It’s always a bit eye opening when you realize that what you have been telling your clients to do is exactly what you should have been doing yourself.
Recently, I was working on my computer and had to create an Excel Spreadsheet. Full disclosure: I never learned how to put one together, much less read one. It was always something that I figured I would do when I had time.
A lot of people I talk to often tell me that they are playing well, but not advancing to the next round. They are frustrated and stalled because they are doing the best they can.
One of the questions I hear is whether or not musicians should memorize their audition excerpts.
Have you ever had certain thought or phrase stick with you for years and years? For me, it was the first time I played the opening movement of Prokfiev’s Romeo and Juliet.
Yesterday I was on an audition panel for the American Viola Society, which is holding its biannual meeting in Los Angeles at the Colburn School. The candidates were all still in college and not yet on the audition circuit. It was a great experience for those young violists to experience what a professional audition feels like.
What do I mean, "strategic practice"? Well, I want you to get the most out of your chance to rest and recharge. You need to practice to keep your skills sharp, but you need to do it in a way that RENEWS your energy, rather than DEPLETES it.
Organizing your time, whether or not it’s for an audition or a recital, is paramount to having a successful performance. Knowing what you need to work on, and how to effectively practice is a skill in and of itself.
What is your musical equivalent of my dreaded push up?
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“Just let me get through the notes, figure out the rhythms...oh, wait a minute, what is that accidental? How am I going to finger that? HOW fast is this supposed to go?”
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The road to audition success is not an easy one. There's a lot to know about the entire process, with excerpts being the first order of business!
It’s a new year! And time for your annual New Year’s resolutions. What are you tackling this year?
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If you have been taking auditions for a few years, chances are that you have had to prepare the same two concertos and 10 excerpts many times.
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Recently, I was on a call with a cellist. He was finishing up at grad school and weighing his options: Go on for another degree/certificate? Or try the freelance route in another city?
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Walk out of the room, take a breath, and imagine yourself about to go onstage to play an audition.
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"Money is the root of all evil…but try living without it." -Frank Lum (my dad)
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“If I only had one more week.”
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What’s the most common mistake auditioners make?
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Here is a list of 5 minute practice goals…
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