...should you drink coffee before an audition, or not?
...should you get up early, or sleep in?
...what exactly should you do in the warm-up room?
...and what should you do the week leading up to the audition?
these are all great questions. but do they have a “right” answer?
the actions you take the day of the audition have a huge impact on your playing. and all the work you did leading up to that day is on the line.
so how do you decide exactly what to do on audition day?
well, everyone’s ideal audition day approach is different. you need a unique plan for audition day that reflects who you are: your personality, your energy levels, and your particular causes and symptoms of nerves.
you’ll have to develop a plan to approach audition day. then you’ll test it, figure out what can be better, and improve it.
so to help you make a starting plan on how to structure audition day, i wanted to give you some ideas on how top professionals do it.
i had the pleasure of chatting with three musicians from the detroit symphony:
caroline coade, viola
sarah lewis, assistant principal oboe
amanda blaikie, second flute
this video is about how 3 musicians deal with audition day. there’s definitely no one-size-fits-all solution.
want to nail your next audition?
here’s the 5-part audition preparation method that i used to win a job in the MET orchestra.
the best part? it works for every instrument.
imprecise rhythm is something that can get you cut from an audition IMMEDIATELY (regardless of your instrument). and great rhythm is something that an audition committee can sense, both consciously and subconsciously. hearing someone play in the pocket just feels good.
well, i have a few tricks up my sleeve to straighten out my rhythm, and today i'm sharing one of the most effective strategies.
things i do on audition day:
warm up by playing on the hotel pillow,
watch vast amounts of tv shows on my phone, and
never drink coffee.
when i was in detroit in february i got to interview three great DSO musicians on how they approach audition day. pretty fascinating to see how their approaches are so different from each other.
i’m endlessly fascinated with how musicians practice (as you know). so i was fortunate to talk to augustin hadelich, international violin soloist, about how he gets ready to play a different concerto with a different orchestra every week.
one way that i keep myself sane is to make a practice schedule and keep it up to date. you can use paper and pencil, a word document, evernote, or a wall. in today’s video i explain how to get it set up.
i’ve been getting lots of messages from people having trouble finding motivation or direction now that they’re at home all day. i’ve been dealing with the same issues, but i’m finally out of the funk.
so i made a video about how to get motivated and set practice goals (during coronapause). check it out.
this is an interview with nathan hughes, principal oboist of the metropolitan opera and faculty at juilliard. he has to practice and make reeds… every day. anyone who wonders how to balance the artistry and the project management of being a musician should watch this.
some days i’ll feel good about my playing. but some days i'll walk into the opera pit and question whether i really deserve to be there.
i’ll think <with an extremely fred savage from the wonder years voice>, “i wonder how i ended up here. oh well, i guess i’ll pretend to be a professional musician and play the triangle again today.”
it’s called imposter syndrome.
but just because you experience imposter syndrome doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you. problems are figureoutable. anything you’re lacking as a musician is something that can be analyzed, addressed, and eventually solved.
in today’s video i’d like to tell you about my experience with imposter syndrome, and how i’ve worked to overcome it.
i've worked with hundreds of musicians on audition preparation. and nothing - NOTHING - has been as effective and life-changing as when they start self-recording the right way.