8 Things I wish I knew when applying for a composition degree!
By Delfin Demiray
1. Looking for Portfolios of students is a lot more beneficial than portfolios of teachers.
When it comes to getting to know the school you’re applying to, most composers look for the works of the teachers to get an idea of the school. But sometimes, it’s a useful trick to see the students’ works and see their approaches. Are the students’ styles of composition very different from each other? Or are their styles similar? Something to think about!
2. I don't have to figure out what I want to do or who I want to be. I'll be getting an education to find that out!
Most students always think that they have to be perfect to get into a school. In most cases, that is not true, an educational institution looks for the people with questions, rather than answers. Don’t worry about being perfect, be what you are, and there are always going to be people that recognize you for it!
3. Having an online persona is very important!
For a school to get to know you better, try to represent your ideas, your opinions, and your style on topics as much as possible; if that means having no online persona at all, by all means!
4. The things that may not feel as important as the audition process might be more important.
The CV/Portfolio must look good and simple, and try to integrate your personality into those kinds of materials not just through the text but the way it looks (the picture of you, the colors of the text, etc.)
5. If you don't get in, it's fine!
There's always time to try again. Most auditions are based on the number of openings, the different expectations that are set on the student profile, and being at the right place at the right time. Treat all the negatives and positives as experience! There’s always going to be a group of people recognizing your style for what it is.
6. Meeting with the teacher before it does not lower or increase your chances of getting into a school.
Of course, someone knowing who you are might help in some cases, but things will work out according to your audition process. For example, many people got into schools without knowing any of the teachers at all, and some didn’t even though the faculty knew them.
7. Try not to treat the audition as a race, but as an experience- and beneficial feedback from the outside world.
Most of the time it is a great way to find out what the schools think of things, mostly they have distinctly different views on things! You’ll realize that there’s a wide variety of opinions and education styles, and taking to risk to get to know those perspectives will be extremely helpful in the shape of things.
8. It's the little things that matter: try to be open to critics during the audition and don't be afraid to ask questions- without taking too much time of course.
Everybody would always appreciate a student respectful of the faculty’s time and opinions. Try your best to listen to the advice that is given to you during your audition process!
Delfin Demiray is a composer from Türkiye currently studying at the Curtis Institute of Music (BM ‘27). Learn more about her and her music at https://www.delfindemiray.com/.