Time Management for Orchestra Auditions
“If I only had one more week.”
How many times has this thought crossed your mind the day of an audition?
We all know that feeling of slight desperation and frustration as we are nearing the audition day. “Another week would surely make me feel more confident!”
But is that really true?
Perhaps you struggled with organizing your time. We all have busy schedules, and when you add an audition on top of everything else, something is going to get squeezed. There's the piece for the master class, or the chamber concert, or the orchestra rehearsal... Somehow, the time you wanted to set aside to prepare just never happened.
Or maybe you never quite nailed the opening of Don Juan (my personal bete noire!). Surely it would improve if there was JUST MORE TIME. Right?!?
Maybe you looked at the list and thought, “I know all these pieces. I studied them last year in school. I’m sure it won’t take that much time to relearn them.” But when the audition approached, you realized that you needed a LOT MORE TIME to really play them well.
Any one of these could have happened to you. Or maybe ALL of them have happened to you.
Honestly, it doesn't really matter. Because do you know the BEST time to prepare for an audition? Before it's even announced.
Knowing your excerpts is like money in the bank. Every occasion I go back to an excerpt, I learn more about:
What I want to say
Technical issues I need to deal with
How I'm hearing my sound and phrasing
I use my study of excerpts to track my own musical progress. I've found that being able to work on them WITHOUT the threat of the clock ticking is a much better experience. Without the clock ticking, I have a chance to truly learn, understand, and improve.
Like I said, it feels like money in the bank. When an audition is finally announced, I can check my bank account and know that I have socked away many hours of careful and thoughtful practice. Instead of cramming, I get to spend the months or weeks before the auditioning calmly polishing. It's a much better experience.
So here's my point—if you want to be a professional musician, auditions are a fact of life. What if you started "saving" today, towards a happier, more fulfilling future?
I am a week away from launching my Fall Intensive course which will take you through 11 of the most-asked for excerpts in the repertoire. The course includes a video series that covers each excerpt in-depth, including tips on what audition committees want to hear. In addition to excerpt studies, we'll have six training sessions on the Five Pillars of Preparation, covering organization and the mental and physical aspects of audition preparation.
If you're ready to build your "audition bank," there are more details at the link below:
FALL INTENSIVE PROGRAM
And if you have questions or you would like to apply, click the next link so we can find a time for a short chat:
Click to see Gloria's schedule
Don’t get caught at your next audition wishing you had one more week!