Audition do's and don'ts

[vivacelife]

I have an audition coming up. Can anyone who is well-experienced in auditions give me some advice and tips? THANKS!

[vivacelife]

Do really practice and don't be scare.
What if you mess up?

[lostinidlewonder]

Depending on what the audition is for. If it is to get into a music school then usually the schools have a requirement for what they want to hear from you.

I would say the most important thing before the audition is to see what instrument you will play on, at least have a little go on it before you play for anyone, also observe the size of the room that you are playing in. These things all must be considered and controlled as you play. People able to control an instrument for a given room size and the instrument itself impress adjudicators.
If you are in a smaller room, consider, p ranges are much more observable f sounds can become too harsh sometimes. In larger rooms, f sounds are more observable p are harder to observe. How does that affect the overall peformance of your music?

[Brian Healey]

My biggest piece of advice for you is that no matter how nervous you may be, try your best not to act nervous. In fact, make your body language show confidence. The body follows the mind, so acting confident will actually make you feel less nervous. Smile and make eye contact with the ajudicators when you walk into the room and act as if you "own" the piano. Perhaps even make some brief conversation to loosen the tension. If you make a mistake, act as if you did it on purpose, and even if you become rattled, be composed on the outside. I think body language is perhaps just as important as your actual playing when it comes to auditions. They want to hear what you can play, sure, but they also want to see that you are relaxed and focused.

Above all, if you do poorly, leave your emotions in the audition room. Don't feel bad or beat yourself over a poor audition. Auditions are tough playing situations. For me, they're way more nerve-racking than playing a solo concert in front of a large audience. So don't try to sweat it too much.

Good Luck,
Bri

[shasta]

Some tips for a powerful first impression:

If the adjudicators are close by, walk confidently up to them, look them in the eye and introduce yourself in a pleasant and clear voice, smile, and then shake their hands.  When they respond with their name, repeat it, smile, then shake the hand of the next adjudicator, and so on. 

If you are on a stage and the adjudicators are in the audience or relatively removed from you, walk to center stage, introduce yourself in a loud, clear voice, look directly at them, and smile.

If they select the piece they want to hear you play, respond to them with a smile and a nod, say "yes, I will now perform X, composed by Y, thank you", then focus and begin.  If they give you the option of selecting your own piece, look them in the eye, smile, and annouce your selection and composer to them in a loud, clear voice.

If you have long hair, make sure it is pulled back or up or out of the way so the adjudicators can see your face.

Make sure you have played through your pieces wearing the shoes you plan on wearing to your audition, so that your body/posture is familiar for how your foot positions at the pedals might be affected.

If you do not get the opportunity to test out the piano prior to the audition, and there are no scales or exercise work required by your audition, take a moment before you begin your first piece and play a few chords at varying dynamics, testing the pedals and getting a feel for the keys.  The adjudicators will be impressed that you also took a brief moment to introduce yourself to the piano.

Good luck!

[vivacelife]

Thanks, they r so helpful

[jazzyprof]

Don't play a piece you have only just learnt.

[ehpianist]

Do prepare psychologically

(https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,5660.msg58371.html#msg58371
https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,5911.msg58177.html#msg58177
https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,5955.msg58354.html#msg58354)

Do not practice up until the minute before your audtion

Do act self-confident

Do not appologize for any mistakes

Do not pay attention to the auditioners' shuffles, coughs, scribblings, sighs of boredom and blatant talking  amongst themselves while you perform (many do this on purpose to see if it will throw you).


Do enjoy sharing the music with others, which is really what you are doing.

Elena
https://www.pianofourhands.com

[Nina_too]

It's not clear what you're auditioning for... but if it's to enter a music program, remember that the judges have to listen to a LOT of people.  As a result, they don't have a lot of time for any individual performer.  So....

1.  Don't worry if the judges appear to be rude, brusque or impolite.  It's nothing personal, they're just trying to do their job as quickly and efficiently as possible.

2.  Don't expect to play an entire piece.  They probably will interrupt you as you play, ask you to stop, or ask you to repeat something.  This is normal.  They're not sick of you, they've just heard what they need to hear.  (Tip: think to yourself, "Great, they know that I can play this one just fine," not "Shoot, they can't stand to hear me play this.")

3.  If they have asked you to prepare several pieces, don't worry if they don't ask to hear all of them.  Again, they are trying to make sure you know your stuff.  It's an audition, not a performance.

4.  Be ready with decent answers to typical questions they might ask:  "Why did you choose this piece?"  "When was it composed?", etc.  Sometimes they will ask, sometimes they won't... but if they do, you don't want to look like an idiot.  Look them in the eye, try not to say um, and speak confidently.

Good luck!

[ehpianist]

great recommendations nina!

Elena
https://www.pianofourhands.com

[ehpianist]

Did the audition pass yet? How did it go?

Elena
https://www.pianofourhands.com

[cygnusdei]

Here's a funny Q&A from Peabody's website:


How can you listen to all my audition selections in such a short time?

We can't. Expect the faculty to start and stop you in the middle of things. Remember, an audition is a diagnostic activity; not a performance. You might imagine, for instance, what might happen if the piano faculty had to listen to 30 complete renditions of a Beethoven Sonata before hearing your audition. I suspect their brains would be mush by then. As a diagnostic activity, the faculty will hear only what they have to hear to have a clear understanding of your level of development.

[avetma]

Be calm and smile as you play every note (or passage, no matter how hard it is).

[invictious]

The main thing is to create an impression, so the adjudicator will remember you.

Things include:
Adequate confidence


which means looking them in the eye, firm handshake, really, it's all in your mind.

[Bob]

Expect to perform how you have practice.

Practice the performance.

Music schools are usually more interested in musicality and potential than perfection and technical skill.  They want to see that you will be successful if they take you.

Practice speaking if you know you have to say certain things.  Be able to say the name of the piece and composer for sure.

Check the requirements for the audition many times before you start working on the pieces.

Don't put all your eggs in one basket.  There are many reasons schools accept or decline candidates.  And those reasons may have nothing to do with you or your performance.

Auditions can really work both ways sometimes.  If it's possible, find out more about them - ask them questions.  Check out the school more after you audition.

[mattgreenecomposer]

I like Nina's responses.
A friend of mine is a university proffesor here in the "States."  The #1 thing I would say is don't pick a piece that is too hard!  It's better to play Beethoven op. 49 great, than play Liszt like crap.  Noone cares if you can slop through notes, no matter how good you think you are, your gonna realize you suck once you get to music school anyways so you might as well get used to it.  -I did!
No really there are so many great players out there, so your attention to detail is more important than a piece with a million notes in it.
mattgreenecomposer.com