Posted by Jay Bertolet on March 03, 1999 at 08:39:17:
In Reply to: Sounding different in an audition posted by Richard on March 02, 1999 at 06:18:00:
I try to go into auditions to accomplish something, not just show up and play. The first thing I look at is the excerpts. Why did the auditioner choose the excerpts you're going to play? Usually, there are 2 reasons: The ensemble you're auditioning for is playing the given piece soon, or the auditioner has decided that the excerpt is difficult in some way and will test your skills. If you want to stand out from your colleagues, identify the traps in excerpts and then master those traps. Show the auditioner that you understand why a given piece was chosen and that you can handle the challenge. Aside from that, I have a priority list that I follow in auditions:
1) Do the basics flawlessly (intonation, rhythm, articulation, etc.). The fact that we have preliminary rounds in auditions is a testimony to the importance of this to prospective employers. Show the committee that you control the instrument, not vice versa.
2) Exhibit as many aspects of your playing as possible. Show the committee how versatile you are. I try and save 1 excerpt to show just how loud I can play, 1 to show how soft, etc. It also helps to be prepared to do excerpts in different styles. Be aware of different interpretations of a given excerpt and be prepared to play in those different styles. Also, if the auditioner asks you to do something unusual with an excerpt, be prepared to deal with that. Remember that your ensemble skills are being tested as well.
3) Play for the auditioner(s) like they are an audience. So many times I have heard players come in and just play by rote, like a robot. An audition is as much a concert situation as anything else. Show the committee that you are a musician, communicate with them, comport yourself as you would on a stage. It always seemed to me that to get picked by a committee in an audition, you had to do something that stuck in their minds and made them choose you. Make sure your performance is memorable, in a good way.
Good luck!