All-State Band Auditions?

Question

I m going to audition for the 2nd round of GMEA All-State Band on January 12th.

I get nervous when i do the auditions, i ALWAYS pass the 1st Round (this is my 3rd time auditioning for All-State), but the 2nd round...i failed the 2nd round BOTH times. I don't wanna fail again. ;(

Have any tips/advice?

I m fine playing in front of my band friends and my band teacher.

But when i get to the judge...I get nervous.
I don't get nervous in the Warm-Up room either.

the ONLY time i get nervous is when i go up to the judge/adjudicator/watever.

I NEED HELP!

GMEA Middle School All-State Band 2007 (last year)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RpAZYQg14k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahLFdnUutNk&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2L1KGMTZTc&feature=related


HEAR THIS!?!?!?!?! HUH!?!?!??!?!?

I WANNA PLAY THIS KIND OF MUSIC, EXCEPT I'M IN HIGH SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!
I M GONNA PLAY HARDER MUSIC!!!

I WANNA PLAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 1

I am a woodwind judge for similar competitions in NY state. You probably are looking at the judge and thinking "this person is so poker-faced - they HATE me!!!" But - here is what you might not know - we are told to SHOW NO INDICATION to the student what we are thinking. We cannot talk to them about their playing. We cannot give them any positive or negative verbal or facial commentary. EVERYTHING has to be in writing and ONLY in writing. I find this difficult to do - I hear performances where I want to smile and beam and yell hooray - but then, I hear performances where I want to cringe and basically say "what were you THINKING of, trying out for All-State? You can't play scales, you can't sight-read, and your solo was unrecognizable!" So - we are told to keep a dead-pan face, give directions only ("play play the F# major scale, two octaves") and write all our comments.

So - have some feeling for the JUDGE. We are knocking ourselves out to be FAIR to every student that comes in - and give them encouragement no matter HOW they play. We are one "the same side" - we want students to do well, and advance. We heard MANY students, in too small a room, under too short a time-frame, over too short a span. I heard 56 students in one day at the last session - alone - and had to rate them all. The very littlest ones, I did speak to afterwards, and smiled - the older ones, I had to stick to the rules. So - take a breath, do your best, and relax. SOMEBODY gets chosen - and this time it could be you. At least this is a REAL competition - not like those stupid rigged *reality* shows that say right in the final credits - YOUR PHONE-IN VOTE DOES NOT COUNT. We are professional judges - not some has-been dancer and crabby old guy with no clue.

Best of luck to you. To get where I am now, I had to do what you did - and I survived. My husband is also in this business, and now my son and his wife - judging students brings us RIGHT BACK to when WE had to play for judges!!

Answer 2

Someone asked the same thing about ten times in the past few days.

I suggest you practice enough that you are confident and comfortable with your music. Secondly, on the day of, don't practice very much. I suggest you just warm-up before you audition and that's it---practicing the day of can wear down your chops and often makes you feel more nervous because sometimes new problems will pop up.
About five minutes before you go on, find a quiet, dark place to hide for a few minutes. Do some breathing exercises and focus on your music. It's just you and that music. Don't think about the judges, the audience, or anyone else.
Do the judges face you or are they turned around? Use this to your advantage---when you get in, don't even look at them. I've been performing for a decade and I still do this. I don't look at judges or the audience before a performance, only after.
Lastly, if GMEA requires you to memorize your music, close your eyes before you play. Block out all external stimuli.

That's what works best for ME. I suggest you experiment with different tactics, because not everything will help you. Just remember to focus on the music and no one else.

Answer 3

so this is going to sound like it's not helpful but think on it and consider....

It's just an audition and music is what you do so just go in there and do what you do. They either like what you do or they don't but you don't really care - it's about the music.

Remember, it's not about me or you or anyone else; it's just about the music. Relax and go in and play. Say to yourself before you walk in the room "I'm a musician, this is what I do and it's fun" and then believe that.

Answer 4

I always listen to some of my favorite songs in the waiting room to relax... But that might not be helpful for some people.