Graduate Audition Coming Up. What advice would you give?

[Gorilla Tuba]

You seem to be taking a good methodical approach to learning your music, which is good. You also should practice performing... go play in public as much as possible. Studio recitals, retirement homes, high schools... where ever possible. I have noticed that my best auditions came after a few dry runs.

Also, as a professor I don't always like this, but take auditions at places that may not be your first choice. That way you can get audition practice before the "big one." However, try not to waste a lot of time, energy, and money auditioning at places where you have absolutely no interest.

Good luck.

[TubaRay]

I believe the professor's(above) advise is good. Performing often is extremely helpful in becoming comfortable with performing. Also, his comments concerning auditioning at places which may not be your first choice is good. Perhaps a good way to avoid outright waste of time and money would be to audition only at places which you conceivably might like to attend. There are many good schools at which to do graduate work. Not all of them are well-known. It is entirely possible that your first choice just may not work out. If you have kept an open mind to a lesser-known school, you just might turn out to be their prized recruit and happen onto an excellent situation for yourself. You may be able to get an excellent deal on a most excellent learning situation. And if you your first choice comes through, then your other auditions were good practice.

[Mudman]

Lots of great suggestions in the above posts. A few additional ideas:

1. record yourself daily (even if you only record one short thing). Listen to the playback and identify things to work on.

2. practice performing. Play for your dog, the TV and anybody who will listen to you. Daily.

3. practice introducing the pieces you will play and then picking up your horn cold. "Next I would like to play the Hindemith blah blah blah."

4. Have some intelligent questions ready for the committee: does the university provide accompanists, what kind playing opportunities exist outside the school, how large is the studio, are there assigned chamber ensembles, etc.

5. pick a list of schools that includes several "A" choices as well as several "B" choices and maybe one "C" choice. The biggest mistake I see (and it happens with great frequency) is for really talented students to only audition at two or three "A-list" schools. When they don't quite make it in to Eastman or Indiana, or they don't receive an assistantship, they then decide to stay at the "C" school where they did their undergraduate work. Most people would be better off going to a different "C" school or a "B" school where they could win an assistantship and learn something new.

6. Figure out the "goal" of each excerpt. Everything should be musical, but some excerpts are chosen for technique, range, power or rhythm. Each excerpt should have its own unique character. Save the loud playing for that one special excerpt.

7. Chances are you will only play about half of your list. Have a Bordogni and Blazhevich in your back pocket.

Good luck! I'm always impressed by students who seem interested in the program and who ask the right questions (the kind of people who come across as self starters.) This goes for high-school and university students.

[Roger Lewis]

As to the actual audition here are a few things to anticipate and prepare for.

When you first walk into the room you will probably be a little nervous (only your entire future is riding on this 45 minutes). What happens in this situation is that you will be defensive - holding back. A real no-no. You will try to play your first notes too soft so that if you make a mistake "they won't hear it" - of course they will and you're setting yourself (unconsciously) to fail. The tension will cause you to inhale less adding fuel to the, already too soft, fire. You will have some adrenalin going as well so your tempos will be too quick - be ready to pull them back before you start playing.

So, to sum up. Play a little louder than you think you need to, breathe bigger than you think you need to and find a spot in the music that will allow you to set your tempo accurately before starting the piece. Practice it the same exact way that you will perform it. If you go out there and play louder than you've practiced, you will find that you have not practiced taking in enough air for that dynamic.

Think about making music, not playing the horn. The technical stuff should be worked out well in advance in the practice room.

Most of all - have FUN.

[arnuphal]

I'll be playing 45 minutes worth of solo repertoire and 10-15 excerpts.

Was anyone else confused by this, or have grad schools begun requiring much, much more music than in previous years from auditionees? 45 minutes and 10-15 excerpts (about an hour's worth of music, the equivalent of most tuba recitals!) sounds to me like far more music than is necessary, though I do not know where you are auditioning and what they may be requiring you to play. When I auditioned for grad school, I prepared 10-15 minutes of solo and excerpts total, and that seemed totally adequate, as the audition times allotted were normally about 15 minutes in length. Again, I don't know your specific circumstances, but if appropriate, I would reevaluate the amount of music that is necessary and focus on making that music of the highest caliber possible. Otherwise, you may be stretching yourself too thin with the amount of material you are trying to tackle.

[arnuphal]

When you first walk into the room you will probably be a little nervous (only your entire future is riding on this 45 minutes)....

Most of all - have FUN.

I found this to be a little funny. Everything else that Roger said is absolutely spot on, and should be taken very seriously. But, to tell this person that his entire future is riding on these 45 minutes, then to tell him to have fun doesn't seem too consistent as a message! I would say that these 45 minutes have very little to do with his future (except perhaps where he will be living for the next few years), and telling him otherwise will only inhibit his ability to perform at the top of his game because of the added pressure he puts on himself with thoughts like these.

I try to tell my students that auditions like these are NOT a life and death situation. Getting into a specific school, with a specific teacher will not guarantee results. Sure they may help to achieve your goals is some small manner, but Herr2bawt1's future is going to be much more determined by his/her resolve to accomplish everything that it is he/she wants to accomplish and dedicating the time necessary to achieve those objectives. There is not one singular school/teacher that is going to do that.

Now, Roger, if you were only kidding, I'm sorry!! I'm dealing with a couple of students right now that are putting too much stock into situations like these, getting far too nervous during the auditions, and beating themselves up when the audition does not go well. I just don't believe it is a healthy way to go about playing under pressure for most people. Then there are people like Tommy Johnson, where the more pressure, the better they play. I hate people like that...

[Tabor]

My advice for an audition is just to practice, play very well and be friendly!


There was a post earlier about auditioning for B or C choice schools, just for the experience of auditioning. This is good advice, but not only for the experience of auditioning. Sometimes, through the process of auditioning a B or C choice can become your first choice. This happened to me when I was auditioning at four schools for graduate school in voice.

The school I'd held up as being really great blew me off without hearing me, scheduled my audition without communicating with me, moved deadlines, rescheduled my appointment without telling me (I learned about this after I had already flown in to audition and was there in the music office asking where auditions were being held.) They were holding auditions, however, and reluctantly agreed to squeeze me in the next day.

This gave me plenty of time to speak with current students and to listen to the people in the practice rooms. During the audition I was stopped after about three bars and they asked to hear the high note. I sang it straight out and then they said, "thank you, that will be all" and sent me away. I didn't know what to think, other than I was pretty sure I didn't want to go to a school

In contrast, the school which wasn't even on my list took down my name and address, sent me information, worked with me to schedule an appointment and they were very polite on the phone. Later, when I called to finalize, they helped me with lodging and after the audition, the professor gave me an hour lesson. They invited me to stay as long as I could, to speak with current students ..so I did, and although this school was not on the national rankings (it was small) the students all seemed like seasoned professionals and were very happy with their instructors. When I learned about the number of professionals in the field from the private studios at this school, it blew me away.

I auditioned at two more schools, but the one that wasn't even on my first list was clearly the best fit for me. It was funny, I was packed up (in a U-HAUL) and on my way to that "C choice" school on the very day that any communication from my first choice came through. They were offering me an assistantship, but I had absolutely NO desire to even consider it. I wondered, after singing four notes and one high note how they could have spent enough time.

I took the assistantship at the smaller school where I'd have lots of time and plenty of lessons with a teacher who was really involved in the program.

It is just something to think about. Those B and C choice schools can sometimes turn out to be real gems.

-Tabor

[MartyNeilan]

I prepared 10-15 minutes of solo and excerpts total, and that seemed totally adequate, as the audition times allotted were normally about 15 minutes in length.

I was surprised as well at the 45 minutes, I would figure about ten minutes or so, unless perhaps this was for a major assistantship. Even so, almost every college and professional audition I have played has been in the neighborhood of 10 minutes or less. Don't save your "best" for last - Make sure you can wow them in the first couple of minutes, their minds will have already been 90% made up by then.

[MartyNeilan]

Also, read the recent thread on regional and allstate auditions, virtually everything applies the same here!