How To Blow A Grad School Interview (with much grace)

Answers You Do Not Give At An Interview:
How many Beethoven Sonatas have you played?
One.

How many Mozart Sonatas have you played?
One that I'm sure of. Maybe more but I don't remember

How many Haydn Sonatas have you played?
One. .. Well I didn't list the works I don't remember studying with a teacher. There is likely more, but I can't recall at this point.

Have you played a concerto before?
No.

Have you sightread a concerto before?
Yes.

Which one?
Mozart's no. 15 in B-flat major.

Who is your favorite Romantic composer?
Don't really have one. Maybe Brahms and I love the Grieg piece I played. It's not Chopin.. a little too melancholy but I'm sure as I grow older and go through more heartbreak, I will appreciate it more.

What did you do last semester?
I kept working on my previous recital pieces and I wrote a paper on two pieces I played in my graduate recital. I will be presenting that paper at the College Music Society next week. (No response from interview committee)

Is the Chinese piece you played very famous?
Yes it is, in China. The composer and transcriber are household names over there.

What is your technical work in?
Umm some Hanon but it's really haphazard so that's what I really want to and need to work on.

Do you sightread well?
I think so.

Questions I Wish They Asked: (but it's just wishful thinking)
What are your future plans?
What are some pieces you would like to learn?
How are you planning to expand your repertoire list?
Where do you see yourself pianistically in a few years?

Now you wonder what exactly happened at my audition interviews besides getting lost at every turn trying to get to UMKC and showing up late to my audition, dealing with a vibrating piano bench at OU (because there was some really loud stuff right below the studio). Another possible explanation is I may be turning blonde!! But could that really happen? I hope not.

I plan to just forge on despite being turned down. I still like the piano a lot, and someday I will love it I hope. Without the stress of the auditions, I actually look forward to practicing every day and enjoy it very much. By the way, the neighbour that complains about my "noise" (I call it music) moved out!! I am thrilled.