from the special prices reserved to Canadians, but it ranges in the 7000-8000CAD per year a bargain compared to any college in the US.
And Montreal is a cheap place to live.
-S
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