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Piano applicant 

 

My educational and professional goals and why I want to attend NEC? 

 

My educational goal is to attend a conservatory of music where I can study with teachers who will help me become a professional pianist with my own musical style. I want to gain maturity as a person and as a musician. Also, because I would not be where I am today without the help of caring mentors, I would welcome the opportunity to mentor younger students. 

 

To accomplish my goal of becoming a professional pianist, I hope to attend a school with a good reputation and strong alumni. I would like 

to be in the company of other students and teachers who share my passion for music, especially classical music, although I also want the 

opportunity to explore other genres. Furthermore, I wish to have opportunities to participate in a variety of activities and musical experiences. 

I am comfortable performing and competing as a soloist, but this past year I have had the opportunity to play with an orchestra and chamber groups and I loved those experiences. 

 

My dream is to attend a post-secondary institution where music flourishes. I would prefer a smaller school with faculty members who genuinely care about helping their students develop as musicians and mature as people. Although schools that focus exclusively on musical performance may help me become a technically better pianist, I also want a solid liberal arts education. Other factors I have been evaluating to narrow down my choice of undergraduate schools include: the locations, facilities, scholarships and alumni achievements of the school. 

 

I like the fact that New England Conservatory is located in the center of Boston where opportunities for musicians are abundant. I know NEC is a prestigious institution with highly-experienced, well-respected professors in every musical division, and has successful alumni. NEC will also 

provide me with plenty of opportunities to perform. The fact that a high percentage of students attending the Conservatory receive scholarships 

is also an undeniable attraction. Lastly, the master’s and doctorate double degree program tied to Harvard University is the ideal course for 

me to take after broadening my experience in music in the undergraduate program. 

 

Attending the New England Conservatory would be an ideal way for me to fulfill my goal of becoming a professional musician. The combination of practical music studies and academic education offered by NEC seems like the perfect situation in which to broaden my knowledge and 

experience, and further develop my musical ability. 

 

Flute applicant 

 

My inspiration to study music first came from when my music teacher played passages from different periods of music. I was amazed at how diverse music could be and the range of emotions music could convey. I had started flute and recorder lessons several years earlier and I later started piano lessons. My enthusiasm for music has developed from wanting to listen to music, to wanting to learn how music works, although this interest has been developed throughout my school life I feel there is still so much to learn and that is why I wish to further study music at university. 

 

My main interests in music lie in performance and music analysis, with particularly interest in the music of Mozart and Wagner. I have also 

enjoyed analyzing and harmonizing Bach chorales. My career aspiration is to go into music teaching. During my work experience I shadowed peripatetic teachers to different schools, this gave me a valuable insight into the career I wish to pursue. My time at work experience taught 

me how to motivate people and encourage students when they may be finding something difficult. 

 

I currently play the flute to grade 8 standards and have recently taken my grade 8 exams. Within school I participate fully in the musical activities 

the school has to offer such as the school orchestra, flute choir and recorder consort. Taking part in these activities has taught me how to work as part of a team and has helped me improve my self-discipline skills. These skills have also been enhanced by my participation within the 

Birmingham Schools' Orchestras. I am currently playing flute and piccolo in the Birmingham Schools' Concert Orchestra which meets every 

Saturday morning. Taking part in the orchestras has taught me the importance of attendance and punctuality. Last year I played principal flute in the Birmingham Schools' Wind Orchestra and took part in a concert tour to Holland, Germany and Belgium. These experiences have greatly enhanced my confidence to perform in public. I am also a member of the flute organization; being a member of the organization has enabled me to take part in several residential courses and taking part in these courses has improved my performance skills by participating in various 

classes and workshops. 

 

In addition to my musical activities I am an active member of the school debating team. Recently I participated in a national debating competition, although we did not reach the finals, the experience taught me how to speak in public confidently, how to structure a convincing argument 

and how to respond to relevant questions quickly and with confidence. This year I have also undertaken the role of helping within a year 7 

forms which includes overseeing student's planners and helping the form tutor organize their form time efficiently, this opportunity has helped with my organization skills. 

 

I also have a keen interest in languages, studying GCSE Spanish, German to AS level and recently starting after school lessons in Chinese. The experience of taking in part in three German exchanges has fueled my enthusiasm for learning about different customs and cultures. As a life member of the YHA, I have enjoyed travelling in Britain and abroad. 

 

My dedication, reliability and willingness to try new challenges will hopefully benefit me in higher education, both academically and socially. 

I feel that the diversity covered by a degree in music and overall university life, will significantly assist my future career ambitions. 

 

Voice applicant 

 

From an early age music has been more than a hobby to me. It is a serious passion. I understand the importance of developing my vocal 

techniques and skills but I also want to have an in-depth knowledge of music and the way in which it has evolved over the years. During my musicianship and theory classes at ********, I learnt about composers from Wager to Mozart. Learning about Wager and his influence on opera was thrilling and inspiring. Having learnt the history of Mozart has enabled me to relate to his style. This has benefited me when performing 

his pieces. 

 

In September 2006, I enrolled at the ******* Junior Academy where I started developing my music skills. Starting at a fairly mature age motivated me to work hard and progress with my singing lessons as I practiced consistently at home. 

 

I am fascinated by aspects such as the history of music and music theory. I will be studying grade 7 theories in my gap year to enhance my 

knowledge of music harmony and general music. During my time at secondary school I participated in numerous concerts including a production organized by the National Youth Theatre of Scotland. At ******** Academy I was awarded a Certificate of Distinction in Higher Music, Advanced Higher Drama and the Sam Ferguson Aeolian Music Prize. This year, I also participated in my first singing competition and won first runner-up for the ******* held by the ****** Junior Academy. I was given the opportunity by ****** to perform at the ****** International Music Season 

which I thoroughly enjoyed. I was a part of the chorus of the opera Caballeria Rusticana. Learning a score in two weeks challenged my 

musicianship skills and performing the opera was substantially a cultivating experience. 

 

As part of my school placement, I went on work experience at Centre Stage Music Theatre, Kilmarnock. I also arranged a three week work 

experience at an Asian drama company called Anchor Productions Ltd. Both experiences were extremely useful as I gained knowledge of 

sustaining a music and drama company. In July 2008 I attended the National Youth Choir of Scotland course and enrolled in a program called Scottish ******. Through these organizations I was able to show my ability to be versatile in choral singing and opera singing. From Scottish 

***** I gained an insight into the life of composers and their operas which played a strong part in society throughout the centuries. 

 

In my gap year I am continuing my training at the ****** Junior Academy where I will continue with voice lessons and work towards achieving grade 6 in piano. I am committing to another Scottish ***** program where the course will involve a greater insight into the world of opera. 

Currently, I am attending evening classes learning Italian at Intermediate 2 level. I am also taking an open learning course in Spanish. As a vocal student it very useful to learn languages as this allows me to interpret my pieces efficiently for both analysis and performing purposes. I recently became a volunteer for The British Red Cross and my main task will entail taking care of an elderly person in their own home for which I will 

take a short training course and learn the basics of First Aid. For preparation for my practical driving test will continue with my driving lessons. Through East Ayrshire Council I have been given the opportunity to shadow a music teacher as part of my work experience. This will be very 

useful as I will see demonstrated how to be a working music teacher and have opportunities to be involved in the classroom. 

 

Although I have not yet sat a grade 8 vocal examination to validate my standard, I will provide a music reference from my singing teacher when requested. In the future, as well as improving my overall caliber of performance, I want to see myself gaining more knowledge about significant aspects of music which has played a fundamental part in human civilization. 

 

Percussion applicant​ 

 

I am a percussion student who is very much interested in orchestra. Although I like to play alone as well, since I joined an orchestra, I became more outgoing and watching orchestra performance always helped me calm my mind whenever I was worried about something. As a result, I became more interested in orchestra and developed a dream of founding an orchestra for percussion. To achieve my dream and study music further, CIM will be an essential step. One of my goals is to go to CIM and both watch and join the CIM orchestra, which is one of the top 5 in the world. I decided to apply for the school because it seems like the perfect place to achieve my dream. 

 

As mentioned earlier, my dream is to create an orchestra dedicated to percussion. To do so, gaining experience in orchestra is essential. Although my solo performance skills are very important, I believe it is important to develop my musical knowledge and communication with other music students through orchestra activities. The percussion teachers at CIM will help me improve my musical depth and skills, and the curriculum will allow me to grow further through practice, study, and communication with other students. 

 

Kumho Young Artist gives an opportunity to those who pass the audition to have a solo recital. I was so honored to have the opportunity and prepared for the recital as best as I could, feel like I was taking a step closer to my dream. It was a rare opportunity and only the top music 

students in Korea compete in the audition. So it was an incredible honor that I passed it. 

 

I prefer orchestra or percussion ensemble performance than solo performance. So I decided to study in the US in the future, because I thought it was a great place to study and focus on orchestra and ensemble rather than soloist performance. When I was in the first year of high school, I participated in the Juilliard percussion festival camp where I realized the US would be a suitable place for me to learn more about orchestra 

and ensemble music. 

 

As different people have different musical styles and visions, and I did not realize concentrating only on school will prevent me from gaining 

different experiences and sharing my vision. 

 

Music Technology 

 

Music has always been one of my main interests and passions and I have always strived to learn and develop my skills and understanding of music as much as possible in my free time. It was only recently that I decided to pursue this interest further and study it full-time, academically at university as it is what I truly believe I want to be doing all my life. 

 

It all started when I was eleven years old in secondary school and I was exposed to all kinds of genres of music rather than the standard chart hits I was listening to prior. I thought it was amazing how much great music there is out there and it wasn’t long before I decided I wanted to be able to play some music myself. This led me to start playing the guitar as soon as I could afford one. Over the years I eventually moved on to learn the drums and piano as well, which further helped my understanding of music and how different instruments all come together to 

create certain types of sounds. Of course I was eager to form and join bands all the time and that only boosted my enthusiasm for the 

art – playing alongside and discussing music with fellow musicians gave me an incredible amount of confidence and skills I wouldn’t have 

obtained otherwise. It wasn’t until I started making recordings of my bands that I stumbled upon the production side of music. It amazed me how vast the area of music production was and it gave me further passion and drive for music as there was all these new areas to learn. Straight away I dug into using software such as Ableton Live and Cubase to record, create and edit my own sounds and that further increased my 

understanding and thirst to learn even more about sound engineering. 

 

Other than just playing and creating music, I’ve also always enjoyed going to gigs, festivals and such, just to see music being performed live. 

I always get engrossed with how musicians play and thoroughly enjoy seeing their techniques as well as enjoying the sound itself. In later years when I started going to clubs and raves I discovered the wonderful art of DJing and that was yet another skill I wanted to learn for myself. 

By this point you could say I was completely obsessed with music and was what I spent all my free time indulging in. 

 

In college I chose to study ICT as that another of my main interests. Since I was nine I’ve explored and studied a variety of areas including web development, networking, programming and hardware assembly. It made sense for me to study ICT post-secondary school as I’ve always been surrounded by it, whether I’m developing software for someone or troubleshooting a friend’s PC. This turned out well as I easily achieved three distinctions at the end of my BTEC and a CCNA networking qualification. 

 

Work-wise, I have worked in the catering business for a number of years now, starting with working part-time behind the counter at a few 

local takeaways. Then I moved onto taking on a full-time kitchen porter job at a busy sushi restaurant alongside college, eventually working 

my way up to becoming a commis chef there. Currently I work part-time as a sous-chef at a reputable local restaurant and part-time expediting at a busy local takeaway. These years of experience gave me a great number of invaluable workplace skills – teamwork, punctuality, 

communication, coordination and the ability to work hard and well. 

 

Overall, I see myself as a person who is keen and willing to learn and experiment with new ideas and technologies, and I hope that doing a 

music technology course will fuel my passion for music and help me get to where I want to be in the future. 

 

Acting applicant 

 

Four months ago, I was kicked out of my childhood home. It occurred two months prior to my college graduation and I was suddenly left 

homeless; without a family, without a sense of stability, of hope, or promise. While my colleagues and dear friends planned cross country trips, 

made plans to travel the world, and scheduled flights to start their new and promising lives, I was trying to deal with loss. 

 

For the past three months, I have been fighting harder than I ever thought I would. I’ve somehow made a way to still attend auditions in New York, Virginia, and Ohio while working forty hours a week at a coffee shop, saving every penny that I earn for the dream that I just won’t give up on. It is a dream that I cannot give up on; its every bit as part of me as the physical form that I inhabit. For as long as I can remember, every time that I’ve felt lost, alone, or cast away, I’ve found my purpose in the theater. 

 

Acting gives me a sense of a purpose; a way to express different sides of myself, discover myself…to remember myself. I get to take unimaginable 

risks – to fight with swords, to be honest about anything and everything, to fight the good fight when it would be so much easier to lie down and quit. I get courage from my work. Delving into an imaginary circumstance somehow always helps me conquer fear. It not only helps me, it helps the other people involved – the audience, the other cast members, the director, the writer, the producer – everyone is affected by one 

piece, by  one moment in time that I get to be a part of it. What else can make this kind of impact? Theatre is the only thing of progress that has stood the test of time. For me, there is no other option. I cannot imagine a life without the pursuit of this dream… 

 

In Paulo Coelho’s novel, The Alchemist, a wise character says to a young Shepard: “People learn, early in their lives, what is their reason for 

being…Maybe that’s why they give up He describes the reason for being as a ‘personal legend,’ and that, “When you want something with all your heart, that’s when you are closest to the Soul of the I’ve come to understand that this is my personal legend. I am closest to the Soul of 

the World when I am actively contributing to creation, when I use the talents given to me to affect the lives of others and to bring about a 

change in them similar to that my personal legend has brought to me. I have grown to understand that they make me who I am: the difficulties are what push me to keep trying; to move forward. 

 

Piano applicant 

 

I started to play the piano when I was 5 years old. As a young child, I was influenced by my parents, who loved and played piano classics, and lived with music as a major part of life. Since then, I have had many chances to play the piano in front of audiences, such as in church. Doing 

this, I developed my dream of becoming a professional pianist. In my middle and high school years, I was the accompanist for the school chorus and at my church. And when I was in a high school, I had a surprise opportunity to play the piano with an orchestra. Starting in my high school 

days, I often held concerts with my friends who majored in music. When I entered the university, my friend and I held duo performances. I 

accompanied a variety of instruments, as well as for vocal music and opera. 

 

I would like to further study classic music up to the PhD level, so that I can develop a more profound level of competence and have a career 

as a professional pianist. I also would like to teach students who want to study the classics, and carry out a variety of activities to contribute to society through piano performances. On this note, I would like to mention a Korean pianist, Kun Woo Paik. While he was in his 60s, he toured all of Korea performing Beethoven’s complete works. In a similar way, I would like to work as a pianist who delivers high quality performances, regardless of my age. 

 

What I’ve found from my long interest and research tells me that xxx institution is an excellent music school that offers a broad range of 

education, without any discrimination in terms of nationality, and this gives me confidence in the school. I’m confident that if I am given a 

chance to study at your school, I will be able to aspire to the level of the great musicians that I respect, and that this will be an important 

turning point in my life and my musical career. This is because I have observed for years that xxx institution alumni have made outstanding 

contributions in the areas of education and performance in Korea, with many also working in the US in various fields. I also believe that from a musical perspective, the better the quality of the culture and education I experience, the more I can benefit.