recent no-hire auditions

[southerntuba]

I've seen some recent posts which expressed some concern over the recent no-hire situations: As someone who has experienced this situation on both sides (as an audition candidate and as a panel member), I thought I might post this:

I used to find it curious (sometimes infuriating) when an ensemble held an audition in which they didn't hire anyone. However, since becoming a professional, I have sat on panels for various instruments where no one is hired, yet "all the best players were there". Here is how my perspective changed:

-When I first began taking auditions I was furious when no one was hired. Especially if I was one of the last people standing. I took it as an insult that I "wasn't good enough" to play that job. I blamed THE PANEL.

- As I matured (but was still an amateur), I began to realize and become aware of when I hadn't "nailed it". I also began to acknowledge that the panel is not stupid and they also heard when I didn't nail it. I then began to blame MYSELF for not being prepared enough. My audition results began to rapidly change for the better.

-My solution was to begin recording myself taking mock auditions and take the "pampering" I was receiving from friends who were sitting as the "panel" on my mock auditions with a grain of salt. Wow, was that revealing. I would set up my recording device in a room, leave the room, run down the hall (to simulate nerves), and step into the room to "audition" for the recording device. What I began to realize was that, under pressure, I was not playing as solid as I thought.

-Shortly after I became a professional, I had the opportunity to sit behind the screen for a 3rd Trumpet audition in my orchestra. I had spoken with friends in the area and knew the best players would be there. WOW.....what a revelation. Players were obviously tight/nervous and had GLARING issues with the basics of time and intonation. Players also played in the "center" of each note only about 60-70% of the time. Yet, after the audition these friends who took the audition said they felt like they "nailed it". The panel felt otherwise and didn't offer the spot to anyone.

Where was the disconnect with these players??

Well, first, the panel had 5 minutes to hear these players....not 2-4 years like their teachers and friends who were making up their mock audition panels. Mock-audition panels made up of friends and teachers can often be a situation where you have a understanding or forgiving panel. The real audition panel doesn't have the luxury to interpret whether or not a flaw is “rare” (especially if they ask the candidate to do it again and the same issue occurs). They get 5 minutes. And you know, that's more than enough time to know if a player plays in tune and in time.

I cannot tell you how many times a player has been asked to play something again softer/louder/faster/slower and played it EXACTLY THE SAME the second time. I would say this occurs 99.9% of the time when a candidate is asked to repeat an excerpt and change something. Guess what the player has just told the panel?...."I CAN'T fix the problem...it is ingrained and is one of my flaws".

Ensembles NEVER enjoy not hiring anyone at an audition. In fact, they hate it. It is a complete waste of time for everyone involved (the candidates and the panel). I guarantee that the panel is sitting behind the screen and cheering for everyone to play great.

My advice to any of the players out there concerned over recent no-hire situations (Detroit, Army Field Band, Navy, etc)......Stop blaming the panel and COME BACK STRONGER!!! Here's how:

-Record yourself...constantly. Record your mock-auditions.
-Let the recording play for your tuner and notice how many notes are bad that you didn't know were bad.
-Place a metronome on your recording and see how close you are.
-Play for people who don't play your instrument and are NOT your friend. They'll be honest.
-Last, understand that if the recording hears the flaws...so does the panel.

Good luck to all those going back to Detroit and the Navy Band auditions. Having a second audition won't deter the truly best players. The truly best players will realize they can get better, will continue to work on the things they need to, and will come back better prepared.

-ST

[Adam C.]

I fully endorse this post. I've sat on several audition committees the past 9 years at the Coast Guard Band and everything ST says echoes my experience.

Nice information there for everyone auditioning these days.

[windshieldbug]

A great post.

And keep in mind, except in VERY rare circumstances, for orchestra at least, NO ONE on the committee will have played your instrument. Keep this in mind while doing your prep work.

[Posaune2]

And keep in mind, except in VERY rare circumstances, for orchestra at least, NO ONE on the committee will have played your instrument.

True Story:
A contra bassoonist sitting on a tuba audition committee for a major symphony orchestra asked the low brass players on the committee the following question after hearing about 20 players:
What is the musical standard here? Should we be grading on the curve? Is it even possible to play a musical phrase on the tuba?

The fact that the question was even asked is a sad, (but unfortunately accurate) commentary on the kind of playing that goes on in the first round of a typical low brass audition.

Eric Carlson, (who has done his fair share of unmusical audition playing over the years too)

[AsiagoCheezBagel]

Thanks for posting this! I enjoyed reading it - it was very informative.

I actually never recorded myself until my junior recital in my undergrad... I was shocked an appalled to say the least, haha. It didn't even sound like I cared about intonation at all, and my tempo wasn't very steady in many places. In conclusion, if you've never recorded yourself, do it NOW, and be prepared to hear some things that you weren't expecting.

[tubashaman2]

.

[Casey Tucker]

in reference to recording yourself, you might want to try listening to your recording at a slower playback rate (i usually do half-time). this will let you hear EVERY little problem, from intonation/time shifts to a change in the vowel sound you associate yourself with. there are many free programs that will do this including Audacity and (for those in the 'know') Quicktime. just my $.02

-CT

[southerntuba]

To clarify.... I am in no way implying that one should slow down recordings and scrutinze every tiny detail.What I'm referencing is much more obvious and "big picture".

[MikeMason]

Reminds me of the woodcutter who was always so busy sawing he just had no time to sharpen his saw.His competitor who spent a significant portion of his time sharpening his saw ran circles around him. (paraphrased from Steven Covey's "7 Habits of Highly Effective People". A must read for all serious humans.And endorsed by our own Northern.)

[NDSPTuba]

Great topic. I do have to give low brass a little break on the pharsing/musicality thing though. It is much more difficult to spin a phrase when you have to breath as often as you do on a low brass instrument. When playing horn, one breath on a long phrase was no problem. I find playing one bar on one breath extremely difficult when below the staff. Now try and make a 4 bar phrase with 4/5 breaths in it. Not easy. It is easily still the thing I find most difficult about tuba, phrasing a line when you have to breath so damn much.

[tuba-tobias]

During my nearly 30 years as tubist in an army band here in Oslo, Norway, I have also done my duties as audition committee member for all instruments in the band.
I do agree with all the aspects southerntuba points out and would like to add a couple.

-One should remember that the committee members are selected by the ensemble to pick an instrumentalist they need, the band or orchestra has an opening that has to be filled. When a no hire situation occurs the committee shears the same disappointment as the candidates. Most committee members look forward to the audition, to hear several good musicians and amongst them, select a new member for their ensemble. So a no hire situation is also a no wish situation for the committee.

-Another thing to keep in mind is that when an audition is held a substitute for an individual is sought for. The musician that is leaving the ensemble may have had some qualities or skills that the ensemble need or is dependent of. That might be a percussionist that plays drum set well, a tromboneplayer that can leed the section and do an improvisation and so on. There are a lot of great trumpeters out there but not all of them are principal material.

[J Stowe]

The way I try to think of it is as though the breaths are musical, or at least part of music. It's like listening to a singer: they breath in between words sometimes, although you can tell that they haven't finished the musical and sometimes literal sentence. You have to make it a point not to let the line die just because you needed to re-tank. Recording yourself can be useful in this sense..

I was taking a lesson with one of my favorite teachers, and I took a breath in a certain part of the phrase, and he looks at me and says, "I would have probably taken a breath (pointing somewhere else) right there, but that one didn't offend me." Listening for things that an audience would question is true insight.

Hearing the product before your audience does as a true audience member seems like a great idea to me. People don't sell cars without having a final inspection. Cooks often taste their own meals before giving them to their family.

As I've been maturing as a musician and future educator, I'm realizing that although this is a fast paced world, true beauty and craftsmanship still requires preparation and having patience during the development. We have to fight our often innate disposition of complacency and our sense of pride and entitlement. These are false securities that will only hinder us from being successful and truly happy.

[MileMarkerZero]

My college band director always taught me that the breath is just as much a part of the music as pitch and rhythm. Take the breaths you need to make the pitch and rhythmic elements of the music right, but always make sure the breath is included in the musical line you are playing and don't let the line be interrupted or lose momentum while you take the breath.

[ztuba]

We had an audition with no hire. I personally recommended not hiring anyone because in the first round NONE of the players who made the final round played the whole note for full value. It was a six count low E for bass trombone... very easy, but they all clipped it. We just subbed it out... all season.

[windshieldbug]

I won my job in the Mock Symphony Orchestra with only two notes."

Let me guess. Were they "ding" and "dong"?

Truthfully? yes...

But did you then also have to sing, "the witch is dead" in a funny voice?

[Alex C]

Auditions are basically a sight-reading exercise.

[MileMarkerZero]

I could have won it with only the "dong".

Now yer just braggin'.