welcome! i'm rob knopper. i play percussion in the met orchestra, and i was once hailed by the new york times and james levine as needing 'louder triangle notes.'

i also write things for keen and motivated musicians like yourself. i failed my way through years of unsuccessful auditions and rejected applications before i got my job at the met, so my goal is to help you get where you're going quicker and smarter than i did. i truly think that any one of you could achieve a job like mine.

 

get started here!

click the button above to download the 5-step guide to constructing your preparation process and optimizing it for maximum results.

for any instrument.

Featured
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“it was either this job or no job.”

in 2019, a cellist named maria reached out to me about her audition struggles. on paper, she was the “worst audition candidate ever” (her words). she had 2 small children, a full-time teaching job, and hadn’t taken an audition in 4 years.

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4 ways to get better audition comments

it's episode #8 of the auditionhacker podcast, and i'll go over my best methods for getting better feedback.

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how i recorded the delécluse album

it’s episode #7 of the auditionhacker podcast, and i’ll go over:

  • how i spent 6 months perfecting the 12 delécluse études,

  • the special strategy i used in preparation, called “the magical shrinking self-recording workflow”,

  • how preparation needs to be structured for a recording vs. a live audition, and

  • my best tips and strategies to make a recording session go smoothly.

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how to design an audition-winning lifestyle

it’s episode #6 of the auditionhacker podcast, and i’m going over: 

  • the legendary and now-defunct practice of challenges, 

  • adopting the olympian mindset as a musician, and 

  • the most accurate indicator of future audition success. 

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all the gear you need for self-recording
the complete guide to self-recording

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.

how to learn notes accurately
how to learn notes accurately

if there's any kind of "secret sauce" with my playing or my auditioning, it definitely starts with the way i learn notes. i use a system of learning notes that is so secure, so foolproof, and helps me play so confidently that i pretty much use it for everything. it’s called the ROAM method.

how to build rock solid rhythm
how to build rock solid rhythm

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.

video: 7 ways to show musicality on snare drum
video: 7 ways to show musicality on snare drum

the snare drum seems like it could be the most boring instrument on earth. regardless, you still have to sound as musical as any violinist or oboist or trumpeter.

in today's video, i'm showing you 7 ways you can express phrasing and musicality on the snare drum.

how to audition for summer festivals
how to audition for summer festivals

it's just about time to get started practicing for your 2022 summer festival audition season. most festivals announce and post the repertoire on november 1st. (don't kill me, i'm just the messenger.) so in today's video, i'll give you some pointers about how to take on your summer festival auditions successfully.

delécluse: douze études for snare drum

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