The Entrance Audition

At 1:00pm CST, I was in a rush: finishing doing my hair, deciding what necklace to wear, and cleaning my glasses was on my mind — I wanted to see clearly and for others to see my eyes and not clouds in front of them. All of this was atop my nerves which were just bouncing to their own rhythm. I eventually got out the door and began on the road at 1:08pm CST. It wasn't until 1:16pm that I checked-in.

I was then shown the piano practice rooms and warmed up until 1:40pm, when I ventured to the Aural Skills Diagnostics Exam room. During this exam, I had to voice four different rhythmic patterns to a certain tempo. Then, I was given a certain pitch, had to sing it, then find it on the piano. Lastly, I was given a certain pitch and had to sight read four melodies, with the starting pitch being the given. I passed this area easily. I know because I did not have to sing a familiar tune such as "Mary Had a Little Lamb."

I was out of that part fifty minutes before the next part so I had time to kill. I encountered a professor I had last semester. Do I ever adore her! She introduced me to several other professors and to some Piano Performance majors and minors. I ended up chatting with other college students, the music majors and minors, and snacking on free food and drink until 10 minutes before my Piano Audition.

I made it outside the audition room's doors 5 minutes before I was to audition. I heard someone playing some piece IMPECCABLY. It was beautiful. Then the music stopped and a man, a professor, by the name of Eli Kalman. We talked for what seemed like several minutes. The vibes and energies were absolutely amazing in the room. It was just me and him in the music hall at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.

I proceeded with my audition, first playing "A Little Fall of Rain" then playing "Beethoven: Piano Sonata #13 In E Flat, Op. 27/1, "Quasi Una Fantasia" - 2. Allegro Molte E Vivace". Afterwards, Eli Kalman said to me, "you have potential" and he went on to say that even if I didn't make it into the music program, he would be happy to mentor me in Piano. I was in the highest of spirits after this. I went to the music majors and minors who knew Eli Kalman in some form or way and they said that I'd definitely get in.

Soon it became 3:30pm CST and I was in the Music Theory Diagnostics Exam room. I filled out a brief questionnaire and proceeded with the rest of my audition. The only thing I didn't know fully were my triads. Besides that I knew everything else on that exam. I left the exam and traveled to my car, in a very happy mood. I turned the volume off of the music in the car, so I could bask in my elatedness.

It is 10:58pm CST now and I'm still happy...I am still confident that I made it.