November 10, 2026

Many college applications, including the Manhattan School of Music application, require students to write short essays about the role music plays in their life. In contrast to the many forms and documents required by college applications, these essays give schools a better sense of who you are beyond your GPA or resume.

These personal essays complement your audition performance to provide a well-rounded view of you as a musician, which includes not only your technique and tone, but also your passion and personality.

Furthermore, your ability to write about yourself and your music will benefit you for the rest of your career. Whether you are writing program notes, a college lecture, your bio, or speaking to an audience, these skills will help you draw listeners into your art and help them listen in a more informed way.

Our previous blog post featured a strategy for brainstorming, outlining, and filling out the personal essays, and included the essay prompts you will need to complete for the Manhattan School of Music application. As a reminder, these essay prompts are:

Essay 1 question:

• Tell us about a transformative musical moment that has shaped the way you perform, influenced the way you interact with the musical community, or helped you imagine your career trajectory. How will your time at MSM help you continue on your musical journey and allow you to realize your professional and creative goals?

Essay 2 question (pick one):

1. Manhattan School of Music is dedicated to the New York advantage, nurturing community, and artistic excellence. Which of these three values do you most resonate with and why?
2. In your development; musically, academically, or personally, describe an experience of which you overcame an obstacle and how you have evolved as a result.
3. What is a non-musical community with which you are involved with, and why is it important to you?

In this post, we are including a list of questions to ask yourself as you begin to write. These may provide you with a starting place to write personal and meaningful answers to the Manhattan School of Music prompts. But they can also help you develop your ability to write about music more generally. These are practical (and simple!) questions that will encourage you to think about the impact that music has had on your life.

• What is your earliest memory of attending a concert?Many of our first experiences of live music are associated with a mentor like a parent or teacher, or perhaps they took place in a special place like our school, local concert hall, or church. As artists, our passion is often sparked by these early memories. As professionals, we then have the opportunity to provide new audiences with their own first musical memories. In what ways do you want to give the gift of music to new listeners?
• Have you ever had an embarrassing moment or made a mistake in a rehearsal or performance, that then became an important learning moment for you? When we study music, we are faced with constant challenges that may seem daunting or even impossible. But through practice and repetition, we rise to the occasion and eventually become more agile and skilled artists. How do you think music has contributed to your personal growth or the growth of your community?
• What is one piece of music that moves you?What kind of effect does this piece have on you? Does it give you chills? Make you sad? Give you energy? Remind you of a special person? Or transport you to a special place, like a part of nature or bustling New York City? Music can grab ahold of us and entrance us for reasons we cannot explain. But the analytical tools you learn in music school will help you analyze how the rhythm, harmony, textures and form of a piece, as well as an impassioned performance, all work together to create a memorable listening experience. Discussing the musical specifics of a piece and how they interact can help us explain why it affects us so profoundly.
• When you practice and think about music, what other activities would you compare it to? Some musicians say they feel like they are dancing or meditating, losing themselves in the piece they are performing. Other musicians regard themselves as telling a story, deeply aware of and connected to their listeners. Still others may view music as a problem to be solved, or a building to be constructed, or a clever machine to be invented. There is no one way to think about music making, which is why we musicians are so diverse and passionate. Think of ways to describe your musical process that showcases your individuality and how your brain processes music.
• How has your dedicated study and practice widened your horizons outside of music? Have you been able to travel to a new place to perform? Have you made new friends? Have you learned about a different culture or historical period by studying a piece of music, composer, or well-known performer? Have you ever learned a piece that inspired you to read a book or poem, or to watch a film? Music is both an art form and a profession that provides opportunities for us to expand our vistas far beyond the practice room. What places, stages, and opportunities do you hope to experience in your future as a musician? 

We hope this helps as you work on your essays! As a reminder, please email admission@msmnyc.edu if you have any questions about your application, prescreens, or essays — we’re always happy to help!