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Tips for the Music Aptitude Test and Scholarship Auditions: 2019 State School Admissions

Claire Harris from the SE22 Piano School offers group Music Aptitude Test & Scholarship Workshops in East Dulwich. The next session is on 1st of August 2018. Here are some of the topics we cover in the workshops along with some helpful tips for music scholars:

We discussed the interview questions and many students had been involved with groups and performances outside of school – these are great things to note down and have ready to mention during the interview.

It’s also a good idea to think about favourite composers and performers prior to the audition. We all know how the mind can go blank under pressure!

The performances were all well prepared. The students discovered when listening to each other that dynamic contrast really makes an impact – so this is a good thing to focus on.

If memorising one of the pieces is an option, I would strongly encourage this. This especially applies if the piece is in a jazz or popular style.

As well as the actual playing, students should practise saying the name of the piece and composer, making sure pronunciation is correct.

If the piece is to be played with piano, try and organise a rehearsal with the pianist beforehand as this can make all the difference to a polished performance.


Our July workshop included students sitting Music Scholarship tests for Kingsdale, Haberdashers, Dame Alice Owen and Prendergast. We cover a wide range of schools

Summer Group Workshops: Music Aptitude Test training

Our July MAT workshop is now fully booked so we have added in a second session on 1st August 2018. You can book now via Eventbrite. See the ticket booking site for full information on the content of the class.

We cover both stages of the Music Scholarship process including the MAT test plus the audition: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/music-aptitude-test-training-group-session-august-tickets-48104544989