College Applications and Auditions for Composers

Students who are interested in studying composition in college need to make the most of their junior year by assembling a portfolio of their work for college applications. As of this writing most schools in the United States have application deadlines of November (early admit) and December 1^st (regular admit). This means September and October of their senior year should be spent in the application process (essays, forms, gathering financial information, etc.) and choosing and organizing the pieces they will include in their portfolios. Fast writers may compose a piece during these two months but doing so causes a great deal of tension and stress. Remember that there needs to be time to make a recording if your plans include live recordings.

Junior and Senior Year Preparation.The focus of high school juniors must be on portfolio development. Most college programs will require the submission of three to five works in the audition process. Begin by taking stock of composed pieces and identify those suitable for inclusion in the portfolio. Next, determine what is missing. Student work should vary in instrumentation and ensemble size. Small works typically feature one to three performers, medium four to eight, and works requiring nine or more performers are considered large. Works for band, chorus, and/or orchestra are usually not required. Most collegiate composition faculty would prefer a stronger set of smaller pieces, well-composed and edited than a large ensemble work that does not highlight a composer’s knowledge and strengths.

During the senior year, students turn their focus to the application process. Ideally, they are not creating new materials, but revising scores, looking at the graphic layout, and reworking anything they decide to edit. If live recordings are available, even if flawed, submit them. MIDI is acceptable, too, so this should not be a point of stress for students. As mentioned, some students will want to compose one more piece, but I do not usually recommend this due to time constraints unless they are very quick writers. For students who study with me only their senior year, I focus on helping them understand there is not time to compose, edit, and potentially rehearse and record an entire portfolio from September until November. Their portfolios should be a collection of works from across multiple years. This shows growth but also relieves the pressure of composing everything within a two or three month timeframe.

Schools and Auditions.At this point, it is important to talk with your students about what schools are right for them. If they are anything like my students, they want to attend a few “name brand” schools. However, they need to consider other factors. Talk with them about what makes them most happy as an artist—what creates artistic inspiration for them? I have them consider not only the program offered at the school, but also the following: big city versus small town; large versus small studio; near versus far from home; ease of getting their music performed at that school. At the beginning of the school year, ask them to think about all of this for a few weeks and then begin having conversations about specific schools that fit all their interests.

With focus now on the schools that will be a good fit, make a list of things to do during the audition visit. Examples might include:
- Talk to students currently in attendance at the school. Ask: How easy it is to get performers for your pieces? Are student performers excited to be part of new music? What is the composition studio like? Do you enjoy working with the faculty?

- Pay attention to the interactions with faculty both in email and in person. Do you feel inspired by these people? Are you comfortable with them in your audition?

- Research the music faculty prior to the visit. The best composition teachers are not going to teach you to compose like them, but if you enjoy their music then you know you can be inspired by them in some way.

Finally, have composition students practice talking about their music. The more students do this, the more ready they will be to describe and discuss it using the solid music vocabulary they have learned. Put seniors on the spot in a friendly environment, using one work they have chosen themselves. Studio mates or classmates ask questions, and the composer responds. While this process will not address every question an auditioning committee might ask, it does alleviate the fear of an unfamiliar process for my students. Everything they have practiced in my studio: adjusting confidence, learning to edit, the daily discipline of compositional craft, the composition challenge, score study, and recognizing personal challenges will give them the ability to discuss their music in an empowered and knowledgeable way.

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