You’ve booked the audition. You really want to join this group! But first…you’ve got to win your spot. Preparing for an audition often pits our best flute playing against our worst mental obstacles. Fortunately, this tug-of-war can be mitigated with a thoughtful practice plan, consistent pre-audition routines, mock auditions, a bit of courage, and a sprinkling of self-confidence. In this blog, we will dive deeper into a few techniques to make your next audition a piece of cake. Knowledge is power and a good plan of attack is key to achieving true audition success.
Don’t panic – Just prep (musically and mentally). Booking an audition may feel intimidating at first. So much to do! Will you survive the audition process? Can you actually win the audition? Do you have enough time, energy, and mental space to prepare the audition material? This is when imposter syndrome starts to kick in. Imposter syndrome is the distorted thinking you may not be “good enough” to win the position or even to audition in the first place. (For more information on imposter syndrome, see my blog Exposing the Trickster – On Imposter Syndrome.) Something that really helps when the panic and doubts start to sink in is an affirmation soundtrack. As soon as you sign up for the audition, open the voice recorder app on your smart phone and record yourself giving yourself a pep talk. “You’ve got this! You can ROCK this audition. This is going to easy peasy. You can do this!” Listen to this soundtrack whenever those nerves creep in.
Plan it all out. What is your timeline? Put the audition date on all your calendars (electronic and paper-based). How much prep time do you have? What obstacles or other obligations do you have that might distract from your practice time? Next, plan out all the weeks leading up to the audition date. What excerpts/pieces will you master during each week? When can you reliably practice your audition material distraction free? Use calendar blocks in your schedule now to prioritize these times. A great program to help you plan everything out in one place is Trello (not sponsored). If you are a visual learner and want to see all of your action steps, dates, and to-dos in one place, this is the program for you.
Make sure your audition practice routines are clear and productive. The worst thing you can do is rely on finger memory from drilling the same music repeatedly in the same way. I’ve had more than a few performances go off the rails using this approach… Instead, start each session by planning out how much time you are going to spend working on which pieces/excerpts and what you hope to accomplish by the end of that time. It’s totally okay if you don’t achieve what you had hoped to. Plan it out for next time. A great new program to explore as you streamline your practice routine is Sarah Weisbrod’s The Practice Code for Musicians. This program is chalk full of effective practice strategies to help you make the most out of your practice time.
Patience is a virtue! Start by practicing your repertoire under tempo (or, as one of my favorite flute choir directors likes to say, “tempo de learno.”). This will help you identify any problem areas where you tend to rush the tempo or where the rhythm may not quite be correct. Practice with our good old friend, The Metronome. As you iron out the tempo and the music becomes easier under your fingers, bump up the tempo slightly. Repeat each day until you are at your goal tempo. I used this technique when I was preparing the Carmen Fantasie at my last recital and, as the kids say, it gave me main character vibes.
Practice complicated passage in chunks. Chunking is just a simple way to break up long runs or complicated and/or monotonous passages into smaller snippets that can be practiced separately before putting them back together again. Chunking makes your brain happy! Break up those complicated passages into groups of 3-5 notes. Practice the groupings separately with long rests in between. When each of the snippets are in good shape, put the passage back together. Magic, right? For more chunking exercises, check out Advanced Flute Studies: The Art of Chunking by Patricia George and Phyllis Louke.
Convert slower passages from your audition material into daily long tone exercises. Or, better yet, transform faster melodies into super slow long tone exercises. What better way to warm up each day than with a piece you already want to sound gorgeous on for your audition? This is also a good time to pop on your tuner and check your intonation. Change up the melody of the day to get the most play time for all of your slower audition repertoire.
Record yourself often. Yes – even from the very beginning of your preparation. What is your baseline/starting point? Flip on the video function on your smart phone and pretend you are auditioning without any prep. This will give you an idea what sections in your audition music will need the most attention and which passages already rock just as they are. Try to record yourself paying through your entire audition set list at least once per week leading up to the audition date. Review your progress and design new goals with each recording. Recordings are also good for testing playing stamina. Can you maintain focus throughout the entire set list?
Mock auditions are your friends. Re-create the audition environment with help from supportive friends, colleagues, and family. This can be super fun!! Literally hang a sheet from the ceiling and ask a panel of friends and family “judges” sitting behind the sheet to call out names of excerpts or pieces for you to perform. Record yourself during these mock auditions for extra helpful information on what happens to you when playing under stress. If you are aware of your habits, you can better prepare ahead of time.
Audition day! Be organized yet chill. We’ve been there – The panic of making sure you have all your gear, your music, and your sanity… It’s a lot when you are already stressed. Make things easy for yourself by loading all your music onto an iPad to ensure you have it all in one place. This will also make it easy to flip between excerpts. If you prefer to use hard copies, place them all in one binder, separated by well-marked dividers for each piece/excerpt. Listen to your affirmation soundtrack on your way to the audition. Remember: You’ve got this! Give yourself permission to fail. This tip comes straight from the book The Inner Game of Music by Barry Green. We place a lot of pressure on ourselves to play perfectly, win the audition, or perform a flawless recital, but it is often when we remove that perfectionist pressure that we play our very best. What is the worst thing that can happen? You don’t win the audition. No problem! Next! The experience and improvement in your playing from the audition prep process is priceless and the true win. Enjoy the prep work, the audition, and whatever results from your hard work.
Remember, you’ve got this!
Happy fluting!
***
About the Author, Rachel Taylor Geier:
Rachel Taylor Geier holds a DMA in Flute Performance from the University of
Minnesota-Twin Cities, an MM in Flute Performance from San Francisco State
University, and a BM in Music Performance from DePauw University. Former applied
instructors include Immanuel Davis, Linda Lukas, Anne Reynolds, and Rhonda
Bradetich. Dr. Geier currently teaches and freelances in Davis, California and hosts a
popular Flute Friday Blog Series.
