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From: athousandstrats
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  • I am in 8th grade and looking forward to going to Berklee. I hope I can go there at least. I was just wondering if you could let me know more about call and response

  • Im a sophmore in High school and i want to go here pretty bad, but one thing i wanna know is , is there a set GPA you need to have and when you do the audition is it in Boston or somewhere else.Please reply !

  • during the auditions, do they give you a mic? or do you just sing with your voice?

  • QUESTION! For drum set do you have to sight read?!

  • very interesting... but... i'm not a performer, so is there any advise for composers? if anybody has an experience, please, respond!

  • @athousandstrats What did you use to practice sight reading? And what kind of song did they give to you? Also, what song did you play in yout audition? Thnx.

  • I GOT ACCEPTED :'D

  • Hey. Thanks for taking the time to post this video it's been very useful. Just one quick question, for the sight reading portion for the guitar, how was the piece presented - I'm just worried that, even though I've been playing for 6 years, that I won't be able to play it very well (As i've only ever played by ear, and occasionally tabs - I barely can read sheet music.)

    Thanks.

  • I just got accepted!!

  • do i have to sight read for my audition??

  • I JUST AUDITIONED IN LOS ANGELES AND IM IM WAITING FOR A LETTER. TELL ME PLEASE IS IT HARD TO GET IN THIS SCHOOL.? I REALLY WANT TO GET IN!!!

  • @DuaLeaD how did it go?

  • PLEASE ANSWER THIS QUESTION! Do you have to attend community college FIRST before you go to Berklee??? Is that true??

  • @MHidalgo8 Where did you hear THAT?? Haha, it's absolutely not true. You do need to graduate high school though.

  • @athousandstrats actually thats true i don't know if you're from boston or not but in boston if you get above a 2.5 in a community college you can transfer your credits to any 4 year college...

  • @MHidalgo8 yes it is true.

  • Hey man, I just wanted to thank you for posting this video. I have my audition in Febuary and your video has given me a clear insight into what (roughly) will be asked of me!

  • I sincerely appreciate your video and sound advice....My electric guitar audition is less than a month away and I am SO nervous....My buddy from Guitar Center used to go to Berklee. He told me I should "play it safe" and transcribe a famous rock solo. I believe I am just as much composer as an instrumentalist and if I'm to be judged, I would rather it be one of my original works than based on how well I rattle off someone else's solo. Would they respect a quality original piece?

  • @DuaLeaD PS: I am currently working on recording it in Pro Tools at my home seeing as it is an 80s-sounding rock anthem with multiple guitar tracks. I plan on auditioning playing one of the lead guitar lines against the backing track I've created....

  • I had my audition today! I was doing really good until I got to the sight reading part. I thought I did pretty well with my sight reading, but they didn't seemed pleased, so I really don't know what to think. Now I'm just hoping for the best!

  • Is it held in a room? On stage? are there amps ready? Is it just the judges watching or other applicants?? thanks!

  • Thank you. I truly mean it. I'm shitting bricks right now, I still need to finish applications and everything and set an audition, but I didn't I wasn't going to after all because of my lack of confidence. Now, thanks to you, I think I WILL sign up. I'm sitting here thinking, "I can do that" and I really just want you to know that I am eternally grateful for you AND your video.

  • Thank you so much for posting this! My audition is this Saturday and I have been petrified for the past few days. The way you described everything just made me feel so much more comfortable about my audition, so thank you!

  • PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE answer this! My audition is tomorrow! What to wear? i was gonna wear a dressy top and jeans! but what if they see jeans and automatically exile me!?!? lol

  • @courtneystar1207 Seriously? They would never take what you wear THAT seriously. Just try not to look like a slob. It doesn't hurt to look nice, but jeans aren't a dealbreaker.

  • Do they have the chords above the sheet music?

  • What do you wear to the audition? Mines december 10th

  • Good video.. thanks brother!

  • if your not a very experienced reader can still make it if i can do all the other stuff

  • wqhe you say "prepare a piece" you mean, write a song? or can i cover it?

  • @viniciuslennon Prepared piece means practiced piece. You can cover it, but I personally would find a classical piece that best describes you.

  • can you use 2 instruments at the audition??

  • hey, i have a question, I want to audition but I play the sax and I sing. I can read notes & improv. on the sax and I can improv & listen to sing by ear vocally. What instrument do you think I should choose?

  • @yiselcova whichever one you are better at

  • awww man berklee..what a dream !

  • @athousandstrats Hello my name is Xavier Flowers. I am 12 years old and in 7th grade. It is my dream to go to Berklee. It's such an awesome school! So I have a question. I just wanna make sure that this is right. If I go to Berklee I would like to major in either performance or performance artist. If i major in performance could I have two careers? (my two careers would be performing artist and theater artist).

  • how long is the improv part ?

  • could you do more than one song for the audition?

  • One more question please... It has an equal chances to get on audition in Turkey or America, or it's better to have audition in America? What's the difference?

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  • I was in Boston about two, three weeks ago on vacation, and there was this guy in Boston Common that had a guitar, and his case read "Berklee has all of my $. Help me out?" It was great. :)

    Good luck with your years there!

  • for guitar, all standard notation for auditions? or TABs too?

  • idk if ull read this, but do they look at your grades at all? i heard a rumor that they dont, and its all about your audition. if you could reply to this i would highly appreciate it

  • how long are the sight reading sheets? Like 2 treble cleff lines for guitar maybe? Or is it a whole sheet?

  • @TheBeatlesCom For guitar they're just a couple lines each. For vocalist you may be asked to sread a short piece with accompaniment.

  • @athousandstrats Is it very hard? From a scale to 1 - 10 how difficult would you say it is?

  • @TheBeatlesCom You can't just give it a number like that. It's different for every level of skill.

  • @athousandstrats Does berklee have good bussiness or teaching classes? Cause I don't want to go making music pretending I'm going to get famous, I want a good job to come out of it.

  • @TheBeatlesCom They give you 3 different examples of increasing difficulty

  • can u please tell me, can i sing my own song on audition?

  • @bibich90 Yes, you can do whatever song you want. Just make sure it showcases your talent. Sing what feel right to YOU, not what you think they want to hear.

  • @athousandstrats Thanks my friend! They didn't write this on their link, so I began to doubt you know... Ok, I'll sing it. Thanks a lot!

  • I'm so glad you made this video. I wish more people who've gotten into Berklee would make videos like this. I had an audition last year and I know this has helped me. I have another audition in a few months and I know that bombing my first audition has helped me prepare. To anyone auditioning or thinking of auditioning, good luck!!

    Play well :)

  • do i have to take my instrument with me? please!!! give me some email or somethin where i can talk with u! i need some other answers! please! and thanks for this video! (:

  • @athousandstrats, great video man. I have just two quick questions. if i go to the guitar audition and i don't get in, can i still apply and make the audition for the next semester or the next year? and also, to apply to music business and management or to production and engineering do i have to make the same audition as i would if i applied to a performance major?

  • WONDERFUL

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  • @Diana815DjDanger Did you not just watch this video..?

  • What major are you? CW&P?

  • hey man i would like to know how are my chances to win a scolarship at BCM ?? what should i know to enter?? (excuse my english im not an american and i probably have some mistakes jajaj ) :)

  • Hey man I really appreciate the tips and the info. I'm going to the 5-week summer program in two weeks and I'm really looking forward to actually auditioning and going to school there.. So, your video made me feel more confident about when I audition. Thanks a ton!

  • Could anyone give me some tips? I'm audition this year, and I want to go for MBM... I don't know if I'm good enough... :( I'm not a jazz musician, and my sight reading isn't all that good....

  • It doesn't matter if you're not a jazz musician. And just try to bush up on sight reading as much as you can, but sight reading isn't a make-or-break factor in your audition.

  • What happens if its impossible to attend the audition (all the way in Boston)? Will our chance to get into the school decrease if we just send our audition through video or something??

  • @kimberley12561 The auditions travel to different cities all over the country and the world. You don't have to do it in Boston. But you can't audition via video.

  • @athousandstrats just to let you know (from personal experience) they took most other cities off the audition site list. i live in Green Bay, WI and would have loved to audition in chicago but i have to travel to boston for the spring 2012 auditions. just fyi :D

  • I really want to thank you for taking a time to do this, it was pretty helpfull man (:

  • if you have perfect pitch, does that help?

  • @MMAFreak01 yeah, it should help a lot with the ear parts

  • @MMAFreak01 Possibly, as long as you audition well :)

  • Question what if you have not developed your abilities and thats the reason you want to attend the school to learn how to sing or play instruments. Also what if you are interested in music management and marketing do you have to audition for that?

  • @DimebagsLeftToe yea man, it really suxed, but i just wasnt taking my academics seriously in my senior year and was focusing more with music...lucky I did get acceped at another school called columbia chicago that has a really good music department, and is another really great school if you want to go into music or any other artistic major

  • can you go to berklee for drums

  • Thanks for your help. Appreciate this video. Hopefully I'll see you there! :)

  • for my audition what i did was i created my own peice which was a fusion of jazz, blues, funk and what i did was I showed my knowledge of jazz chords and solo techniques...i also practiced improving, learning chords and names, and site reading...unfortunately i did not get accepted into berklee, but is was not because of my audition...when i called emissions they said i that i got in with my audition and i was in the top ten, but what killed me was my high school grades in english and spanish

  • @MrBill876543 what the hell? seriously? you didnt get in because of academics from high school? top ten???

  • What is the story with costs does anyone know? Would you have to be really rich to go to Berklee or do they take people of all wealth into account?

  • Accepted for FALL 2011 :] see you guys there!

  • hi, I was thinking about trying out for music production at berkee. Do you know if there are any requirements for the audition other than the ones for a regular instrument? Thanks

  • I just got accepted for Fall 2011! :D Hey is there any chance I could chat to you in mail? I'm from Ireland and would love to know more about life there! Just wondering as well, did you get the scholarship? Cheers, Louise

  • @Realteen

    Louise! okay I saw that you commented on my youtube channel and I couldn't figure out a way to respond to you.. but here!

    I got in as well :D Fall of 2011... BERKLEE CLASS OF 2015!

  • Thanks man, that was very helpful. Does your prepared piece have to be a capella? And if not would you recommend playing something as well as singing to demonstrate versatility?

  • DUDE this was awesome! im really glad i got my peace of mind from this vid. im a sophomore in highschool, and i intend on auditioning for bass guitar at Berkelee. Any more advice? thanks so much!

  • wow! that was sooo helpful!!

    thank you so much!!(:

  • hey :) this video was actually really helpful... I watched it a couple of days ago and had my audition today; it worked out really well :) hopefully I'll be coming to Berklee in the fall!

  • dude that was sooo helpful. lol but ill be auditioning for vocals

  • Thanks, this is really helpful! One question, though; is it possible to audition on a whole bunch of instruments instead of just one?

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  • hi thx i'm also auditioning for berklee as well (vocal)... do u have song suggestions for people to practice the improv part? I know Berklee has online practice materials, but i was wondering if u know any specific style that they use geared towards vocalists. Oh, btw, so u had to do one prepared piece, one sigh reading song, and one improv song, followed by some ear training call and response?

  • Hey that really helped ! Thanks ! :)

    I have my auditions in 2 weeks ! 0.o

  • @surf982 I don't see how that percentage even matters. It's up to each of the students, and I think that getting into Berklee (with enough financial aid) is enough reason to do your best and graduate with no problems.

  • @surf982 play whatever you feel most comfortable playing. Not too difficult, way out of your league, and not too easy either. Don't play that song just because it's classical.

  • are you gay?

    

  • @leparditas Does it matter?

  • @athousandstrats no...but it just seems so.

  • @leparditas I guess we'll never know :)

  • @athousandstrats awww He wants to flirt with you, but its too scared to just do it~! :P

  • Hi. I was wondering if we are allowed to audition with two instruments like playing piano while singing at the same time?

  • @luujoh I would like to know this too!

    Exe: Guitar and singing....

  • @luujoh yeah you are! Im playing piano and singing, agh im nervous

  • @buggy627 Thanks for the reply. well, i wish you the best of luck! ive got about one more year, so im gonna practice a lot for sure!

  • @luujoh thanks so much! you have plenty of time! My audition is tomorrow D:

  • I really want to audition (with piano), but i don't think my teacher thinks i'm good enough...

    and i'm pretty much only allowed to learn classical music...

    any advice? :(

  • @mr5quidward Haha, and you couldn't even get that one right.

  • @athousandstrats I love You tube hate :)

  • @mr5quidward youre a dick

  • thanks. i think you covered exactly the information i was looking for

  • do you need to do an  audition before you can enter/join berklee..

    because they told me something else...

  • @TheMagnumGuitar Yes. They consider EVERY applicant for an audition date to see who you are as a musician and see how you play, what you play, and if you can play. As athousandstrats said, they look for raw potential and what they can do with it. I myself am going to an audition in February and I am nervous to say the least. I really think I'll do fine, but it never hurts to practice practice practice. :D Good luck Magnum.

  • @Ricoshr3d thank you good luck!

    i don't practice when i'm bored.. i'm bored when i don't practice ;)

  • @TheMagnumGuitar Haha exactly!! :D

  • thank you for posting this is very helpful

  • did you receive any scholarship money?

  • So you attend Berklee? I am as well! I start in January what year are you?

  • Hey, i have a question. How often do they give out partial scholarships/financial aid?

  • Hey thanks so much dude! :) Hope to see you there next year.

  • hey man im a guitar player but unfortunately right now i got a 2,0 cum gpa. what are my chances u think? how important are grades to berklee?

  • @CMPCKELLY

    Fairly important. They want to know you're going to actually do what you're told in the book classes. So start studying and boost your grades. Prove you can do what you're told to do in class and can do it well.

  • What do you think of using "Falling Slowly" by The Frames as an audition piece (on piano)? I'm arranging my own version, but my mother thinks the piece is a "first-grader's" piece, so I'm getting frustrated.

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  • hey thanks you really did help me:) now i know what to work on during the summer before the audition:) hey just keep posting if theirs any thing else i ned to know about berkle thank you!!!!

  • Seems like a really nice dorm

  • so exactly what are u majoring in now?

  • thank you for the video! im from taiwan,

    i really had no idea with what the test of the audition that the music school's doing,

    and your video did help me , thanks!

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  • Thanks buddy, hopefully i'll see you there in a year..... im more scared everyday for that audition!!!!

  • I love the change of facial expression btwn. clips lol

  • I am supposed to attend berklee in the spring and i was wondering how much the first simester actually cost they dont give an exact ammount or even close to one?

  • So i'm lookin to get into berklee on guitar, I'm just wondering what the level of sight reading and playback is at?

  • I really need an opinion from an actual student. Please help. I love music so much and i would love to do it as a carreer for the rest of my life. I think i could get into berklee but like, what can i do with a music education? What are you planning on doing after you graduate cause to me it's a huge amazing risk but i don't want to spend money on an out of state college to possibly end up jobless after graduation. please please help. thank you!

  • @GrantTheeGreat finding a job is the least of your worries especially after berklee. graduating should be your number 1 priority if you get in

  • @laccrosseshane do you have to get in with talent though? like what about all of those majors in music engineering and such? do you still have to audition with your talent to get in if that's all you really want to major in?

  • @GrantTheeGreat I am applying for music engineering and yes you still need to audition. Although it is not as important you need to demonstrate an understanding of your instrument but your talent is not as important as your actual application if you are applying for music technology. While you are taking production classes, you will still have music classes however i am not sure which particular classes are required. Keep in mind that the acceptance rate is 80%

  • For the improv section do you get to choose what type of music you can improve (funk, jazz, rock, etc..)? Im going to be auditioning on electric bass

  • How did you not get accepted with a Guthrie Govan song? Did you stretch for something way above your ability?

    That seems daunting!

  • @DjembeSauce I did decently with the GG tune, but the rest of the audition wasn't fantastic...

  • Do you have to be able to play more than one instrument at berklee? And is electric guitar aloud?

  • I wanna be a music engineer and later on own a recording studio. Is Berklee the school for me? Or should I do option B which is a normal university and major in music business.

  • jazz blues? or standard 12 bar?

  • are they opposed to playing guitar and singing in a guitar audition for a prepared piece.... like a folk/alternative song. cause im less into just instrumental stuff.

  • So, I just applied to Berklee and I was just wondering how could I prepare for the improvisation. I know they some stuff on the website but I just don't know how to go about it. I play French Horn and I don't really know how be "jazzy" and what not. I'm suuuper nervous.

  • so for sight reading, they just give you something to do?

  • ya...what??? keep postin shit head...Oh ya I like the post office better...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz­zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz­zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz­zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz­zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz­zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz­zzz

  • @NancyPizzotti What?

  • @athousandstrats

    Nothing...still sick an re-cooperating...it's OK...went to See some friends play @ Tryst lasnight sooo...shhhhhhhhhhhh I gotta go OK...carry on an have a BLAST a Berklee 1990. shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh quiet now...go practice sometin....I don't talk so much OK....Thank you Sir...

  • Great video. A couple questions: does the sight-reading for guitar consist of only single notes or does it also have some stacked chords? And for the prepared piece, do you just pick a song you really like and play it? And I'm guessing you get a backing track ready too?

  • @dlguitarmaster7 For the sight reading there is single note melodies and there is also reading chord charts. As for the prepared piece, choose one that shows off you ability best. You might have an accompanist for your audition but I would advise bringing a backing track.

  • @athousandstrats so basically i youtubed "berklee auditions" which was how i found this video. does my prepared piece need to be at the caliber of some of these 5 star videos i'm seeing, like matias? and what type of chords will i see on the sight reading? thanks!

  • @dlguitarmaster7 I dont think he even goes to berklee, honestly. And no, the level of talent is very spread out. I know people much better than him but also much worse.

  • im doing my voice audition in november and im so affraid oof!!..

    could you please help me with some advices...?

  • @analuciavargas93 Hahaha, what do you think this video was for??

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  • you have to fucking sing? ..fuck

  • @TheThim51 yea believe it or not, singing is one of the main ways that they'll test your aural abilities.........sounds lame though

  • @TheThim51 Not necessarily. They may ask you too, but usually it's just playing it back on whatever instrument you audition with. If that is voice, however, then yes you will have to sing :P haha

  • Do you think that they would stop you if you play a three or four minute piece for your audition? Thanks!

  • @GuitarPlayer161 Probably not, but too much longer than 4 might be pushing it.

  • My audition was yesterday. I feel it could have gone a little better. I played a short song to show what skill level i was at and then i played my actual piece which was Imagine. What sucked was i couldn't finish it. They stopped me, i guess they heard enough but i didnt get to play my improvised part of the song. The sigh reading didnt go that smooth. The improx was good. Oh well, hopefull everything goes well!!!

  • why do u think you didnt make it for guitar?

  • @mikesheldon15859 I can't answer for him, but it's probably only because SO MANY people try to get in for guitar each year