Texas Bandmasters Association
Bandmasters Review • September 2012
16
tempo. Sing this section in your head to get your target
tempo (that is, the tempo that you know you can
successfully perform well).
e. Being In the Moment–Now is the time to think
positively and to rely on all of the hard practice that
you’ve done. All of the hard work is out of the way, so
just play! Note-perfect auditions are extremely rare and
auditions at this level are probably not won on notes
alone. The key to performing well is to be focused
IN THE MOMENT. What do you want each note to
sound like in the grand scheme of the piece? Being
in the moment means you don’t think about a note
you missed or a phrase you dropped. Those things are
now in the past. Don’t think about the hard section
coming up – think, feel, and BE in the moment. Being
focused in the moment gives you the best opportunity
to perform to your potential.
f. Waiting to play again—Take advantage of the
warm up times to keep everything relaxed and free.
Do not savor your previous performance or wallow in
grief over your less-than-best. Stay focused on the next
etude and visualize yourself performing well.
V. Post-Audition
a. RELAX!! Take a mental and physical break. Get
to a quiet place and rest your eyes and mind.
b. Handle the results professionally. Be happy for
others and take pride in knowing that you did the best
you could.
General Considerat ions
Warm up before you get to the audition site—
perhaps some very light mouthpiece buzzing and 15 or
20 minutes or relaxed warm up. Resist the temptation
to play too much. Because you have been getting in
peak shape for the past few weeks (hopefully), you
don’t need a two-hour practice session before an
audition. All you should need is some relaxed playing
just to get comfortable.
Don’t look up old friends, hang around and talk
shop with other players, listen to other people warm
up, or generally socialize. There will be plenty of time
for that after you audition!
Don’t warm up too much. Get comfortable and then
put the horn away. Your chops will be there; blowing
every few minutes just to check them will tire you
very quickly. Spend time reading, relaxing, breathing
deeply and being quiet. Walk in the room relaxed and
refreshed, without fear and with confidence.
Drink gallons of water. Water fills your stomach
and keeps you from getting hungry at the wrong
time. It also keeps your body super-hydrated and
therefore works to prevent dry mouth. It also gives you
something to do and can have a calming effect on you
if you are a little nervous. If you drink the equivalent of
eight ounces of water every 10 minutes, you will find
that you have to go the bathroom every 10 minutes,
too. (Begin this routine earlier in the day as “transit
time” for water from entry into your body to exit is
approximately four hours.) Drink water only. Keep
away from soda, tea, coffee, milk and other drinks
that will stay in your mouth even after you brush your
teeth. Water is the perfect drink. Learn to like it.
Concentrate on your goal. Playing the excerpts
in your mind, not on the instrument. It’s too late to
practice now; you simply need to remind yourself
of some of the pitfalls of each excerpt. It may
help to write some thoughts down. Don’t try some
new breathing place or interpretation you overheard
someone else use. Be confident of your style, even if
it seems different from everything else you have heard
that day. It may just be what the committee has been
waiting to hear.
Forget about everyone else. It’s useless to waste
energy thinking about how well someone else sounds
or warms up. Remain alone with your thoughts and
your concepts. Keep away from distractions and
concentrate on how you will project yourself.
Audi t ion Tips For Success