Category: Music

Tis the season for auditions in my studio, and as I’ve been helping students prepare to audition for college programs and various honors ensembles for years, I’ve gathered a few helpful tips to share!

Be VERY familiar with the requirements.

I know that sounds really obvious, but this can’t be stressed enough, because you don’t want to get to the audition, only to find out that you’ve prepared the wrong music or are otherwise unable to meet the requirements! Verify what the audition requires as far as scales, etudes, and literature, as well as sight-reading expectations. Finally, if the audition requirements specify specific editions of any music, make sure you have the correct ones.

Practice

                       

Start practicing the material far enough in advance that you will have enough time to prepare it well!  Practice slowly and thoroughly, so that you can make sure that your timing is clean and precise, particularly on the items that all candidates have to play, such as scales and etudes. One of the reasons they ask all candidates to play some of the same music is to help them recognize which people are bringing the strongest technical and musical ability.  Often, candidates are asked to play the scales at their fastest controlled speed. If you have to sacrifice a little speed for better control, then do it! Slower is better than sloppy timing, and you want your performance to be memorable in a good way!

What about nervousness?            

Yes, you should plan on that. Isn’t it amazing that our bodies respond to a situation like an audition as if our very lives are in grave danger? Isn’t it great that there will be no physical danger at your audition? I hope that makes you feel better already, but if you’re not there yet, let’s consider changing our expectations about nervousness.

I used to get really nervous, and trying to stop the effects of physiological fear just made me more nervous. What works better for me now, is to expect that my body is going to react with nervousness, and then do the performance anyway!

Some of the physical symptoms of fear/stress you might experience are:

• Racing heart, shaking hands, fidgeting.
• Too little or too much saliva-this can be a real challenge if you are a wind player or a singer.
• Muscle Tension
• Shallow Breathing

If you are feeling nervous before your audition, try taking a few deep breaths and rolling your shoulders back. Deep breathing can help take the edge off of these symptoms and calm your body down.  However, keep in mind that playing in front of a judge is going to feel very different than practicing at home, and you would be wise to expect some physical reactions to the stress of auditioning, but this doesn’t have to stop you from playing well. Just recognize what is happening, do your best to stay relaxed, and play well anyway!

The Big Day                                                                                          

• Be sure to get plenty of rest, water and healthy nutrition in the days leading up to the audition.
• Creative visualization is very powerful–take a few minutes each day to imagine yourself being there any playing your best!
• Get there early, so that you won’t feel rushed, and will have plenty of time to warm up. You may also benefit from taking a walk around if you need to dispel some nervousness before your audition.
• Play as if being selected or not does not matter to you. Have fun with this-playing an instrument is supposed to be fun, after all!

What if it doesn’t go as well as it did at home?

Yes, mistakes might happen, and if they do, consider it an opportunity to show the judge(s) how flexible you are by just moving on with your performance as if it never happened. Being a good musician is not about playing everything perfectly at all times; it is about concealing the errors so well, and with such confidence (real or imagined-nobody else knows the difference), that the mistakes are not noticeable to the audience!

What if I am not selected?

It is perfectly understandable to feel disappointed if you are not selected following your audition. Performing leads us to be really hard on ourselves, because we spend months preparing for an event that takes 5 minutes. If you are bummed about not being selected, consider the following:

• Even if the audition didn’t go as well as you had hoped it would, just participating was a good experience. You got out of your comfort zone, you did something scary, you learned about yourself, and you are now a better musician for it.
• You now know what to expect from an audition, and just having completed one already helps you be more prepared for the next one. The more you do this, the easier it gets, and you get to take your experience with you into the next one!
• There will be more opportunities in the future, perhaps even better ones. The only way to take advantage of them is to pursue them, so keep playing!

What do you think about audition preparation? Please feel free to add comments below.  Thank you!

 

As a music teacher, I often field questions from people who are trying to decide if taking lessons is the right move for their children or for them.  These three myths about music lessons prevent people from taking up an instrument entirely, and they don’t have to!  If you have been pondering learning to play an instrument, but have reservations, do not allow these common misconceptions to discourage you:

1. Music Lessons Require a Large Time Commitment

It’s true that a time commitment is required, however, it doesn’t have to take as much time as many other extra-curricular activities.  A typical lesson is usually 30-60 minutes once a week, with regular practice at home in between.  Practice needs vary from student to student, but a beginning student can often make significant progress by practicing at home 100 minutes a week, an average of 20 minutes on 5 days.

2. Music Lessons Require a Large Financial Commitment

When I talk with prospective students, a concern they often express is affordability. Many of them are not concerned about the cost of the lessons themselves, but about the cost of the instrument and any supplies needed. Although that initial sticker shock can be daunting, keep in mind that there are alternatives to purchasing a new instrument up front.

• Contact your local music store and inquire about instrument rental programs. Instrument rentals in this area start at about $25/month, and if you decide later that you want to purchase your rental, many stores will apply the rent you have been paying towards that purchase.  Conversely, if that instrument does not work out for you, you’ll have the flexibility to return it without having invested in a big expenditure.
• Used instruments can be a cost effective option as well, however, if you decide to purchase from a private party, I recommend asking the seller to have it examined by an instrument repair technician to make sure it is in good working order.  You don’t want to shell out your hard earned money for a used instrument, only to find out that it needs more work than it’s worth!
• Keyboards versus Pianos could be another article entirely. Basically, an acoustic piano is preferable to a digital piano or keyboard, however, the fact is that piano ownership does not work for everyone, and that should not prevent someone from learning to play. Keyboard and digital piano manufacturers are developing more advanced and affordable options all the time. These instruments take up less space than acoustic pianos, do not require regular tuning/maintenance, and the key action mimics that of an acoustic piano so that someone who practices regularly on a digital model could easily play an acoustic piano as well.

Remember that although music study will require a financial commitment, it doesn’t have to be huge and it doesn’t have to happen right away.  Plenty of musicians start out on used or student level instruments and make the decision later to invest in a better instrument, after they know that this is something that they will continue.

3. It’s too late to start/I’m too old

Parents of prospective students often express concerns about enrolling their teens in lessons as brand new beginners because they do not have the prior experience that their friends have.  Did you know that there are a lot of great methods out there designed for older children and adult beginners who have absolutely no musical experience at all? One of my favorites is Piano Adventures for The Older Beginner (published by Hal Leonard). I have worked with many older kids who practiced hard and quickly caught up to their friends who started playing when they were 7, as well as adult students who became proficient musicians. The truth is that learning styles and expectations vary between students of different age groups, but it is never too late for anyone to learn something new!

What kind of experiences have you had with deciding to start music lessons (or not), and what other factors influenced your decision?