Maynooth hold their entrance test a couple of weeks before the audition because you are required to have a certain standard of music theory in order to be accepted. My entrance test was about 2 weeks before Easter I think. . . They sent me a letter 2 weeks later telling me I had gotten an audition for the 4th of May at 3.00pm.
Here is the link to their Sample Entrance Exam: http://music.nuim.ie/sites/music.nuim.ie/files/documents/SamplePapers/BMus_Entrance_SAMPLE.pdf
I found this test quite boring as it is pretty much what you are asked on the Irish Leaving Certificate Music Paper. Nothing very exciting. I preferred the Cork one which gave greater scope to be creative and show off your skills.
Okay so on to the audition...
- I arrived at the Logic building at 2.00pm, an hour before my allotted time. I always like to be really early for these things so I have time to look around and get used to the place.
- I gave my name at the registration desk which was manned by a Masters student in the college. He was great but I forget his name!!
- Said student showed me to a practice room so I could tune my harp. I really liked the Yamaha piano in there. . . The practice rooms weren't very well sound-proofed which was annoying. I could clearly hear the people in nearby rooms playing.
- After I had finished tuning and warming up I went back into the main building (the practice rooms were in a prefab type thing) to wait outside my allotted audition room. I was called a few minutes early so it was just as well I had given myself time to spare!
- I had 2 interviewers; Lorraine Byrne Bodley and Martin O'Leary. I was well prepared for this interview because I know 2 people doing the music course in Maynooth at the moment so on the journey there I asked one of them for last minute advice. He (Paul Cecchetti, the drummer in the band I played with last summer) told me to talk about contemporary music because they love that. Paul gave me a list of contemporary composers to talk about and I spent the rest of the car journey listening to their compositions on YouTube :).
- I played my two pieces first. (It was only supposed to be one but I couldn't choose so I asked could I play the two and they let me :)). I was put on a small stage for the performance which was a bit daunting, completely different to the relaxed office I had my audition in for Cork. I made a few mistakes but I never think I've played well anyway.
- Then I had the interview. This was pretty nice. They just asked me to talk about my involvement in music so I rambled for about 5 minutes about all my achievements and live performances etc..
- After this I was asked to sing an interval of a 5th (nice and easy!) and I was shown a couple of pieces of music that I had to look at and identify the key signatures (again pretty straight forward!).
I was really glad I asked Paul for some tips, it really helps to talk to someone who has done the same audition already. Preferably someone who got accepted!
Unfortunately I don't have any pictures to show you, my phone was really really low on battery and I was afraid it would conk so I didn't take the chance!
Based on my experience at both interviews/auditions I would say that I am in a good position to get offers from both places (sounds cocky I know but optimism is always a better option) so fingers crossed my prediction is right!
Good luck to anyone else who has auditions coming up!
Maeve x
