What Wins You the Audition

I recently posted an Instagram reel which said that if you wanted to win an audition, you had to do a deep dive on excerpts for months. It also said that, to do this properly, you needed to study with an orchestra pro.

Many people agreed with my statement, but some did not. Other people questioned the fairness of the entire audition process.

To the people who said auditions are not fair, here's what I have to say:

There are MANY fine players auditioning for jobs these days. The musicians who make it to the final rounds are truly exceptional players.

Unfortunately, there's only one opening (most of the time).

So what's a player to do?

I tell my clients that the only thing they have control over is how they play. Once you leave the stage, it's out of your hands. Your only job is to play to the best of your ability on that day. You have no control over who else shows up at the audition, how they play, or what each committee member thinks of you.

Yes, it hurts if you don't make it out of the first round. It hurts if you don't win.

Was it worth it? Only you can decide.

Win or lose, practicing for an audition makes you a better player. Your progress, and the lessons you learned, and the time and commitment you gave to the audition are YOURS—nothing can take these things away from you. Going through the audition process is its own sort of crucible. And when you come out on the other side, you are stronger and more resilient than when you entered.

Winning a job is a marathon. You are tested repeatedly, over long periods of time. Auditions are not for the weak of heart or stomach.

Is it all worth it? Well, if you want an orchestra job, then the answer is yes.

Honestly, it's not for everybody. And it's totally okay if you decide you want to follow a different musical path that doesn't involve taking auditions. You can have a wonderfully fulfilling music career that doesn't involve the audition process.

But if you still want to be in any orchestra—at any level—knowing how to prepare and take auditions is the way forward.

I stand by my original statement. If you want to play in an orchestra, start practicing those excerpts today. And then find a way to work with someone who plays in an orchestra and who has sat on an audition panel.

Happy Practicing!