What the Audition Committee Wants From You

Have you ever wondered what the audition committee is writing while you’re playing your audition?

Chances are it looks like my personal audition scorecard. For the first round, I start with what I call the Fab Four Basics.

• Intonation

• Rhythm

• Style

• Sound

In every solo and excerpt, I am listening specifically for these four basic aspects that give me a picture of your command of the instrument and the music. Your ability to nail down these aspects will influence my decision as to whether or not to pass you onto the next round.

As each round progresses, the bar gets raised. My scorecard for the next round includes the Fab Four Basics (see above), plus:

• Character

• Musicality

• Flexibility

And if you make it to the final round, these are the aspects I’m listening for:

• Imagination

• Emotion

• The X Factor

The players that make it to the final round have complete command of their instrument. They have the ability to transcend the notes on the page and take us into another world. At this point, the finalists usually have appealed to different people on the committee. But once in a great while, a candidate who is able to connect and communicate their vision with ease and clarity becomes the overwhelming choice.

It's a pretty long and arduous process, but preparing for an audition begins with those basic four aspects. Because you want to eventually get to the finals, remember to use your imagination to discover what makes each excerpt special to you while working out the nuts and bolts of each excerpt.

When you can do this, you're no longer an anonymous candidate on my scorecard--you're an artist giving us a glimpse into your inner world.

Happy practicing and daydreaming!