Re: Re: Tips for All-State auditions


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Posted by Sean Chisham on November 20, 2000 at 00:56:09:

In Reply to: Re: Tips for All-State auditions posted by Matt on November 19, 2000 at 18:10:45:

Well, in general, it is always best to play the ink verbatom. There are some pieces of music where tradition or scholarship supports a different course, such as a certain triplet run on the last page of Symphonie Fantastique. But in general, try to do as much as possible within the confines of the printed indications. Once you have the job, then you can do more musical exploration. The audition is not the best time.

Without knowing the piece of music in question I can make no definate suggestions, but can say that altering the requested audition music has a much higher chance of negative consequences than positive consequences. If you take the skeleton of an aural idea translated to ink we call published music and develop an appropriate and interesting interpretation while strictly adhering to composers indications, then you will have a good shot.

When the day is done, the person with the best sound who wrapped ALL the ink into an interesting and pleasant musical interpretation will win.

Tape record yourself while playing the music as written and decide for yourself if you like it. You will most likely not and will then proceed to make good progress. You are a wonderful judge of what is good when you remove yourself from the horn. Under the horn, few people have the ears to make good evaluations.

On another note, you mentioned different playing styles between Tenn and Chicago. There are no differences at the high school level, IMO. Why? Because, the vast majority of high school musicians have barely developed a "style" if they have at all. Most play in survival mode, where they are content to hit the right notes at the right time. Style involves more exposure and more time. Geographical styles are also established through exchanges within a culture. Most high school musicians rarely play music with anyone outside their school, let alone with people from a multi-state area like the Tennessee Valley. There is a difference between American and English and Russian and German and French brass playing, but not at the more minute level of between US States at the high school level.

From what I heard last week, anyone who had a good sound and played all the ink cleanly would have most likely made the All-State Band's tuba section. Those who made it sound like music made the top of the section.

What is the audition piece that you are considering changing, by the way?

sean



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