May 27, 2006 at 1:46 AM

I also have been quiet in terms of blogging recently, because so much has happened! I had a really busy week, and I haven't been home since Monday. Here's what it looked like:

Monday morning, my mom and I took a train to New York for my Juilliard Pre-College auditon. I definitely prefer trains to flying now. They're a whole lot easier to get on, and just more pleasant. So we got to our hotel and dumped our stuff, but then we had to go over to Juilliard right away so I could take my theory and solfege placement auditions. I haven't really taken any theory before, but wasn't worried, I figured I could just be in the beginner class. And I didn't really have any idea what solfege was, but again I thought I would just be with other beginners. I took my theory test first, and I could only do a little bit. It's fine, though, the theory teacher said I would be fine in the first class. Then I went into my solfege test, and the solfege teacher asked me to do a bunch of things, most of which I don't remember but for example, he would play a fifth, and then, depending on whether he wanted the chord to be major, minor, augmented or diminished, I had to tell him which note would go in the middle. Stuff like that. I kind of guessed my way through all of it, but when I was finished he said, "I'm going to put you in class 3+. That means that, if you get in, you'll be taking level three classes, but if you feel like it's too easy then you can move up to four." I thought that was really weird since I didn't even know what solfege was until I walked into the building!

So that evening I had my rehearsal with the accompanist. Juilliard provided three, I think they were all graduate students. At least mine was. He was very nice, and I was glad to have him because it gave me an inside scoop of the auditions, for example he said that the judges don't like it when the pianist plays the tutti's for too long. So we cut them as a short as possible, and then we went out and took advantage of the restaurants in New York where you can waltz in and get a table without waiting. The next morning I got up early and warmed up. I think I was the very first violin audition of the year, certainly the first of the morning. The weird thing was, I wasn't nervous at all. Not even a tiny bit! I think it was too early for me to be nervous...*yawn*. I'm definitely not a morning person. I think that it went really well. I started with the second movement of the Bruch, which they heard a few lines of. Then they asked for the third movement, which I played about a page and a half of, then they asked for the Bach, which I played about two pages of. My teacher, Catherine Cho, was one of the judges, and there were about seven other people that I didn't know. Anyway, I felt it went really well. After the audition, we ran back to the hotel, checked out, and jumped on a train to Boston!

To Be Continued...

From Elizabeth Chavez
Posted on May 27, 2006 at 2:57 AM

Wow, that's so exciting!! =]

From Colleen Russo
Posted on May 27, 2006 at 4:21 AM

CAELI! why is it when we talk , its always about dumb things like my head hurting(lol) and we dont talk about important things like this!!! hahaha i swear for like month ive been like "whens the audition!?" and then it happens and goes great and you dont even mention it until now...?? hehe... but YAY!!!!! I knew you'd do great! :D What did you do in Boston?

From Colleen Russo
Posted on May 27, 2006 at 4:24 AM

Oh and you'll have to verify this one with EvilLinda, but im pretty sure solfege stuff is related to evilness... so with out even knowing it Linda probably prepared you for it with all of your apprentice training!!! So really you were already a pro to start with! ;)

From Pauline Lerner
Posted on May 27, 2006 at 6:19 AM

I'm glad you did so well, Caeli. Congratulations.

From Sydney Menees
Posted on May 27, 2006 at 9:26 AM

Great, Caeli!

From Charlie Caldwell
Posted on May 27, 2006 at 1:49 PM

wow, that must be exciting.

From Jasmine Lewis
Posted on May 27, 2006 at 3:02 PM

that sounds like fun! next year, i will be auditioning on viola(but not for the pre-college division!).

From Linda Lerskier
Posted on May 28, 2006 at 11:58 AM

Sounds like it went well.

No, no Colleen, Bob Bushels prepared her for solfege.

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