- Hello everyone! - How's it going?
We're in Philadelphia today!
We traveled halfway across the world!
We are at the Curtis Institute of Music,
literally one of the best music schools in the world!
If you look at the musicians that come out of Curtis
- and just how selective it is, - Yeah...
- it's definitely a strong contestant as - One of...
- one of the best, if not the best music school in the world. - For sure.
And so, we decided, "You know what?
It's not too late to live out our dreams."
We tried to do the Menuhin Competition; that didn't turn out well...
I'm afraid you guys didn't make it to the next round here.
That just means we need to go back and study!
- So we decided to audition... - Yup!
to go into the Curtis Institute of Music today!
- See if we can get in! - Yes.
Let's find out!
- It's so cold! - It's so f***ing cold!
Hello!
- Hello! - Hello!
(Eddy) Hi!
(Benjamin) What would you like to start with?
Um, I'd like to play [the] Sibelius Violin Concerto today.
Thank you.
Thank you!
- (Erin) Thank you. - (Benjamin) Thank you so much.
- (Erin) Thanks for coming. - Thank you.
- (Erin) I don't know... - I don't think so...
- (Erin) I'm pretty sure it's a "no". - It's a "no" for me.
- Hello! Welcome! - (Brett) Hi!
- Thank you! - (Erin) Uh, what- what would you like to start with today?
Uh, the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto.
- Great. Thanks. - Great.
Thank you! Thanks a lot for coming!
- (Benjamin) Thank you. - Thank you.
- I don't know... - That's hard...
- Good bowing though! - Yeah!
Yeah, I like the bowing.
- (Eddy) Oh my God... - (Brett) Ugh!
- (Eddy) Just got destroyed. - (Brett) I know...
- (Eddy) [I] played so bad. - (Brett) Me too! So nervous!
- (Eddy) Oh! - (Hannah) Oh!
- (Eddy) Hannah! - (Hannah) Hi!
- (Eddy) Hey! - (Hannah) Hey! - (Brett) Long time no see!
- (Eddy) Hello, hello, hello! - How are you, Hannah?
I'm good! How are you guys?
(Hannah) Hi! Long time no see!
(Hannah) What are you guys doing here?
(Eddy) Oh, we just...
(Eddy) uh, we tried auditioning for...
- (Eddy) to get in[to] Curtis. - (Hannah) Oh, how was it?
- (Eddy) Uh... yeah. - (Brett) Um...
- (Eddy) Apparently, we'll find out the results later today, so... - (Hannah) Okay.
(Eddy) we just got some time to kill.
(Hannah) Do you want me to show you guys around?
- (Eddy) Oh, that would be amazing! - (Brett) Sure, sure! - (Hannah) Okay!
- (Eddy) So you auditioned, um... - (Hannah) 2018.
- (Eddy) 2018, four years ago! - (Hannah) Yeah. - (Brett) Four years ago!
- (Eddy) What did you play? Do you remember? - (Hannah) I played [the] Mendelssohn Concerto.
(Brett) Mendelsso- ah, ah!
(Brett) Oh, that's even better!
(Eddy) Oh, nice!
(Brett) Wow!
(Brett) That's a really nice view!
(Eddy) This is such a good practice view!
- (Eddy) Dude... - (Brett) Man, it's got the vibes!
- (Eddy) I would want to practice more, yeah! - (Hannah) Yeah! Hehe, yeah! - (Brett) Yeah!
(Brett) And there's all these like,
- (Brett) portraits of people around the place too. - (Hannah) Yeah.
(Hannah) Here is another room.
- (Brett) Wow. - (Hannah) Yeah.
(Brett) This is a huge practice room!
- (Brett) Really, really big! - (Hannah) Yeah.
- (Eddy) Damn, I feel like I'm... in like, history. - (Brett) I know, it's- we're going through history right now.
- (Eddy) Barber! - (Brett) Barber's... was here!
(Eddy) For those that don't know, he wrote an epic violin concerto.
- (Eddy) He's one of the great composers. - (Brett) Yeah. - (Hannah) Yeah.
(Hannah) This is where we have our lessons.
- (Brett) Oh, lesson! Wow! - (Eddy) Oh, nice!
- (Erin) I feel like when they audition, I feel like, um... - (Brett) Oh, lesson! Wow! - (Eddy) Oh, nice!
- (Benjamin) It could work, maybe...? - Oh, hey guys!
- (Benjamin) Hi. - (Eddy) Oh, hello! - Um...
Uh, it was nice to hear you play,
but we have some stuff we'd like to talk to you about.
You wanna... come in, maybe, for like, a short lesson?
- (Eddy) A lesson? - (Brett) Yeah, sure!
- (Eddy) Yeah, sure! We'd love to! - Yeah, just like, we only have a couple of minutes, but if you wanna...
- (Eddy) Yeah, definitely! Thank you! - (Erin) Okay.
(Eddy) Woah...
(Erin) This is the Zimbalist Room.
(Erin) You can see there's all this like,
(Erin) memorabilia in here, it's pretty cool.
So why don't you put your stuff down, and we'll just...
we'll get started.
(Erin) This piece has a lot of sequences in it,
and what I'm finding generally is that I feel
like you use the same amount of bow for every part of the sequence.
Therefore, we're not getting a longer line in the piece.
(Erin) So even at the beginning,
(Erin) I'd like you to think a little bit more about your bow distribution.
- Where's the high point in the phrase? - (Brett) Uh huh.
And then work backwards from there.
So, what's the beginning dynamic?
(Erin) Pop quiz!
Mezzopiano.
It's piano.
- Oh... - (Erin) And so I think that if you give yourself more room,
you'll have more dynamic contrast.
Can we start one more time, at the beginning?
Really start piano.
(Erin) Very good.
(Erin) So what I'm noticing is that you like to
(Erin) stay pretty much in the middle, like, contact point-wise.
And so I'd like to encourage you,
maybe just start a little close to the fingerboard...
And work your way over...
so that you really give yourself room that way as well.
(Erin) Very good.
(Erin) So you have this...
And then- then, again...
Could you do a very different color for both of those?
(Brett) Sure. Uh...
(Erin) Nice.
(Erin) Beautiful!
(Erin) Very good.
So this is one of those places
- where you have the sequential figure, right? - Mhm.
With all the triplets.
And so I'm seeing you go...
Using the same amount of bow.
What if you do...
So that you gain more bow speed
- and a little more weight as you go down in the sequence. - Uh huh. Okay.
Yes! And even those eighth notes...
If you use the same amount of bow on each of them,
- they're gonna sound kind of identical, right? - Got it. Okay, okay.
Great!
(Erin) Okay, think about it: where do you want to start in the bow?
So do you wanna start at the frog,
where you're already pretty heavy,
or would you want to start there and work your way up?
(Erin) Good! That's the right way!
Another thing to think about is the angle of your fingers.
So, I like to point my fingers towards my face a little bit,
so that I'm always playing consistently on the same part of my pad.
Because if you always play on the same part of your pad,
you have a better chance of playing those in tune, right?
What I saw from you is that you're curving a little bit...
- (Erin) when you go up, and so you're not going to be - Oh, okay.
as consistent with your intonation.
So you could try that one more time, just from the octaves...
(Erin) Yep! So, that last octave was a little out of tune.
Was is sharp, or was it flat?
- Sharp! Hahaha, no! - (Erin) It was... no, wrong answer! It was flat!
And every single time, it's been flat.
- So that- you always have to remember and listen - Okay.
when you're doing it, because
- now you're imprinting that in your playing. - Yeah, 100 percent.
- So just think sharper on the last one. - Yeah, 100 percent.
(Erin) Nice!
- Alright, thank you so much! It's been a pleasure! - Thank you so much!
- Thanks. - Thank you.
Do you know what the marking is at the very opening of the piece?
(Benjamin) What... dynamic
- (Benjamin) or what emotional marking Sibelius gives us? - Oh no...
Um...
I'll be honest, I can't remember,
but I think it might be... mezzopiano?
- Mezzoforte. Yeah! - Mezzof⁠—hahaha!
And then, do you know,
does he give us any other information?
- I remember an Italian word, I forgot which word... - Two Italian words.
Two Italian words!
- Oh, okay. - Yeah. So,
I got a lot of the dolce from your sound,
but not enough of the espressivo.
- I see. - (Benjamin) Also, something to think about is,
the orchestra part is very amorphous,
it's, you know, very hushed,
but we should keep a very solid beat the entire time.
So I think sometimes your rhythm was a little...
it fluctuated a little bit too much.
- Okay. - So there should be this kind of
inner core and fire within you,
even if you're trying to soar on top of it.
So, let's think more mezzoforte, dolce, espressivo,
and keep a kind of inner pulse going the entire time.
Okay.
Beautiful. Beautiful, beautiful! Much better.
Something also to think about:
you have a great legato with your right hand;
try and do the same thing with your left hand, with the vibrato.
Sometimes it's a little delayed,
or missing it on a couple notes.
- Yes. Okay. - Yeah.
Great. Great, great, great. So,
this is something that I think most people
don't quite play perfectly,
and will sound strange to most people,
but the triplet:
So, sometimes it sounds a little bit too much like 16ths.
(Eddy) Yeah.
Good. So, the rhythm there:
Sometimes you hold a little bit too long on the G.
- Okay. Yeah. - Mhmm!
One extra element:
He gives us these dashes.
So give us this kind of, like, soft accent for those.
♪ Hyum, pum, pum, pa-da-dum ♪
Yep.
If you did it in slow motion, how would you do it?
Those dashes.
Mhm. Yeah.
So, your fingers are really good,
I think it's also you have to think,
engaging with the forearm and the elbow too.
The middle of the stroke was really good.
Now, try and use that at the very start of the note.
I see.
- Yeah. - Yeah. Great.
No accent.
- Oh, okay, okay... - I'm being a stickler;
he's, he's super specific about all these markings.
You know the whole story,
he used— he wanted to be a violinist himself.
He's obviously pouring all of his aggression into this piece.
So I feel like...
we have to give him what he deserves, I guess,
for each of these markings.
So, no accent...
...no accent.
And then also, crescendo through this note:
I need to practice with the music...
Oh, wow...
(Brett) It's like his first time seeing the score!
- All right. Okay. - Good. Okay?
Great. Everything was really good until the last
two or three bars.
We have to start making it easy for the orchestra to come in.
Right in time.
Mhm. And then subito piano, right?
Can it be even more shocking?
Mhm. And now in time.
Yes. Yes, there you go!
Perfect!
- Cool. - Thank you so much, Eddy.
Thank you so much!
Unfortunately, I don't have any more time,
I have to run to a few auditions,
but this was very interesting,
and I'll let you know your audition results
very, very soon.
(Eddy) Damn.
Feels like Hogwarts.
- (Hannah) Yeah! - (Brett) I know.
(Hannah) Hey!
- (Eddy) Hello! - (Brett) Oh, hello!
- (Student) Good morning! - (Hannah) Good morning!
So apparently this is the old building,
and now we're gonna go check out the new building,
- (Brett) Yes. - (Eddy) which has more practice rooms.
(Brett) Ready for the cold...
Hoo-hoo!
(Brett) Do you guys have student dorms here?
- (Hannah) Yeah. So that's also in the new building, yeah. - (Brett) Okay. Ah... - (Eddy) Nice.
(Hannah) Oh, and then also we have a library here.
I think there's four floors, and everything you need
- (Hannah) will be found there. All the music, yeah. - (Eddy) Like, all the music?
- (Eddy) Damn! - (Brett) Every score you could ever have
- (Brett) is in here. - (Eddy) Don't even need IMSLP.
(Brett) I know!
- (Eddy) What's this? David Michie... - (Brett) That's a violin shop! - (Hannah) Oh, yeah! That's...
(Hannah) I bring my violin sometimes there to
get it fixed, 'cause I...
- (Hannah) I had a crack in my violin, - (Eddy) Yeah.
- (Hannah) so I brought it here. - (Brett) Wow.
- (Hannah) They're really helpful. - (Brett) So, this is the first guy that everyone goes to?
(Hannah) Yeah. Pretty much, yeah.
- (Eddy) That's crazy, - (Hannah) It's very close.
- (Eddy) having a repair right where the school is. Yeah. - (Hannah) Yeah, yeah.
(Brett) See, this is where all the talent stays.
(Eddy) Definitely feel like I'm in the presence of greatness,
- if you know what I mean. - (Brett) Yeah.
(Brett) Wow. Okay, this is the new building.
(Hannah) I'll take you guys up to the Gould Hall.
So that's where Curtis Orchestra rehearses.
- (Eddy) Okay. Let's go. - (Hannah) Yeah. - (Brett) Okay.
(Hannah) This is where I had my first audition,
- first ever. So I met my teacher here. - (Brett) Your first audition was here?!
(Brett) Wow...
(Brett) Look at that space!
- (Eddy) Wow. - (Hannah) Yeah. It's very nice.
- (Eddy) Yeah... - (Hannah) I remember it was snowing, too.
- (Brett) Whoa... - (Hannah) Yeah, while I was playing.
(Eddy) That's poetic.
- (Eddy) I hope we get in! I wanna study here! Woo! - (Brett) Yeah! I wanna get in too!
(Brett) I still have potential! Teachers!
(Hannah) And then I can bring you guys up to the practice rooms.
- (Eddy) Okay. - (Brett) Aw, yeah! - (Hannah) So it's also, it's...
two floors, upstairs.
- (Hannah) I think they're having a lesson... yeah. - (Eddy) Oh my goood!
All the great students, having lessons.
- Where greatness is made! - (Brett) Lessons...! Yeah!
(Brett) Oh, they looked! Oh, sorry!
Hi, sorry!
(Eddy) Even the teaching rooms look like practice rooms.
(Brett) How many students are at Curtis?
- (Hannah) 155...? - (Brett) Wow...
(Eddy) Is it true that it's just, like, enough to make one orchestra?
- (Hannah) Yeah. Yeah. - (Eddy) Yeah.
(Eddy) So apparently, like,
there's basically one tuba student every four years?
- (Hannah) Oh, yeah. - (Eddy) 'Cause you only need one tuba player in the orchestra.
- (Brett) You have to be in every single concert! - (Eddy) Yeah!
(Hannah) And there's a common room upstairs,
- so we have, like, ping pong, pool, - (Brett and Eddy) Ohh!
and you can watch movies and play MarioKart.
- (Eddy) Ohh! MarioKart! - (Brett) Wow...!
(Eddy) Do you play MarioKart?
- (Hannah) Yeah. - (Eddy) Yes!
(Eddy) Oh, we're going to the lift.
From the fifth floor up, it's where the dorms are located,
so people⁠— all the students live here.
(Brett) Dude, practice rooms are just downstairs.
- (Hannah) Yeah! So it's really convenient. - (Brett) You have no excuse to not practice.
(Eddy) You gotta get past the practice rooms to get home.
- (Brett) Yeah, yeah. No excuses. - (Eddy) Yeah.
(Hannah) So here's the common room.
- (Hannah) So here's where you watch movies— - (Eddy) Ah, nice... aw, dude, they got Catan!
- (Brett) Yeah, board games, too. - (Eddy) Bro, no way!
- (Brett) They got everything here, that's pretty cool. - (Hannah) Yeah.
(Hannah) And then you have ping pong, too.
- (Brett) Ping pong, pool... - (Hannah) And then pool...
- (Eddy) Oh, wow, there's an outdoor area? - (Hannah) Yeah.
(Eddy) Wow.
(Eddy) Aw, just casually taking a break from practice.
(Brett) Yep. This is where we rest.
(Eddy) I just nailed my concerto, you know, Sibelius?
(Brett) A bit of inspiration.
(Eddy) Sip some coffee.
Bro, this is... this place is epic.
Oh! Oh my god, look at the time!
I think they're gonna announce our results!
*GASP*
- (Eddy) We should go! We have to go back! - (Brett) We have to go back...
(Hannah) Okay, good luck!
- (Hannah) Good luck to both of you. - (Eddy) Thank you so much. - (Brett) Thank you so much, Hannah! Thank you!
You're welcome! I hope to see you guys, soon.
Hopefully we'll be studying here with you soon...!
(Erin) I think that... other girl who played Mendelssohn
- was, like, a little more solid... - (Benjamin) I know...
- (Benjamin) Much more talent. More potential, right? Yeah. - (Erin) Yeah. For sure.
(Benjamin) This is awkward...
- (Erin) It's super awkward... - (Benjamin) I know.
Good morning. Um, thank you very much for playing.
Uh, the level of auditions this year was unusually high.
Unfortunately, we have no space for you.
But we would like to encourage you
to come back in the future, um,
and thanks for making the trip. Thanks for coming.
(Benjamin) Thank you.
- (Brett) O-okay... - (Eddy) Okay...
- Um... exit's over there. - You can, um... yeah.
- (Eddy) O-oh. Okay. - (Erin) Thank you.
- (Benjamin) Thank you. - (Brett) Sorry...
(Erin) Safe travels.