The most important thing for an audition is confidence and to be confident, you need to feel properly prepared. You can use this guide for any musical exam or auditions. Tailored mainly for musicians, this article has some aspects can be applied to other types of audition if wished. The suggestions provided here will help you make yourself more prepared and possibly help you towards a better outcome from your audition or exam. Best of luck!
Steps
Part 1
Part 1 of 3:
Leading up to Your Audition
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Make a note of the date. When you find out your audition date, write it on a calendar and work out how long you have to prepare yourself. This will help you to feel more prepared and in control of the situation. It will also help to make sure that you don't forget when it is and suddenly realize that it is in just a few days time (not a good situation!).
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Don't over practice in the lead up to your audition. Over-practicing can lead to making you more nervous and less confident for your audition. The ideal is to continue practicing as you have been doing already, and slowly build up the amount of time spent practicing.
- For example, practice for an extra 10 minutes each day and then within a week you will be doing more than an hour more than you had been the previous week.
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Try to find out what to expect in your audition. This will help you get an idea of what is expected of you, allowing you to prepare and impress the panel.
- See if you can find anything on the internet about the audition process for where you are auditioning.
- Try to find someone who has auditioned for the same place before. Ask them what happened and how they prepared.
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If you are expected to do orchestral excerpts, don't forget to prepare them. Orchestral excerpts are often an important part of an audition for an orchestra place. They will assess how well you are playing them and how well you have prepared for them. They will want to know that who they choose has the time (and inclination) to practice orchestra parts as well as solo pieces.
- Preparation is key. It helps to listen to recordings of the pieces your excerpts are from. It will allow you to get an idea of how it is usually played in an orchestra, which allows you to use aspects such as dynamics. Moreover, you will know what has happened before and after your excerpt, allowing you to add the feeling that you would use if you were playing the whole thing.
- Choose a piece that you know well and are comfortable with. Avoid trying to impress by pushing yourself. The idea is to nail your audition; don't give even the slightest impression that you're trying too hard. Always have back up pieces ready. It's not unusual to be asked to play something else and you need to be ready.
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Make sure you know whether you are expected to do aural tests or sight reading in your audition. The feeling of turning up for an audition and realising that you are supposed to be doing aural tests when you haven't done any aural in months is not a good feeling! If you're not sure, either find out in advance, or practice them a little just in case––it's better to be too prepared than not prepared enough in aspects such as this.
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If you are going to have an interview, prepare some answers in advance. If you make sure you have some answers ready, it's harder for the judges to catch you out; it will also help to make you seem more confident, leaving a good impression with the panel.
- If you can talk to anyone who has auditioned there in the past, ask them what sort of questions to expect. This will help you be more prepared and confident.
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Part 2
Part 2 of 3:
On Your Audition Day
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Make sure you get a good nights sleep the night before. Sleep will help if you're nervous. Don't let nerves keep you up all night as this will not help you in your audition.
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Eat a good breakfast. Breakfast gives you energy for the rest of the morning; this is important for practicing in the morning and for your audition.
- Bananas are both filling and help target nervousness. There is a chemical in bananas which lifts your mood and decreases anxiety, so this could be an ideal breakfast.
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Help yourself feel less nervous by making sure you know exactly when you have to do things.
- Find out what time you have to be at your audition. Work out your expected journey length and therefore what time you have to leave. If you are traveling by bus or car, leave extra time in case of traffic, check online for train delays or cancellations or, if you're traveling by car or bus, check online for traffic on your route. Plan your morning around the time you have to leave.
- It is good to arrive at an audition a little earlier than they are expecting you. Say your audition is at 11:30am but you get 15 minutes to practice before it. They are expecting you to arrive at 11:15, then you should probably aim to arrive by no later than 11:10, if possible. Therefore, if you expect the journey to take 25 minutes and you decide to allow 10 minutes for traffic, you would be leaving home at 10:35.
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Don't over practice. In your warm up time, it is helpful to not spend the whole of your warm up time practicing your audition material. Maybe start by playing slow scales or a study to help keep your mind off of the audition. It might sound stupid but it helps to not think about the audition before you go in. If you think about it too much, you might begin to panic and over think it, it's best to stay calm.
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Remember to just do your best and don't worry about the outcome. Liken the audition to a private performance you're giving to a few people. This will help you stay calm.
- Ways to help yourself stay calm include things such as breathing exercises, thinking about other things and resorting to any of your own methods that you've developed over time.
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Make yourself appear confident to the panel, even if you don't feel confident. Walk in very confidently, give them a smile and maybe have a little chat if they initiate conversation (not too much, or for too long though, and stay on the topic of music and your audition if you do).
- If they ask you anything, answer calmly and collectedly, don't answer too quickly, as this can make you seem nervous but don't take too long or it will make you seem under-prepared and disorganized.
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Say thank you when you leave. It will leave a good impression.Advertisement
Community Q&A
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QuestionHow do I know if I have musical talent?Community AnswerIf you think you do, you do! If other people tell you that you don't have musical talent, you have 2 choices. You can either believe them or don't, but it is your choice.
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QuestionHow do I do my best at an audition?Community AnswerDon't be nervous! Although auditions are nerve-racking, nerves can affect your performance. They can make your voice or instrument shake or it make you forget your lyrics/notes. Just remember you are auditioning because you think you can do it, you think you're good enough. And if they don't pick you, you just may not be the right fit. If the judges give you any tips, take them and come back next time even stronger. Don't let anyone discourage you, and know that if you work hard enough and take every opportunity you can get, you can achieve whatever you want.
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Things You'll Need
- Calendar
- Instrument
- Music sheets
- Information about the audition
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