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Post by emello3 on Oct 9, 2005 20:44:36 GMT -5
Im auditioning for honors band tomorrow, its my first time in a formal tryout (trying out for chair seats in front of the bd doesnt count) does anyone have some tips? and how nervous do u actually get? thanks -EM
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Post by Scott Benson II on Oct 9, 2005 20:55:42 GMT -5
Dress nicely; let your attire convey the thought that you consider this event important. Be confident as you enter the audition room, even if you're not. Don't show them you're nervous. If you mess up, don't worry. Everybody makes mistakes, and the judgesexpect that. It's how you continue after a mistake that distinguishes the great player from the good one. Make sure your instrument is in the best shape possible. Make sure you're completely warmed up, but take a little break right before you go in to play. Make sure you're in tune. This is critical.
Now as to nerves. I only got nervous for REALLY big auditions, like my college entrance auditions. If you're nervous (and if it's your first audition, you will be), take a few deep breaths, close your eyes, lean back in your chair, and clear your mind. Don't think about the problem-passages you have; rather, focus on the basics: good tone, good intonation, etc. Try to stay relaxed. If you can, joke around with the other people around. Chat with a friend. Do anything to put your mind at ease. But don't lose your focus on the audition. And it's ESPECIALLY important to remain relaxed when you perform the audition. Tension in the body leads to problems no matter what instrument you're playing.
I hope this is helpful. Good luck!
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Post by prongs4band on Oct 9, 2005 21:01:18 GMT -5
For me...lol. well... i usually just let myself get nervous...i'm not quite as nervous when i finally get in there as i am when i'm walking in there...i just usually take a few DEEP breaths...and then i take a deep breath so i can start playing while the mouthpiece is up to my mouth...then i freak out and don't do it that time...but then the 2nd time i do that, i just go right ahead and play...after that i just express myself with the emotions inside of me...and i DON'T try to loose any quality tone...that's one of the MOST IMPORTANT THINGS for auditions. always keep a quality tone...even in sight-reading...(especially there) lol...i'll also listen to New World Symphony or Cannon in D...or A Hymn for the Lost and Living. all slow songs...or if that doesn't help...i play my audition peice in my head...and think about how i'm going to express myself in front of the judges...i start playing, and it's all good from then on out...for the most part...there's a couple of things that might help you: 1. (i take it you play french horn for concert season) Just go into the audition room thinking you're the best French Horn player in the world...i'm not saying go in there acting all conceited or anything like that...just think you're the best... 2. Breathe correctly...don't lift your chest when you breathe...make sure your stomache is puffing out to fill up your lungs...the judges will be able to tell if you're breathing correctly... oddly enough... 3. Don't even think about the judges...i know it's really hard not to do...it's just something my BD said a REALLY, REALLY, REALLY good fellow euphonium player told him...even though i still think my bd is just as good...but i've never heard this other dude...but my bd will be one to know... and also...sometimes you'll have a judge who doesn't even play your particular instrument...in 7th grade i had my bd as a judge an he plays euphonium...he CAN'T play clarinet...(he knows the notes and fingerings until you get into the altissmo register...he says they're alien fingerings...lol) but expression, i think, is EXTREMELY important...that could just be me, though..lol Well...good luck on your auditions!!!! i'm sure you'll do fine...i hope what i've said will help you!
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Post by hchswiregrasshorn on Oct 9, 2005 23:58:38 GMT -5
Well, i've been through many auditions (8 to be exact) and here's some things I have noticed. If you have to wait in a line with the other hornists, you will start to feel as though they are better and more prepared than you. Believe me, it's not a very good feeling. What I do to get over this problem is talk to them. Ask what school they go to and how long they've played horn. This will allow you to relax and see these people as more than possible competition. No matter how prepared you are, you WILL be nervous. There are many ways to combat this tryout tyrant. The 1st step to getting over a problem is to admit the truth. If you prepare yourself as not being nervous, when you get in there you will be even more nervous which makes it even worse. When you sit down, just say to yourself calmly that you are nervous. Another way is to ask the judge (or the runner if you can't talk to the judge) if you can get used to the pitch in the room. This does 2 things :1 you know if the pitch is sharp or flat and you can adjust and 2, you can play notes to clam yourself down. If your shaking when you play you know to calm down before beginning the audition. Another way is to pretend that your bd, dm, sl, or other band authority that your used to playing in front of is your judge (if your really lucky, your judge could be your band director, but your case might not permit this, but never say it won't happen) Stare at a picture of the band authority you've chosen the night before. Then when you get in the audition, close you eyes and picture this person in your mind, so that when you play its just like performing to them. If this doesn't help, do this with your crush. Believe me, it works. I hope this helps you with your audition and future auditions, and i'll post more tips when I discover them.
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Post by tuttiflutieoboist on Oct 10, 2005 17:21:28 GMT -5
Pre-audition snack: Banana Bananas have potassium and potassium supposedly calms nerves. Not sure if this is scientific, but the one year I ate bananas before I played at contest, I felt much calmer and received a I rating. Try it...maybe it's true, maybe it's psychological. But it helped me.
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Post by silverhorn23 on Nov 20, 2005 13:07:45 GMT -5
Im auditioning for honors band tomorrow, its my first time in a formal tryout (trying out for chair seats in front of the bd doesnt count) does anyone have some tips? and how nervous do u actually get? thanks -EM Make sure you eat beforehand. Nothing greasy. The post about bananas is excellent. I always eat bananas before auditions. Or any kind of fruit. But you don't want to go in on an empty stomach. Don't blow your chops before you audition either. Don't even run through the piece or any other required audition materials on the same day. If you don't know it by then, then you aren't GOING to know it. Just do a basic warm-up. Don't play too high or anything, enough to get your lips warmed up. If you want, play something fun, as long as it doesn't go too high. Don't listen to others playing, and for gosh sake, don't play anything pertaining to the audition in front of other horn players. That's not the way to win friends...it just makes people mad. The most important thing is to have fun in the audition. An audition is just another performance.
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Post by Duel of the Flutes on Nov 22, 2005 21:53:08 GMT -5
I'm starting to really like you, silverhorn23, because your posts are so informative and interesting. I have no audition tips to give, however, except for the fact that you should a) remember to breathe, and b) empty your spit before you play. basic, I know, but I've found that doing normal instrument stuff, such as emptying spit, oiling valves, etc, actually helps calm me down a bit, and I get the stuff I need to get done... well, done. it makes stuff feel a bit more normal. I've also heard the thing about the potassium thing, but I couldn't stand to a eat banana if you shoved it down my throat, so that is quite unfortunate to me, because I get extremely nervous before auditions, concerts, and even important rehearsals. maybe I'll have to try it someday, and find out if it works, no matter how much I hate bananas.
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Post by musicscifigirl on Nov 23, 2005 16:57:36 GMT -5
^ important rehearsals?? Dang! Gurl, you need to RELAX!!
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Post by alrec on Nov 23, 2005 20:51:43 GMT -5
Relaxing is the best thing for any kind of playing, when i am practicing and i get frustrated i always take 2 full breaths to calm down, then i go at it again, it ussually helps.
I assume taking some breaths before an audition would help
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Post by alrec on Jan 3, 2006 13:08:24 GMT -5
hey....im reviving this topic becuse i didnt want to start a new one when there already was one.
Its my turn to audition (sunday) and i thought that id bring this back for everyone who has there auditions in jan and feb. Logically speaking, i think all the tips listed are helpful.....but this is my first live audition....so i'll learn first hand what to do and not to do.
Any support/ new ideas are apreciated.
and i have another tip. Do not make your day perfect, becuse your used to playing a certin way, which reflects your attitude, if you change your attitude, its like playing on a different horn.
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Post by tbonestar06 on Jan 3, 2006 22:46:30 GMT -5
I have played for plenty of judges and I still have the worst nerves in the world. Even though I have been through it I still get nervous. But what I do is ignore the judge while I am playing. I just position the stand in front of them. Nothing is worse than feeling the eyes on you. I have also learned that if they say something positive about something, and you don't think it was good, don't speak to them negative. And since you will be nervous you will want to rush. Just keep telling yourself to take your time and follow tempo. Getting through the hard parts will be easier if you play the tempo you have practiced
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Post by stickshifty on Jan 5, 2006 20:24:19 GMT -5
i've done a lot of auditions and i get nervous, but the thing is to not let your nerves take control. i warm up low first, then i play lip slurs, i do one, then two octave scales, and then i play my audition music. if the music has anything above a high e, i play the note once, then whenever i come to that note again, i drop down an octave. DO NOT BLOW YOUR CHOPS. if you overplay the warm-up, you will not hit any high notes in the room. i play everything the least amount of times possible. i play through once or twice and if its good, i quit, because i like to end on a good note (excuse the pun). and then i warm down a little. i always take my own music because the music in the room is always scribbled on and it distracts me. and ALWAYS EMPTY YOUR SPIT BEFORE YOU PLAY ANYTHING!
as for mentally, i eat a banana and a chocolate square because i believe it calms me down (i don't know if it does, but it makes me feel like i'm calmer). and when i go in the room, i tell myself, "the judge is here to hear me. i have one opportunity to play for him and let him know i'm the best it's gonna get." i know this is arrogant, but it helps me play in a full, round tone.
if something does go wrong, like your horn breaks, don't lose your marbles. if you would like to read my strategies on winning the judges' affections if this should occur, you can pm me because some people might be offended by the way i do this. but i have had my horn break, the main tuning slide had become unwelded and played a whole exerpt about a half-step sharp, and i still made a very high chair because it was a fixable problem. but you have to keep your cool, like someone else said, its how you react to mistakes.
hope this helps! good luck: :-)
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Post by Duel of the Flutes on Jan 5, 2006 21:45:22 GMT -5
^ I agree with the spit valve thing. I've heard stories about that... yeah. there's this trumpet player in the 6th grade band that never empties his spit valve, and I bet if he does a solo next year he'll forget to empty it then, too. (and I was stuck next to him!) personal ritual things are good too. if you believe that something will make you play better, do it, and you'll have more confidence. I HAVE to be wearing my saxophone necklace and this other necklace I have every time I play for an auditon, no excuse. and I think it helps me, so it does. the scientific term is the "placebo effect". it's quite neat, even though it doesn't always work. and remember, if you think your solo/audition was terrible, remember that it's been worse for other people. one of the horn players in the upper band had the string to her first valve break in the middle of a solo one time, and that's what I think of now. (that and how grateful I am to not have to worry about that string... yet. )
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Post by Insane Clarinetist on Jan 10, 2006 20:35:46 GMT -5
I take it you've already auditioned, and I feel a bit bad that I didn't post this before then... I hope you did well! I've been auditioning for a looong time, and one of the major problems I've always had happens to be nerves. I can remember my first high school audition... Er, let's leave it at complete fiasco (Judge's comment: "You need a lot of work on your tone and technical skills, but you're vibrato's coming along great!"). As always, relaxing and to have participated in ample practice time is the key to performing well in an audition. But, just in case, here's seven great steps to sorting out those inevitable nerves on 'the big day': One: Eat a banana. I know, everyone's said this already. But for the longest time, I didn't believe it to have any effect whatsoever. Because of that (and because I had no extra cash), I never tried; The one time I did, I was a lot less nervous than usual. From my experience, and what I've heard through the vine, I'd suggest eating it about 45 minutes to an hour beforehand. Two: Get a good warm-up in. Not extra practice time. I usually do a couple long tones, go over scales, and run over some licks that I've been having trouble with, but have managed to fix. I don't try to fix something that I haven't already, because chances are I won't get it right in the audition anyway. Three: Be respectful to everyone. Your judge, the runner (if you have one), the concession stands worker, even that random guy who cut you off on your way into the parking lot. You never know who someone might be, and how influential to your score they could be. I know it may sound a bit like sucking up, but remember that no one's opinion is entirely unbiased. Four: It's been said already, but spend as little time as possible waiting in line. Do make sure you're on time, but don't stand around listening to everyone gloat about how awesome they sound, or how much they didn't practice, or how terrible they are. Chances are, no matter what they say, your mind will interpret it as "I'm better than you", and after a while, you just might start to believe it. Five: In the sight-reading room, check out the Key Signature and tempo marking first. This will alert you to what style you should be playing in. Next, scan the excerpt for difficult rhythms; figure those out, but don't spending more than a couple seconds on each one. Then work on straight runs, like a passage of 16ths or triplets. You'll probably be out of time at this point, but if you aren't, finger through the ending, and then the beginning. You'll want to work on the end first, because that's your lasting impression. Time left after that? Finger through the middle part. Be sure to start your first note with a nice, clear tone, and end with a resonant, ringing sound (unless otherwise marked). Six: While waiting in line, instead of talking to other players, imagine yourself flying a kite. Picture the clothes you're wearing, who is with you (if there's anyone), the weather, what the kite looks like... every small detail. It's a great relaxation technique. Seven: When you actually get in the audition room, take two deep breaths. If allowed, play a Bb Scale (or whichever key you're most comfortable with). Don't do this just to get nerves out (although it helps) - listen and pay attention to the way your instrument sounds in the room and check out your pitch. Wait until your judge tells you that you can start... and start. Edit: The grammer nazi inside of me felt compelled to modify a couple things...
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Post by princessblow on Jan 14, 2006 11:42:14 GMT -5
all i can say is RELAX and don't warm up excesively before you go into your audition. for example i over warmed up and i was making a lot of mistakes i was really tense and when i got into the room with the judges i started to hyperventilate and... yeah it wasn't good the most important thing is to relax
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