By Abby Atwater ’19
THE ART OF AUDITIONING: PART I- PREPARING FOR THE AUDITION
Are you an instrumentalist interested in performing in an orchestra one day? Perhaps the Chicago Symphony, or maybe you would like to play in the pit of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. I aspire to be a professional clarinetist and play in an ensemble like one of these one day. At the moment, I can’t say exactly who/where/what it will be- orchestra, wind band, opera, ballet, chamber ensemble- but I am very determined to succeed in this field. No matter what kind of ensemble, there is always one generally despised process to go through before securing the job: the audition.
In the past few years, I have become very fascinated with learning about the “art” of auditioning and I would like to share some of that with you. In these two posts, I have compiled a list of the “dos” and “don’ts” when it comes to taking a professional audition that should help improve your chances of landing that esteemed position you are aiming for. This first post will focus on the process throughout the weeks and months leading up to the audition while studying and refining the audition material. The second post will discuss the week or so immediately before the audition, the audition itself, and the audition results.
DO:
Turn in a polished, high-quality resume and cover letter
Many orchestras will require a resume and/or cover letter for you to even be invited to audition. Include performance-specific experience and awards on top of your resume to highlight your musical accomplishments. In the cover letter, explain why you want this position, what you know about it, and why you believe you are well-qualified. Make sure to have an extra set of eyes read over these before submitting them.
Rhythm, intonation, articulation, and tone are everything!
Really nailing these four aspects of playing are vital in an audition. Practice a ton with a tuner and metronome. Use a drone to tune intervals especially in more lyrical passages where tuning can be most tricky. Make sure to know your tuning tendencies in general and be able to make proper adjustments on the go. Also, tuning varies for ensembles usually between A=440-442 so tune to whatever that orchestra tunes to. When practicing with a metronome, use a variety of subdivisions. For pieces that have contrasting accompanimental rhythms from your own part, like the bassoon eighth notes in the first movement of Beethoven 6 or the cello triplets in the third movement of Beethoven 8, have those rhythms clicking to imitate the orchestra playing. When playing in the actual audition, take time before each excerpt to really internalize pulse and know what is going on in the music. Practice slowly and be very attentive to all aspects of your playing. Record yourself and keep a chart/take notes about practice sessions so you don’t forget what you worked on or need to improve on for next time.
Make sure you have ALL the excerpts prepared and practice in different orders
Double and triple check the audition requirements to make sure you are preparing all the right works and the specific excerpts they ask for (you don’t want to end up having to do some spontaneous sight-reading at the audition). When practicing and running through all the excerpts, switch up the order in which you play them since you likely won’t know the exact order the committee will ask for the excerpts to be played in. I am not sure if it works this way in most professional auditions, but I have had various auditions where I got to choose the order I play my excerpts. If this occurs, start with your best one to give a strong first impression and make sure to end with another that is also quite strong so you can both start and end on a good note ♫ (got to throw in some musical humor here).
Research the orchestra you’re applying for
Orchestras around the world have drastically different sounds from one another and their conductors take many different approaches to the music. The Philadelphia Orchestra sounds very different from the Los Angeles Philharmonic which is also remarkably different from orchestras across the sea such as the Berlin Philharmonic or London Symphony. Attend concerts and/or listen to recordings of the orchestra you are applying for to get an idea of the sound they are looking for especially from the other musicians currently in the orchestra who play your instrument. Also get familiar with the kind of repertoire the orchestra tends to program or perform frequently to get an idea of what you are in for.
Play in front of others, take lessons, and receive advice on the material
It is always good to have feedback from other people especially other musicians that might be in the same boat as you preparing for auditions. Get some family and friends together to play through your audition repertoire (blind or not) to get some feedback, get yourself out of practice mode and into performance mode, and calm your nerves. Take lessons from other professionals who have gone through this process. It is definitely beneficial to study with someone who plays in an orchestra and it is especially helpful to study with someone who has recently (I would say in the last five years or so) won an orchestral job. Since the art of auditioning has changed over time, it is good to hear from someone who has experience winning a modern-day audition.
Mental practice
Sometimes you don’t always need to physically practice with your instrument to get a lot accomplished. Set aside some time to mentally practice/ practice parts of the music away from your instrument: score study, sing the music to yourself, or vividly imagine yourself performing. These can all be effective ways to be purposefully thinking about the music in a less strenuous way than playing it (this is also great to do to spend time while traveling).
DO NOT:
Only know the excerpts
It is important that you know the full works for the excerpts you are playing and not just those 20 or so bars of the piece you are required to play. Members of audition committees will be able to tell if you know them- at my ensemble audition this year, one faculty member actually thanked me for knowing the full works just based on what he heard from my excerpts so that was a pretty proud moment for me! Also be familiar with when you are melody or accompaniment and what other instruments play during the excerpts: know that second clarinet and bassoons are also playing in the second movement of Brahms 3 and that flutes have the melody in the beginning of the Mendelssohn Scherzo, not first clarinet. Listen to a variety of recordings and even try to look up master classes for each excerpt to get a better understanding for interpretation.
Forget to play musically
While you should be particularly concerned about playing with very precise rhythms, pitch, and dynamics, be sure to play expressively and musically. This can be a determining aspect when it comes down to selecting between players that play these other elements wonderfully. When you are practicing, try recording yourself once playing the excerpts rather conservatory, adhering to all the “rules” of the music. Then challenge yourself to take some risks with the music, but still keep it contained and nail the essential aspects. Exaggerate dynamics, spin the long notes, and try different tempi. Be prepared for the committee to ask you to change something and demonstrate your flexibility on the spot at the audition!
Put off practicing to the last minute
There are dozens of commonly asked for excerpts in nearly all auditions, excerpts you will be working on for essentially your entire life. Don’t take for granted the fact that you know these excerpts well and can pull them off with just a week or two of practicing them. Start (re)learning them as soon as you find out the audition requirements- I would recommend at least eight to ten weeks in advance. Try to approach each excerpt like it’s your first time working on it: listen to a variety of recordings to get an idea for style/tempi and break it down to its basics with slow practice and thorough tuner/metronome work.
Fail to understand theory and history of the pieces
Do some research on your pieces to know historical events at the time they were written, backgrounds of the composers, and any other relevant information. This information as well as being familiar with other works by the composers and their contemporaries can highly influence the ways they are played. Also, have a general understanding behind some music theory aspects of the music. A full harmonic analysis probably isn’t necessary, but at least have an idea when chords are changing and the importance of what scale degree you play.