My US audition adventure: second stop – New York
In my previous two blog posts you can find an overview of my preparations for the auditions and the first experience I had in Boston. Today I invite you to go along the second part of my trip: New York.
THE ARRIVAL
I left Boston on a bright sunny day, which uplifted my state of mind in such a way I felt ready to take on any challenge. Good thing indeed, because I arrived at the bus station in the midst of rush hour.
I would like to formally apologize to all people whose toes were smashed by my 16 kg suitcase that day.
Anyway, arriving at Port Authority is a bit chaotic the first time, so I’ll give you a few quick tips:
– If you plan to do everything with public transport, always take a 7 day unlimited Metro Card pass, even if you’re only in NY for three days.
– During rush hours there’s a local and an express train on the same track: local trains stop at every station, express trains don’t, so pay close attention to the announcements and the screens. The easiest place to spot the type of train is on the first carriage, so try to get a glimpse when it arrives.
I also had a very helpful host, who explained exactly how to arrive at the apartment, so there was no way I could mess up.
Fun fact when I reached the surface again: I was greeted with snow! From a gorgeous sunny day to snow in about 5 hours, it gave something magical to the experience.
THE BALANCE BETWEEN PREPARING AND GETTING INSPIRED
It’s no secret NYC is called the city that never sleeps, but being there for an audition, l had to make sure I slept enough. So even though there were many more things to do during the ten days I spent there, I tried to find the right balance between preparing and getting inspired.
PRACTICE
If you’re a pianist and about to audition in New York, you can always study at Absolute Piano* in Brooklyn. You can practice on any silent piano of your choosing for $5 an hour. They provide you with headphones and are open Tuesday – Sunday from 12.00 am – 06.00 pm. So, that’s the first place I went to. The girl who worked there turned out to be a student at MSM, where I was about to audition, but I only figured that out by the end of my trip. Note to self: talk more to people, especially in piano stores.
One day, I also practiced at Steinway Hall. This actually occurred after my audition at MSM. The store has a secluded room with a Steinway model O – gorgeous instrument! – where you can play for as long as you like. Since I was only there for one time, I can’t say if they’d let you study there regularly…but you should definitely drop by at least once.
*for more information, you can visit their website: http://www.absolutepianony.com/
THINGS TO DO OUTSIDE
I had to make sure I remained within my budget and thanks to a little research and mainly good weather I had a wonderful time exploring New York in the open. Here are some very budget-friendly things I did and would recommend:
Central Park
I know it’s a total cliché, but it’s a cliché you should definitely set foot in at least once! I regularly paid this place a visit to eat, rest or even read my scores on a bench or rock. On my last day, I also walked its full length, from 110th Street to 59th: really nice! Oh, and do try the Wafels & Dinges near the Museum of Natural History: di-vine 😉
Lincoln Center Plaza
Most of the excitement is mainly inside the buildings that are circling this plaza of course, but it’s one hell of a magical place to eat a homemade turkey salad. At night it’s even more spectacular, with the lights and the words that are lit on the steps. I definitely felt the artistic vibes all over.
Times Square
By day, by night, it doesn’t matter: it vibrates all the time. No place to peacefully enjoy your lunch or dinner, but you’re in the right spot if you’re looking for an overload of impulses. Lots of opportunities to spend a ridiculous amount of money though, so be careful not to be tempted too much.
If you wander around a bit, you can easily reach Bryant Park (there’s an awesome bookstore called Kinokuniya here, definitely worth a visit!), see the Chrysler building from afar, pay a visit to Rockefeller Center…Plenty to do.
Manhattan Bridge and Brooklyn Bridge
One of my favorite memories of my trip here was the day I walked over Manhattan Bridge to practice and returned to Manhattan via Brooklyn Bridge. If you’re lucky with the weather: go ahead and do this! You can skip Manhattan Bridge though, this isn’t very touristy or special to walk over, but Brooklyn Bridge is worth your time and effort. Extra fun if you pick up a glorious Mexican bowl at a food truck and eat it while sitting on the construction.
The center of the bridge allowed me my first glance at Lady Liberty and also gave me the idea to do the next item on this list.
Staten Island Ferry
While this ferry won’t take you to Lady Liberty herself, it does allow you to have a closer look. Plus it’s completely free!
I took this ferry at night, which gave a breathtaking view of the city lights. I didn’t wander through Staten Island itself though, because I thought it unwise to just walk about alone at that hour without knowing where I’d go. Nevertheless, NYC skyline by night is definitely impressive.
CONCERTS, SHOWS AND MUSEUMS
There was a ridiculous amount of things to choose from, so I made my decisions based on date, price and level of interest. If you plan on doing some museums: be sure to check their free or discount days. Other than that: order your seats and enjoy the ride!
Juilliard Orchestra with Jeffrey Milarsky and Alice Ivy-Pemberton @ Alice Tully Hall
The first gig I attended just had to be at Lincoln Center. I chose this one over the New York Philharmonic, because I figured I wanted to hear students – being here to audition and all – even though I wasn’t auditioning at the Juillard School itself.
It was an amazing concert: expressive, energetic and played with devotion and it gave me the exact result I had hoped for. Positive energy all over the place!
The program consisted of Ma Mère l’Oye by Ravel, Boris Godunov – A Symphonic Synthesis by Mussorgsky and John Corigliano’s Violin Concerto (the Red Violin) with young violinist Alice Ivy-Pemberton.
John Lithgow – Stories by Heart @ American Airlines Theatre
When I got hold of a ticket for this show, I can’t tell you how much of a lucky bastard I felt. Seeing such a world class actor like John Lithgow perform live made me realise how similar all acts, concerts and shows are. His endless energy, exaggeration of emotions and characters, way to pause, manner of seizing attention…my dad used to tell me: “playing a concert equals three lessons”. Well, attending a performance by such a phenomenal artist also does its fair share!
Tierney Sutton Band @ Birdland
Oh, what a treat this was! I somehow arrived at Birdland by accident around 6 pm and had no idea who was going to play that night. Good thing I sticked around, because this was one of the most awesome sets I have ever heard in my life so far. A mix between standards and songs by Sting in very cool, signature-like arrangements. As a singer, I admired Tierney’s clear voice and exquisite technique, especially for scatting. As a pianist, I was very impressed by the solos and accompany method by Christian Jacob. No surprise I bought one of the band’s cd’s afterwards and asked for their autographs like a true fan. If you’re fond of jazz, do look them up!
Leonard Bernstein Exhibition @ New York Public Library
In honor of the 100th anniversary of one of the greatest musicians that ever lived, NYPL curated a free exhibition together with GRAMMY Museum. Seeing his handwriting on class notes and original scores, reading about his extraordinary accomplishments and watching video excerpts of his recordings reminded me how much of a genius this guy was. I guess it’s time to study some of his compositions next 🙂
Brooklyn Flea Market
The day after my audition, I decided it was time to spend my money on some stuff instead of events. There’s a ton of flea markets, but this one was most convenient for me and turned out to be worth the trip. From total junk to overpriced handmade products and everything in between: imagine it and you will find it. I found two very old LP’s by Erroll Garner I could add to my dad’s collection and a cool gift for my sister’s birthday: time and money well spent!
Jazz vocal workshop with Marion Cowings @ Smalls Jazz Club
Of all the experiences I encountered, this was probably the coolest. I came across this workshop while searching for jazz clubs and just couldn’t say no to this opportunity. I have to say, attending a master class in a jazz club is a vibe on its own. We were about 9 singers in total and started off with scat rounds on a blues in F. Then the teacher came around and showed his magic, after which he invited us one at a time to sing a song with the band. I learned more about taking control when stepping on stage and captivate the audience with my lyrics in those fifteen minutes than I did on jazz camp. The organiser also participated in the master class and turned out to be one hell of a lyricist: definitely an ear-opener!
Museum of Natural History
One of the classics and really affordable. While the dinosaurs are the big attraction and really cool to see, I was more stunned by the section about the universe and the planets. If you’re in the city with family or friends, this is a great way to spend your day. To me however, this was the first place on my whole trip where I felt a bit lonely, so despite all the interesting facts, I was glad to be outside in the sunshine again.
AUDITION DAY
Other than NEC, auditioning at MSM took a full day. All international students had to take an English assessment test – all subjects related to music – consisting of three parts: listening, reading and writing. Then there was a separate interview where I had to summarize a short text, explain meanings of very unfamiliar words and basically show I was capable of expressing myself in English.
Since my audition was at 6.30 pm that day, I planned all the tests as early as possible so I could warm-up in the afternoon. The wonderful advantage were the practice rooms: there was no time-limit and if you wandered around a bit, there was always an empty room to be found.
On one of my scouts for a practice room, I accidentally bumped into the teacher I had contacted the day before. We had a chance to talk briefly and even though she was not part of my audition committee, I somehow felt reassured because we got along so well.
Making my way to the audition hall, I felt a lot more at ease than at NEC. There were still nerves, but not as excessively because I had a better idea of what to expect.
This time, the audition felt more like a concert because it was set in an actual hall. There were about 6 teachers present to assess my performance and they asked me to play (part of) 5 pieces in total.
When I got off stage, I was happy with my performance and I felt ready for the next and final audition that was coming up at Jacobs School of Music.
LEAVING FOR BLOOMINGTON, IND
Departure day came and traveling from New York to Bloomington required a plane from Newark Airport to Indianapolis and a Shuttle Bus afterwards. To save myself some trouble, I had therefore booked a hotel near Newark.
I have to admit I left New York with a heavy heart. During my stay I had really come to like the vibrant atmosphere and I guess I was a little scared that this might have been the highlight of my adventure.
Boy…was I wrong 🙂
