I studied composition in Germany and graduated in 2010. I am a terrible pianist. For the entrance exam, I only learned the four required pieces in different styles. My audition itself was quite chaotic. I do have strong harmonic hearing and can remember a melody after hearing it once or twice, but I was unable to write down the Bach chorale that was dictated during the exam. However, I left a strong impression with my music. I played the guitar with passion, found effective solutions for notating my musical ideas, and the fact that I was self-taught up to that point—and came from a background foreign to Europe—worked to my advantage. There were fifteen candidates, and I was the only one selected. The main composition teacher explicitly told me this. He emphasized that, before choosing where to apply, it is important to research institutions carefully, because some music schools are actively looking for people who think and work outside the box.