| Essay for University Audition
Sign in to disble this ad
Hey guys and gals.This is gonna be a long read. I'm currently applying to university for music studies, and one of the requirements for the application is an essay about your musical background, experience, and goals. I've written a rough draft, and I would really appreciate your input, as we're all bassists here, and we know a good yarn when we see it. So here goes:
I have been exposed to a wide variety of music for as long as I can remember. My father has always owned a sizeable record collection, and every evening, he would play a different record. His Brazilian background ensured that I learned about Samba and Bossa Nova guitar, while I was simultaneously exposed to popular music from the 60s and 70s.
I began playing music on the trumpet, playing in the high school jazz band. It was there that I was exposed to Jazz greats like Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Chet Baker, Charles Mingus, and Louis Armstrong. I was mesmerized by the way they could paint colourful moving pictures with their instruments.
While in my early teens, I was exposed to 70s progressive rock, namely that of Genesis, Gentle Giant, and Yes. They combined odd time signatures, unusual key changes, and sheer virtuosity with traditional rock music, and fed the fire of my ongoing obsession with music. Chris Squire’s syncopated bassline in Roundabout inspired me to pick up the bass guitar, which remains my primary instrument to this day. By playing along with my father’s huge record collection I took a guided tour of the 60s and 70s, jamming with the likes of James Jamerson, Jack Bruce, John Paul Jones, John Entwistle, and Larry Graham. They taught me the theory behind great basslines, and just how important bass could be. At the same time, I began to teach myself guitar, in order to play along with the likes of The Beatles and Bob Dylan. While I didn’t pursue guitar playing with the same fervour I did with bass, it did help me learn techniques which I could apply to my bass playing, and opened my musical horizons. I eventually found a teacher, who helped me refine my technique.
I began visiting record stores on a regular basis, buying as many records I could afford, in an attempt to expose myself to new and exciting soundscapes. By chance, I picked up a discount priced copy of Bach’s Well tempered Clavier, Volume one. My initial reaction to the Prelude to the Fugue in C minor, was that of awe. The perfect control of dynamics, counterpoint, and tempo drove me to explore other composers of the baroque era, such as Vivaldi, Handel,and Scarlatti. I was determined to learn the theory behind these amazing works of art, what made them sound so haunting and melodic, what made them great.
After a few years of practice, and playing with as many people as I could, I responded to an advertisement in the paper for a bass player. I auditioned successfully, and began playing with them immediately. They had a repertoire of original music, which sounded a lot like the 60s and 70s pop I grew up listening to. I began writing material with the band, unknowingly injecting snippets of Jazz, Classical, and world music, radically altering the band’s sound.
I felt the next step for me was to learn to play the piano. I bought sheet music, learned the names of the ledger lines, started with middle C and slowly but surely learned to read music. As with Bass, I then began taking private lessons, which I continue to do to this day.
I Intend to attend York to study Jazz, Classical , World Music, Improvisation, and Composition. I feel that additional training will help me to express myself more clearly in the language I love most - music. I feel that a music degree will better my chances of pursuing a career in the music industry, whether it be as a session musician, recording artist, or
producer |
