Winston Churchill famously said that democracy is the worst form of government… except for all the others. I feel much the same way about orchestral auditions. They are an imperfect way of choosing a new member for an orchestra but it’s hard to imagine another way of doing it that is both inclusive and fair.
An orchestral auditions demonstrates:
An audition usually DOES NOT demonstrate:
Often consideration is given on how to eliminate an auditionee and often the best candidate is not selected to fill the position. To be successful, a musician must be prepared to play musically despite the circumstances. An audition can be used to show what you can do. On the negative side, you have to fight nerves. Many things can go wrong and you must run or fight for your life. To counter this, you must have a positive mental attitude. The worst thing to do in an audition is to analyze yourself and your playing. You are asking questions rather than issuing statements to the audition committee.
There is no set method to prepare for an audition. The individual must use his own judgement. All parts of a composition must be prepared, not just the most popular phrases. Part of the preparation is learning how the individual instrument's part fits within the ensemble.
Many musicians over-practice and do not play their best at their appointed time. When arriving, warm-up but do not practice. The purpose o f an audition is to show your best playing for the audition committee not to impress other applicants. Auditions are problematic, especially for the player. There are capable players who have a hard time demonstrating their best playing in the context of an audition.
An orchestral auditions demonstrates:
- Ability to play in rhythm and in tune with one’s self
- basic sound production and articulation
- variety of colors and dynamics a player is capable of
- Basic musicianship (though, in younger players, often formulated by a teacher rather than the candidate themselves)
- Ability to perform well in an extremely high pressure situation
- Consistency in short bursts (a typical round is 5 to 20 minutes long)
- performance skills with no external musical stiumulus (not a particular valuable skill in an orchestral context).
An audition usually DOES NOT demonstrate:
- Personality and interpersonal skills crucial to a working relationship with the section
- Ability to blend and play in tune with others (a section round or trial week can be helpful but is not enough to fully evaluate a player’s aptitude)
- Ability to prepare large amounts of repertoire quickly
- knowledge of the vast orchestral repertoire
- work ethic and general attitude towards one’s specific role in the orchestra
- Aptitude in the day to day tasks of playing in an orchestra (concentrating for long periods, endurance)
- a player’s experience that may or may not qualify them for a job (these days, many auditions are completely blind and nothing is known about the candidate until the audition is over)
- Consistency over a long season
Often consideration is given on how to eliminate an auditionee and often the best candidate is not selected to fill the position. To be successful, a musician must be prepared to play musically despite the circumstances. An audition can be used to show what you can do. On the negative side, you have to fight nerves. Many things can go wrong and you must run or fight for your life. To counter this, you must have a positive mental attitude. The worst thing to do in an audition is to analyze yourself and your playing. You are asking questions rather than issuing statements to the audition committee.
There is no set method to prepare for an audition. The individual must use his own judgement. All parts of a composition must be prepared, not just the most popular phrases. Part of the preparation is learning how the individual instrument's part fits within the ensemble.
Many musicians over-practice and do not play their best at their appointed time. When arriving, warm-up but do not practice. The purpose o f an audition is to show your best playing for the audition committee not to impress other applicants. Auditions are problematic, especially for the player. There are capable players who have a hard time demonstrating their best playing in the context of an audition.