I was fortunate enough to nourish Berklee College of Music which definitely changed my life and career as a musician. I get asked a lot of questions about the audition procedure and I've helped dozens of students ace their audition. Keep in listen that the tips listed below can admittedly apply to whatsoever audition, for any music schools or bands.

How To Ace Your Berklee Audition

Preparation

Preparing for your audience is crucial. It will obviously affect your acceptance merely will also impact the amount of scholarship you'll get. Almost students would not exist able to afford the tuition ($20,000 a semester these days) just luckily Berklee awards $47 million every year in scholarship, mostly merit-based.

If you are an international pupil, you won't be able to access federal help. Your entering scholarship volition exist your main assistance, that's why you actually desire to be prepared for your audition.

I highly recommend auditioning in person as it will be a great practice for your music career. Berklee holds auditions at least in one case a twelvemonth in most major countries. If you live too far or if the timing is non right, yous tin besides audience online.

Y'all should absolutely take a lesson with an alumni (similar me!) or even a kinesthesia member several months before the audition. A recent alumni volition exist able to walk you lot through the audition requirements and give you an honest stance on your chances.

The Audition

Be prepared to await but show upwardly in advance since that'south a good for you habit to accept. If you're on time, yous're late. 99% of success in life comes from just showing up according to wikipedia.

They will let yous warm upward in an adjacent room fifteen minutes before your time slot but I would suggest warming upward beforehand. The best thing yous can do during this time is go through the sight reading exercises and do a light and slow warm up. Information technology's too tardily to practice and no need to stress your body.

  • I would highly recommend doing some breathing exercises, as they are an amazing style to lower stage fright.

The prepared piece

The prepared piece is the about of import part of the audition. Why? With plenty preparation you can make a great first impression. It's the perfect opportunity to showcase many of your skills at one time.

You should attempt to striking as many "checkboxes" as possible. Here'south what I did:

I auditioned for drums, then I transcribed a pulsate solo past Brian Blade (on the song Jazz Crimes by Joshua Redman) and played it on top of the original. In 5 minutes, I was able to showcase that:

  • I knew how to read and write circuitous music

  • I knew how to transcribe music

  • I have some agreement of the history and codes of jazz music

  • I knew how to play with a band (playing on top of a jazz tape, especially a drum solo, is non easy)

  • I have some caste of technique and musicality

Turns out, that album was ane of the jury's favorite. That'south 100 points to Gryffindor.

All of the above-mentioned points volition absolutely delight your jury since you are auditioning for Berklee Higher of Jazz. Your level of musicianship at the school will be evaluated through that perspective.

That existence said, every way of music is represented at the school. If jazz is not your thing, I would not recommend forcing yourself to audition in that manner, unless you lot prepare several months in advance. Instead, you lot should focus on your strengths and find a piece that all-time showcase your musicianship.

  • Feel free to use a bankroll rails, I find that information technology helps alleviate stage-fright and it'south merely more than fun if you play a rhythm section instrument

  • Continue in mind that your audition will exist extremely curt. Y'all need to make a nifty outset impression as information technology will affect the remainder of the audition.

After the prepared piece

After the prepared piece, the jury will ask a serial of questions and test your overall knowledge of music. This function will slightly differ regarding the instrument yous play but there are some commonalities:

  • Perform various Scales (for melodic instruments)

  • Play dissimilar Rudiments and Grooves (for drummers)

The specifics will depend on your prepared piece. Once once again, the audience is extremely short and yous want to set the bar as loftier equally possible. The jury will get a good grasp of your musicianship and will accommodate their questions to your level.

As you can encounter from the list above, theory and harmony are important but not required. The more than you know and the more prepared y'all are, the better.

For drum gear up, the jury is likely to ask you to play the following:

  • Samba, Bossa-nova, Merengue and other latin rhythms

  • 12/8 Afro-Cuban and other african rhythms

All of those at different tempi and time-signatures. In my example, they also incorporated some improvisation in the examples above, such as iv bars of groove and iv bars of solo.

Here's a practiced tutorial on latin grooves from Drumeo. I frequently find that it is a mutual weak area for most drummers.

I was besides asked to play quintuplets at a specified tempo, gauge what intervals were played on the piano and sing dorsum a couple melodies.

Basically they will keep testing you until y'all don't know the respond or cannot play information technology. That'southward why your prepared piece is of import: it will set up the bar for the residue.

The Interview

Do not underestimate the interview, especially if english language is not your commencement language.

Be prepared to answer some questions such every bit "What makes yous desire to go to Berklee?", "What makes you dissimilar from other applicants?", "What could y'all offer Berklee?" or the classic question "What's your story?"

  • I would suggest practicing those questions and many other common interview questions. Record yourself answering them or even practice with a friend

You should absolutely familiarize yourself with the school through their website beforehand. Think about what major you are interested in and the teachers you'd want to learn from. At that place are over a k different classes you tin can have at that place.

Here are the official audience guidelines from Berklee. I would also propose checking out the Complete Grade for Berklee Drum Prepare Audition by John Ramsay.

Hope this article was useful, if yous ever need help preparing for a drums audition don't hesitate to accomplish out!