I've been kind of avoiding writing a blog about my audition on Monday, but I have come to the conclusion the few people who read my blog are probably waiting to hear details about it! The experience was...normal. It was a pretty standard audition, and I played well. Now, I pride myself in having a thick skin when it comes to auditioning - there is a lot of rejection involved with pursuing a musical career. Unfortunately, my emotional reaction to this audition was far worse than usual. Normally when I don't advance, I'm sad the day of, and then by the next day I'm totally over it. But its Thursday, and I still don't feel over it. In fact, I almost started crying yesterday when I was telling a co-worker about the audition. WTF? I think the hype leading up to the audition directly affected how I reacted to the bad outcome. To date, I have taken...1...2...*counting on fingers*...15 auditions for various orchestras/military bands - I think this is the first one where my goal 100% was to win the job (as opposed to just going for the experience). I knew I wouldn't be happy with anything but that at the end. I don't think I've ever taken an audition so seriously and worked so hard for it, and I was certainly the most prepared I've ever been.
Anyway, the first round excerpts consisted of Mozart Expo, Gounoud ballet, Beethoven 4, and the first two strains of the Fillmore march. I played everything pretty well, and they actually let me go through all the excerpts. Last time I auditioned for the Navy Band they didn't let be go through the prelim list. They did cut me off after measure 98 in the Mozart, but I think that was for time purposes, not necessarily because they thought I sucked. Based on my observations, and the reaction of the proctor, I really thought they were going to let me through to the next round. But...they didn't.
After thinking about it for a couple days, I think the reason that I didn't get advanced is that my playing wasn't 100% perfection. I let my nerves get the best of me (as usual), and I did have a couple bobbles here and there. Very minor, but noticeable enough. Also, I wasn't 100% satisfied with my reed. I think the combination of my nerves and a less than perfect reed was what kept me from advancing. I warmed up next to the girl who I am pretty sure won the audition, and she sounded amazing. I know I can sound like that, but I didn't when it counted, unfortunately. I also had to remind myself that I was competing against people who have time to practice 4-6 hours a day. Not that I want make that an excuse, but it is a fact that I simply don't have that sort of time. But based on what I heard in the warm up room, I think I was still near the top of the pack, which is encouraging. There were quite a few honkers!
It was frustrating to know that I got cut, because I had worked so hard. In the moment, I felt like all my hard work was for nothing! Of course I realize now that it wasn't for nothing - I did learned a lot in this audition. I truly realized how important it was to have a great reed, and also that I need to do something about my nerves! I also am a firm believer in things happening for a reason, and I am on my way to accepting that it just wasn't my time yet. Maybe I'm not ready to be in such a prestigious ensemble. I'll still be able to audition next time they have an opening available! The only difference is that I will be in uniform.
So what's next for me? Not much. I think I'm going to go back to basics and work on scale technique and my sound for a few months before I leave for boot camp. Yesterday I actually practiced for two hours! Not because I felt like I had to, but because I truly wanted to! I actually had other things that I needed to do, so I had to stop myself - I probably could have gone on for another two hours. I worked on a Rose etude, some Bach, and also worked a little bit on Libby Larsen Dancing solo. It was so fun! Reminded me why I love playing clarinet! My goal for the next few months is to improve my sound and air with lyrical music and etudes. Also, I'm going to try to devote more time to reed working. I'm going to start with an hour per week, and see if that helps my sound at all.
The moral of the story is that it just wasn't my time yet. Yes, the prospect of being an E-6 out of boot camp was so tantalizing, but I'm not sure that I'm ready to be in the ensemble yet. Maybe by the time they have another opening I will be, and it will be my day.
January 27, 2011
January 20, 2011
clarification
I just wanted to take a moment to clarify what my audition is for on Monday...a lot of people are asking me because I am already in the Navy. I am actually auditioning for a separate, premiere ensemble that is based out of Washington, DC. Here is the difference:
The program I auditioned and got accepted into, and now waiting to start is the Navy Music Program. The Navy Music Program is basically accepting any musician that is qualified enough to pass the audition, and there doesn't need to be a specific spot open for that instrument. The audition consists of some loose guidelines, but basically the applicant can play pretty much whatever they want, and the time/place of the audition is flexible. After a successful audition, the musician is then processed and enlists just like any other future sailor as an E-1 (no college experience), E-2 (some college), or E-3 (college degree - that's me). That person ships off to boot camp for 8 weeks, and after that gets to go to "A" school for 3-6 months. Its not until this is completed that they get assigned to a band - there are 11 different fleet bands that a Navy musician can be assigned to (including 3 that are abroad!). And that person is subject to being assigned to a different band every 3-4 years, depending on the needs of the Navy. Still a great opportunity! But here's something that's even better...
The audition I'm taking on Monday is for the U.S. Navy Band. You can only get into this ensemble if you win a posted audition, which doesn't happen unless there is a spot available. The time of the audition is non-negotiable, and it usually takes place at the Washington Navy Yard in DC, which is also non-negotiable (no sending CDs - and you have to pay your own travel expenses). The repertoire is also specifically provided, usually a solo and then a series of excerpts taken from orchestral and band repertoire. They will usually only select as many players as they have spots available, which is usually just one. The audition is almost always conducted like a typical orchestral audition with a screen and rounds. For those who make it though this rigorous process and are selected to be in the band, they still have to be qualified to enlist in the Navy and go through boot camp. But they are exempt from the "A" school and get to report directly to the Navy Band after they finish basic training, which is a plus. Also, it is a permanent assignment, which means that the person gets to stay in DC for their entire career if they want to, they will never be relocated to a different band. Oh yeah, and all Navy Band musicians get an E-6 rating straight out of boot camp. Just to put it in perspective, two out of the four recruiters in my recruiting office are only E-5s, and they each have several years in the Navy under their belt. Soooo, winning this audition will be totes amazing.
Usually, Navy musicians in the Fleet bands are allowed to audition for the Navy Band in DC, but in order to be invited to the audition they need a letter from their commander giving them permission. And usually to get this permission they have to do a pre-audition with their commander to see if they can actually win the audition. My situation is unique because I haven't been assigned to a band yet, so I'm free to audition since there isn't any conflict of interest (I actually made sure it was ok with all the higher ups in Navy Music).
So I hope this makes things a little more clear to what I'm doing on Monday. I will probably post one more blog before I leave, just because I'm a nerd and enjoy writing about clarinet. And its usually what I do in my practice breaks, haha!
The program I auditioned and got accepted into, and now waiting to start is the Navy Music Program. The Navy Music Program is basically accepting any musician that is qualified enough to pass the audition, and there doesn't need to be a specific spot open for that instrument. The audition consists of some loose guidelines, but basically the applicant can play pretty much whatever they want, and the time/place of the audition is flexible. After a successful audition, the musician is then processed and enlists just like any other future sailor as an E-1 (no college experience), E-2 (some college), or E-3 (college degree - that's me). That person ships off to boot camp for 8 weeks, and after that gets to go to "A" school for 3-6 months. Its not until this is completed that they get assigned to a band - there are 11 different fleet bands that a Navy musician can be assigned to (including 3 that are abroad!). And that person is subject to being assigned to a different band every 3-4 years, depending on the needs of the Navy. Still a great opportunity! But here's something that's even better...
The audition I'm taking on Monday is for the U.S. Navy Band. You can only get into this ensemble if you win a posted audition, which doesn't happen unless there is a spot available. The time of the audition is non-negotiable, and it usually takes place at the Washington Navy Yard in DC, which is also non-negotiable (no sending CDs - and you have to pay your own travel expenses). The repertoire is also specifically provided, usually a solo and then a series of excerpts taken from orchestral and band repertoire. They will usually only select as many players as they have spots available, which is usually just one. The audition is almost always conducted like a typical orchestral audition with a screen and rounds. For those who make it though this rigorous process and are selected to be in the band, they still have to be qualified to enlist in the Navy and go through boot camp. But they are exempt from the "A" school and get to report directly to the Navy Band after they finish basic training, which is a plus. Also, it is a permanent assignment, which means that the person gets to stay in DC for their entire career if they want to, they will never be relocated to a different band. Oh yeah, and all Navy Band musicians get an E-6 rating straight out of boot camp. Just to put it in perspective, two out of the four recruiters in my recruiting office are only E-5s, and they each have several years in the Navy under their belt. Soooo, winning this audition will be totes amazing.
Usually, Navy musicians in the Fleet bands are allowed to audition for the Navy Band in DC, but in order to be invited to the audition they need a letter from their commander giving them permission. And usually to get this permission they have to do a pre-audition with their commander to see if they can actually win the audition. My situation is unique because I haven't been assigned to a band yet, so I'm free to audition since there isn't any conflict of interest (I actually made sure it was ok with all the higher ups in Navy Music).
So I hope this makes things a little more clear to what I'm doing on Monday. I will probably post one more blog before I leave, just because I'm a nerd and enjoy writing about clarinet. And its usually what I do in my practice breaks, haha!
January 19, 2011
Audition season!
Its that time of year again. In the academic music world, early spring means one thing...school auditions! Seniors (both in college and high school) are playing auditions that will let them know how they will be spending the next few years of their life, whether its in an undergraduate or graduate program, or something else. Now, I have not taken a college audition in almost 4 years, but every year around this time I think about my experiences and all the people who are practicing like crazy right about now. I wanted to take a moment to reflect, and maybe give some advice to anyone that may be stressing right now and wondering what the next few years will bring.
While I don’t have any experience auditioning for undergraduate programs (my “audition” at CSU consisted of me playing a Rose etude...just one haha), I do have quite a bit of experience in auditioning for graduate programs. Over a 14 month period, I auditioned at 7 different schools. Here’s a little background for those who don’t know: five years ago (!!), in 2006, after graduating from CSU in the December 2005 I ambitiously auditioned for programs at University of Denver, Eastman, DePaul, and Northwestern. I say “ambitiously” because three of those schools were way beyond my reach, based on my playing ability at the time. Not that I had known that; I had been in the CSU/Colorado bubble my entire playing career and I really had no idea how good you had to be to make it anywhere. I won’t go into details, but it was quite a reality check…I recall paying a certain professor $100 for me to cry in a lesson with him at Northwestern when I realized how not ready I was for the auditions I was taking that weekend. I believe Daphnis is what sent me over the edge during that fateful hour. March 2006 was NOT a good month for me...3 reject letters! Anyway, because I didn’t know what else to do, I went ahead and enrolled at DU, the only school who accepted me that year. Fast forward to the end of 2006…started dating my current husband, and we got engaged within 6 months. My life had done a complete 180! He was finishing up his Masters degree at CSU and was interested in continuing on for a DMA. I said OK, I don’t like DU that much so I’ll audition everywhere you audition so that we can be together. I felt like I had improved A LOT and I would have a better chance this time. The schools ended up being Eastman (again), Michigan, Michigan State, and Indiana University. Like I said, I didn’t even choose those schools! Those were Ben’s choices. Again, long story short, I found myself accepted to all four schools with a full ride scholarship to Indiana. WHAT?!
Looking back, there were vast differences (other than my playing) in my auditions in 2007 that made them more successful than in the previous year. I won’t go into that in detail, rather, I am going to list some do’s and don’ts to students who are about to audition for various music schools out there based on my experience.
1. DON’T STRESS OUT! The outcome of your audition won’t be determined by how much you practice in the month before the audition. It will be determined by how hard you have worked and practiced in the year or years before the audition and how open your mind is to new ideas. Yes it is important to be fully prepared, but keep in mind that schools are not necessarily looking for perfection; they are looking for potential. If you can show that you have good fundamentals and have an open mind to learning, you should be fine. One of the reasons I was so successful in my 2nd round of auditions is because I took them in stride – I relied on all the hard work I put in the past year. For example, at my 2nd audition at Eastman, I auditioned for both Ken Grant and Robert Dilutis. Anyone who has met Robert, he can be extremely intimidating! It was very scary...but I clearly remember him asking me to play RK’s Capriccio Epagnol a second time, with some adjustments (specifcally the crazy runs at the end...he wanted me to emphasize the low notes more). And I did exactly what he told me to do – I think that could have been a deciding factor in my acceptance. Mostly everyone will go in and play their rep perfectly, its how you interact with the people that you are auditioning for that will be a deciding factor.
2. Do make sure that you take a step back and be realistic. Can you really compete with the level of applicants at this particular school? I wish I had done this my first round of auditions, I would have saved myself a lot of embarrassment and heartache! Its great to shoot for the stars, but its also important to know your own limits and to not set yourself up for failure. This is why I don't audition for the CSO or NY Phil...ha.
3. DON’T audition for the school you are currently attending. Now, this is purely my opinion, but if you go to a different school, you have a different teacher, different environment, etc. which in turn gives you a fresh perspective. No offense to anyone who has done this, but it really “grinds my gears” when people do multiple degrees at one school. I am a big advocate of getting out of your comfort zone – more learning takes place. When I graduated from CSU, my teacher offered me a full scholarship to stay and do my masters there. I said, no way! I needed to get out of there. And, I loved being a student at Eastman, but I would not get another degree there – I want a fresh experience if I ever decided to pursue another degree.
4. Don’t play too much repertoire. This was my biggest mistake in my 2006 auditions - I was too focused on quantity. That was a big mistake! Seriously, what was I thinking? Maybe I thought by having an impressive rep list that it could make up for the fact that I was a sub par clarinetist? Right. Anyway, clearly QUALITY is much better than quantity. In 2007, I prepared a fraction of the rep as compared to the year before. I basically did what was on the list for each school, nothing more. This is when it is ok to do the minimum.
5. Do be yourself! Professors want to know who you are and if you would be a good fit for their studios. They want to know if they would enjoy teaching you and whether or not you will be a good student. Don’t go in there a be a stone cold face – be personable. Its hard to act relaxed when you are in such a high pressure situation, but I always tried to imagine I was in a lesson, not an audition – I tended to open up more and not be as shy and intimidated. And remember, often times you are auditioning them as a teacher as well. Remember to ask yourself, would I be happy spending two years or more in their studio? This should make you more relaxed (at least it would for me).
6. Do know a brief background of the pieces you are playing (even the excerpts), just in case. It has never happened to me that I have been asked about it in an audition, but you never know. You don’t have to recite a dissertation on a whim, but know basics, like when was the piece written? For who/what? What other pieces did the composer write? Things like that. Always better to be safe than sorry – you don’t want to have to say “I don’t know” if they do ask!
Basically, the gist is to not practice a lot more than normal, and to stay relaxed about the whole thing. Its really NOT as big of a deal as people make it. At least I don't think so. I am not advocating not being prepared, I am advocating being relaxed in your preparation. As long as you have always worked hard, and keep working hard, you should have no problem getting into a school that is appropriate for your playing ability. Happy practicing!
While I don’t have any experience auditioning for undergraduate programs (my “audition” at CSU consisted of me playing a Rose etude...just one haha), I do have quite a bit of experience in auditioning for graduate programs. Over a 14 month period, I auditioned at 7 different schools. Here’s a little background for those who don’t know: five years ago (!!), in 2006, after graduating from CSU in the December 2005 I ambitiously auditioned for programs at University of Denver, Eastman, DePaul, and Northwestern. I say “ambitiously” because three of those schools were way beyond my reach, based on my playing ability at the time. Not that I had known that; I had been in the CSU/Colorado bubble my entire playing career and I really had no idea how good you had to be to make it anywhere. I won’t go into details, but it was quite a reality check…I recall paying a certain professor $100 for me to cry in a lesson with him at Northwestern when I realized how not ready I was for the auditions I was taking that weekend. I believe Daphnis is what sent me over the edge during that fateful hour. March 2006 was NOT a good month for me...3 reject letters! Anyway, because I didn’t know what else to do, I went ahead and enrolled at DU, the only school who accepted me that year. Fast forward to the end of 2006…started dating my current husband, and we got engaged within 6 months. My life had done a complete 180! He was finishing up his Masters degree at CSU and was interested in continuing on for a DMA. I said OK, I don’t like DU that much so I’ll audition everywhere you audition so that we can be together. I felt like I had improved A LOT and I would have a better chance this time. The schools ended up being Eastman (again), Michigan, Michigan State, and Indiana University. Like I said, I didn’t even choose those schools! Those were Ben’s choices. Again, long story short, I found myself accepted to all four schools with a full ride scholarship to Indiana. WHAT?!
Looking back, there were vast differences (other than my playing) in my auditions in 2007 that made them more successful than in the previous year. I won’t go into that in detail, rather, I am going to list some do’s and don’ts to students who are about to audition for various music schools out there based on my experience.
1. DON’T STRESS OUT! The outcome of your audition won’t be determined by how much you practice in the month before the audition. It will be determined by how hard you have worked and practiced in the year or years before the audition and how open your mind is to new ideas. Yes it is important to be fully prepared, but keep in mind that schools are not necessarily looking for perfection; they are looking for potential. If you can show that you have good fundamentals and have an open mind to learning, you should be fine. One of the reasons I was so successful in my 2nd round of auditions is because I took them in stride – I relied on all the hard work I put in the past year. For example, at my 2nd audition at Eastman, I auditioned for both Ken Grant and Robert Dilutis. Anyone who has met Robert, he can be extremely intimidating! It was very scary...but I clearly remember him asking me to play RK’s Capriccio Epagnol a second time, with some adjustments (specifcally the crazy runs at the end...he wanted me to emphasize the low notes more). And I did exactly what he told me to do – I think that could have been a deciding factor in my acceptance. Mostly everyone will go in and play their rep perfectly, its how you interact with the people that you are auditioning for that will be a deciding factor.
2. Do make sure that you take a step back and be realistic. Can you really compete with the level of applicants at this particular school? I wish I had done this my first round of auditions, I would have saved myself a lot of embarrassment and heartache! Its great to shoot for the stars, but its also important to know your own limits and to not set yourself up for failure. This is why I don't audition for the CSO or NY Phil...ha.
3. DON’T audition for the school you are currently attending. Now, this is purely my opinion, but if you go to a different school, you have a different teacher, different environment, etc. which in turn gives you a fresh perspective. No offense to anyone who has done this, but it really “grinds my gears” when people do multiple degrees at one school. I am a big advocate of getting out of your comfort zone – more learning takes place. When I graduated from CSU, my teacher offered me a full scholarship to stay and do my masters there. I said, no way! I needed to get out of there. And, I loved being a student at Eastman, but I would not get another degree there – I want a fresh experience if I ever decided to pursue another degree.
4. Don’t play too much repertoire. This was my biggest mistake in my 2006 auditions - I was too focused on quantity. That was a big mistake! Seriously, what was I thinking? Maybe I thought by having an impressive rep list that it could make up for the fact that I was a sub par clarinetist? Right. Anyway, clearly QUALITY is much better than quantity. In 2007, I prepared a fraction of the rep as compared to the year before. I basically did what was on the list for each school, nothing more. This is when it is ok to do the minimum.
5. Do be yourself! Professors want to know who you are and if you would be a good fit for their studios. They want to know if they would enjoy teaching you and whether or not you will be a good student. Don’t go in there a be a stone cold face – be personable. Its hard to act relaxed when you are in such a high pressure situation, but I always tried to imagine I was in a lesson, not an audition – I tended to open up more and not be as shy and intimidated. And remember, often times you are auditioning them as a teacher as well. Remember to ask yourself, would I be happy spending two years or more in their studio? This should make you more relaxed (at least it would for me).
6. Do know a brief background of the pieces you are playing (even the excerpts), just in case. It has never happened to me that I have been asked about it in an audition, but you never know. You don’t have to recite a dissertation on a whim, but know basics, like when was the piece written? For who/what? What other pieces did the composer write? Things like that. Always better to be safe than sorry – you don’t want to have to say “I don’t know” if they do ask!
Basically, the gist is to not practice a lot more than normal, and to stay relaxed about the whole thing. Its really NOT as big of a deal as people make it. At least I don't think so. I am not advocating not being prepared, I am advocating being relaxed in your preparation. As long as you have always worked hard, and keep working hard, you should have no problem getting into a school that is appropriate for your playing ability. Happy practicing!
January 7, 2011
Planning...it's the new "thing"
This week in lieu of my regular practicing on Tuesday night, I decided that I would do a video recording to re-evaluate how I was sounding. I always initially feel like its a wasted practice night when I make a recording, until I listen back to the recording I made - it always opens my eyes to something weird that I'm doing, which is worth a thousand hours of practice.
But this time, instead of doing just a regular recording in my practice room, I thought it might be beneficial to do a mock audition in another room of my house that I don't normally practice in. The purpose of which is to get used to playing in a foreign environment. While my living room isn't exactly a concert hall, it is different enough to in acoustics and feel to make the playing experience feel somewhat strange.
While I was at work that day, I was thinking about whether or not I should do my complete daily warm up to prepare for my "audition", and it dawned on me how chaotic my real pre-audition routine actually is (and by chaotic I mean completely nonexistent) - which probably either directly or indirectly affected the actual outcome of how I play at auditions. I knew my daily routine would not work...it takes over an hour to fully go through and I need a tuner, drone, I decided I would take the opportunity to try to establish some kind of audition warm up - something that I know will be a reliable way to warm up my embouchure and fingers, and to choose a reed, all while surrounded by a million honking clarinet players. I think I made a good start - here's what I came up with:
1. Chromatic scale of full range in whole notes at quarter = 60, no louder than mezzoforte (I don't want to be one of those honking clarinetists!) - play once through on each instrument called for at the audition.
2. Klose scales at quarter = 60
3. Klose scales at quarter =120
4. Full range chromatic scale with articulated pattern of eighth and two sixteenths, one note per measure at quarter = 120.
5. Play through each excerpt at a greatly reduced tempo - e.g. Mozart expo at quarter = 80.
Of course, I switch off between instruments so that I get warmed up on everything - also switch reeds when necessary until I find the "perfect" reed. I'm going to keep tweaking this routine to see what works best, I might add in another repetition of the Klose at quarter = 80 because my fingers felt a little clumsy going from 60-120. In my normal routine, I do Klose scales in 3rds at 80 in between which bridges the change in tempo a little, but I am trying to keep things as simple as possible. In its entirety, it takes about 20-30 minutes to go through this routine, which is about the minimum amount of time that I will have to warm up. We'll see if it pays off to have a plan at the audition!
After I listened back to the recording I made on Tuesday night, I found that I was making a lot of little mistakes. Not huge mistakes, just bobbles here and there, even with pieces that I should be able to do in my sleep like the Mozart and Mendelssohn Scherzo. I thought to myself, I really need to practice the auditioning part! I kind of did it before, but I would do a mock audition only once before an audition and call that "practice". Plus I would do it in the comfort of my own practice room, which kind of defeats the purpose. It would be like if I ran through the Mozart only once a day or two before the audition. Ha!
So it has been decided. I need to practice the audition part of the audition in addition to the execution of playing the excerpts. I am going to do a mock audition 2-3 times per week for the next three weeks (i'll record only once a week though - I don't have time to go through all of that audio/video!). But I'm going to set some ground rules to make sure I don't "cheat":
1. Change the location of the mock audition so that I don't get used to the same place. Tuesday was my living room...next time maybe the kitchen? Or the bathroom? Maybe I'll go to Eastman before school starts back up again next week?
2. Always use the pre-established "audition warm up".
3. Create a "prelim list" and a "finals list" before each mock. The finals list will probably include all the excerpts minus the Mozart in a random order. Prelim list will always include Mozart and Mendelssohn Scherzo, along with two or three others in random order.
Now I know I can't recreate exactly what the audition will be like in Washington DC, but I'm going to try to get as close as possible without being completely rediculous (like playing unrelated music or tv while trying to warm up or pretending to walk in to the audition...although now that I think about it, it might be useful to do that!)
I am super committed to this audition - my motivation came when my recruiter told me if I won the audition I would outrank most of the guys who work in my recruiting office right out of boot camp! And plus its a hefty raise...about $600 more a month!
I'll keep updated on my progress.
But this time, instead of doing just a regular recording in my practice room, I thought it might be beneficial to do a mock audition in another room of my house that I don't normally practice in. The purpose of which is to get used to playing in a foreign environment. While my living room isn't exactly a concert hall, it is different enough to in acoustics and feel to make the playing experience feel somewhat strange.
While I was at work that day, I was thinking about whether or not I should do my complete daily warm up to prepare for my "audition", and it dawned on me how chaotic my real pre-audition routine actually is (and by chaotic I mean completely nonexistent) - which probably either directly or indirectly affected the actual outcome of how I play at auditions. I knew my daily routine would not work...it takes over an hour to fully go through and I need a tuner, drone, I decided I would take the opportunity to try to establish some kind of audition warm up - something that I know will be a reliable way to warm up my embouchure and fingers, and to choose a reed, all while surrounded by a million honking clarinet players. I think I made a good start - here's what I came up with:
1. Chromatic scale of full range in whole notes at quarter = 60, no louder than mezzoforte (I don't want to be one of those honking clarinetists!) - play once through on each instrument called for at the audition.
2. Klose scales at quarter = 60
3. Klose scales at quarter =120
4. Full range chromatic scale with articulated pattern of eighth and two sixteenths, one note per measure at quarter = 120.
5. Play through each excerpt at a greatly reduced tempo - e.g. Mozart expo at quarter = 80.
Of course, I switch off between instruments so that I get warmed up on everything - also switch reeds when necessary until I find the "perfect" reed. I'm going to keep tweaking this routine to see what works best, I might add in another repetition of the Klose at quarter = 80 because my fingers felt a little clumsy going from 60-120. In my normal routine, I do Klose scales in 3rds at 80 in between which bridges the change in tempo a little, but I am trying to keep things as simple as possible. In its entirety, it takes about 20-30 minutes to go through this routine, which is about the minimum amount of time that I will have to warm up. We'll see if it pays off to have a plan at the audition!
After I listened back to the recording I made on Tuesday night, I found that I was making a lot of little mistakes. Not huge mistakes, just bobbles here and there, even with pieces that I should be able to do in my sleep like the Mozart and Mendelssohn Scherzo. I thought to myself, I really need to practice the auditioning part! I kind of did it before, but I would do a mock audition only once before an audition and call that "practice". Plus I would do it in the comfort of my own practice room, which kind of defeats the purpose. It would be like if I ran through the Mozart only once a day or two before the audition. Ha!
So it has been decided. I need to practice the audition part of the audition in addition to the execution of playing the excerpts. I am going to do a mock audition 2-3 times per week for the next three weeks (i'll record only once a week though - I don't have time to go through all of that audio/video!). But I'm going to set some ground rules to make sure I don't "cheat":
1. Change the location of the mock audition so that I don't get used to the same place. Tuesday was my living room...next time maybe the kitchen? Or the bathroom? Maybe I'll go to Eastman before school starts back up again next week?
2. Always use the pre-established "audition warm up".
3. Create a "prelim list" and a "finals list" before each mock. The finals list will probably include all the excerpts minus the Mozart in a random order. Prelim list will always include Mozart and Mendelssohn Scherzo, along with two or three others in random order.
Now I know I can't recreate exactly what the audition will be like in Washington DC, but I'm going to try to get as close as possible without being completely rediculous (like playing unrelated music or tv while trying to warm up or pretending to walk in to the audition...although now that I think about it, it might be useful to do that!)
I am super committed to this audition - my motivation came when my recruiter told me if I won the audition I would outrank most of the guys who work in my recruiting office right out of boot camp! And plus its a hefty raise...about $600 more a month!
I'll keep updated on my progress.
January 3, 2011
New year, new adventures
2011 is set to be one of the more adventurous years that I have ever had. Between joining the Navy, moving out of Rochester, running a half marathon (hopefully), I've got a lot on my plate for 2011. I am so excited, but also very anxious - new adventures almost always brings new obstacles. Moving sucks, and I have to somehow make it through eight weeks of boot camp. And the uncertainty of what Ben is going to be doing is kind of scary. The prospect of living separate is something I really hope doesn't come to fruition.
As far as new years resolutions, I don't have any major ones. I'm not a "new years resolution" type of person, I think that if you want to better yourself, you shouldn't have to wait for a new year to start making those kind of commitments. I feel like I accomplished a lot in 2010 - I started running, and I completed two 5ks and an indoor triathlon! Also I got some direction in my career, which I desperately needed. I also performed my first non-school recital, which was quite an achievement considering I work full time in a non-musical job. I would say that my audition hiatus of 2010 (besides the Navy audition over the summer) has helped my playing a lot. I felt like I was able to focus on fundamentals instead of stupid excerpts. I feel like my playing is more focused, and better executed. Plus I can sight read a whole lot better now!
As far as resolutions for 2011, I want to keep doing what I'm doing. Keep running - I want to do a half marathon before I leave for boot camp. Also keep practicing hard as usual. Maybe do another recital???? We will see.
I am feeling pretty good about the Navy Band audition in a few weeks, a lot better than I did a year ago for the Marine Band audition. I'm just trying to be as prepared as possible - lots of slow practice. I decided not to go back to H&R Block this year for tax season. I liked working there, but it was just too much. Last year, it was so busy at the tax office in January I barely had time to practice (check out my blog post from that week!). And the most annoying thing was that as soon as February hit, it was completely dead until April! I don't want that to happen again, and if I want to be in the Navy Band in DC I need to make clarinet a priority! Even if it means I have to tighten my budget a little.
One more thing, here's a new years treat from my recital this past October, me performing Debussy's Syrinx.
(sorry about the camera angle, its just the way the stage and the camera was set up!)
I'm going to post the rest of the pieces soon, but this one is my favorite!
As far as new years resolutions, I don't have any major ones. I'm not a "new years resolution" type of person, I think that if you want to better yourself, you shouldn't have to wait for a new year to start making those kind of commitments. I feel like I accomplished a lot in 2010 - I started running, and I completed two 5ks and an indoor triathlon! Also I got some direction in my career, which I desperately needed. I also performed my first non-school recital, which was quite an achievement considering I work full time in a non-musical job. I would say that my audition hiatus of 2010 (besides the Navy audition over the summer) has helped my playing a lot. I felt like I was able to focus on fundamentals instead of stupid excerpts. I feel like my playing is more focused, and better executed. Plus I can sight read a whole lot better now!
As far as resolutions for 2011, I want to keep doing what I'm doing. Keep running - I want to do a half marathon before I leave for boot camp. Also keep practicing hard as usual. Maybe do another recital???? We will see.
I am feeling pretty good about the Navy Band audition in a few weeks, a lot better than I did a year ago for the Marine Band audition. I'm just trying to be as prepared as possible - lots of slow practice. I decided not to go back to H&R Block this year for tax season. I liked working there, but it was just too much. Last year, it was so busy at the tax office in January I barely had time to practice (check out my blog post from that week!). And the most annoying thing was that as soon as February hit, it was completely dead until April! I don't want that to happen again, and if I want to be in the Navy Band in DC I need to make clarinet a priority! Even if it means I have to tighten my budget a little.
One more thing, here's a new years treat from my recital this past October, me performing Debussy's Syrinx.
(sorry about the camera angle, its just the way the stage and the camera was set up!)
I'm going to post the rest of the pieces soon, but this one is my favorite!
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