Audition Information & Dates

Audition Dates:

Thurs., November 15, 2007

Sat., February 9, 2008

Fri., March 14, 2008 (last date for scholarship consideration)

Tips for Auditioning

How to Practice Audition Repertoire

• Determine repertoire months or even years in advance
• Decide on an opening piece that shows off your strengths. A difficult section played well can show off your skills.
• Use a tuner and metronome during the early stages of practice. This will help you correct pitch and rhythm problems as you learn the piece.
• Prepare expressive parts as carefully as technical part. Identify the mood and message of these sections.
• Be aware that the audition committee may only ask for part of a piece. Be able to start your piece from various points (not always the beginning)
• Yes, you can practice sight-reading. Take an etude book, flip to a new page, take a few minutes to study the music, and then sight-read it.
• Know your scales from memory
• Rehearse in performance clothes. Are you comfortable? Practice walking in your shoes.
• Record your program on an audio or video recorder to assess your strengths and weaknesses. Build up your strengths and work on weak areas.
• Practice playing in front of an audience and let them critique your performance.

What to do on audition day

• Dress appropriately and treat the audition as you would a job interview. Let the audition committee know that this is important to you.
• Arrive early and warm up.
• Bring music and anything else you might need (extra strings, reeds, etc.)
• Smile, and make eye contact with the audition committee.
• Be courteous.
• Be professional, (i.e. Imagine what you would see in a professional performance. Imagine you being part of it.)
• Take plenty of time at the audition - don't rush!
• Speak confidently.
• Use good posture.
• Keep going even if you make mistakes.
• Don't make excuses (e.g. "I was sick yesterday so I couldn't practice.") - the audition committee has heard them all!
• Know that if the audition committee asks you to play something with a change it doesn't mean you played it wrong. They may want to see how you take and make correction.
• Enjoy yourself!