BassDad

Musical word of the interval: Dynamics - varying degrees of loudness and softness. Usually expressed by abbreviations of Italian words, e.g. ppp (pianississimo - extremely soft), pp (pianissimo - very soft), p (piano - soft), mp (mezzo piano - medium soft), mf (mezzo forte - medium loud), f (forte - loud), ff (fortissimo - very loud), fff (fortississimo - extremely loud), cresc. (crescendo - gradually becoming louder), decresc. (decrescendo - gradually becoming softer), dim. (diminuendo - gradually becoming softer), fp (forte piano - loud then immediately soft). Some composers go a bit overboard and use dynamic markings like pppp (pianissississimo - so soft your stand partner won't hear it), fffff (fortississississimo - ear protection required) and even ffffff (fortissississississimo - or as one director I know used to put it, "Change that marking to GOF 'cause I wanna see guts on the floor.") When dynamics are achieved by increasing or decreasing the number of singers or instruments in use rather than having them all sing or play louder or softer, the process is called "terraced dynamics."

After all the years of practice, all the planning and all the paperwork, we come to

Installment #8, The Audition

In an audition for admission to a music school, there are many things you are attempting to communicate in a small amount of time. Ideally, you want to leave the impression that

1) You have talent,
2) You have potential for improvement,
3) You are willing to work hard,
4) You are easy to work with,
5) You are willing to try new approaches,
6) You have innate musicality, and
7) You are aware of the customs and traditions of classical music in general and your instrument in particular.

That is a lot to ask for in a session that could be as short as 5 minutes.

I think the meaning of most of these items is clear, with the notable exception of the sixth. Musicality is something that is easy to hear but difficult to pin down in words. It is the quality that demands your attention and makes you care about what you are hearing. It is the added value that makes a musician more than a mere conduit between composer and audience. It is the difference between a series of sounds and a living, breathing work of art.

Before the Audition: The musician's mantra is practice, practice, practice but there is a fine line between practicing something to the point where it is as good as it can get and where you are so sick of it that it becomes stale. Build some break time into your practice sessions, particularly in the weeks leading up to auditions. Take most of a day off every once in a while to let your body and mind recover. Try to perform each piece for an audience before using it in an audition, even if that audience is a couple of friends or your parents. If the piece is not an unaccompanied solo, make sure you are quite familiar with the other parts and how you interact with them. Listen to as many recordings of the piece as you can find and try to analyze what you like or dislike about each of them and why.

If auditions are being judged in real time, try to schedule your audition somewhere in the middle of the pack. Scores awarded to the first couple of people who play may be on the low side because the judges are leaving room for higher scores. By the end of the day, scores may again creep down because the judges are getting tired. Most schools now videotape the proceedings, so this is probably less important for school admissions than it is for one-shot competitions and honors ensemble auditions.

Many auditions take place in winter in places where it snows. If this is the case and finances permit, try to spend the night before the audition as close as possible to the audition site, preferably within walking distance. The last thing you need on audition day is a long drive on slippery roads in an unknown area. Some schools have a policy of never cancelling auditions, while others may want to reschedule in case of a blizzard. Make sure you know the school's policy and who to contact in case of any doubt.

Know what to expect in advance. Find out who will be in the room, and what the room will be like. Other students currently at the school are a good source for this information. I know one young man who auditioned at Curtis on bass and did not realize until he got into the room that he would have Edgar Meyer's undivided attention for the next 30 or so minutes. (For the non-bass players, that would be kind of like auditioning for James Galway on flute, or Yo Yo Ma on cello.) You want to come to grips with that possibility before encountering it.

If nerves permit, get a good night's sleep before the audition. Eat a decent, but not overly filling breakfast on the day of the audition. Attend to personal hygiene and dress appropriately. Don't go overboard on scents or cosmetics. You want them to remember you for your playing, not for the outfit you wore. (Note: I have observed that vocalists, particularly females, tend to get really "done-up" in terms of outfits, hairstyles and makeup for their auditions. Perhaps this is expected and therefore necessary. You'd do far better asking someone else on this one.)

Some schools schedule a warm-up room and some just let you find an open practice room on your own. Some have everyone warming up together in one large room. Some schools want you to take tests in things like music theory, ear training, sight singing and keyboard skills while you are there. Make sure you know exactly what is expected and arrive early to sign in and get situated. Plan to stay late in case the judges want to hear you again or are simply running behind schedule.

While warming up, focus on your own playing and not anyone else's. That fellow in the next practice room who you think sounds like the next Joshua Bell may be auditioning for graduate school or a summer fellowship. It may just be your nerves talking and perhaps he is thinking the same thing about you. Either way, your job is now to do the best that YOU can and let the judges sort it out from there.

During the Audition: Take a deep breath or two before going through the door. Unless you have been instructed not to address the judges or they are situated behind a screen, look them straight in the eye, smile and say hello. Do whatever it takes to get ready to play efficiently but not in a rushed or paniced manner. Let them know when you are ready to begin. Sometimes they will ask you to play things in a specific order and sometimes they will ask you to pick the first piece. If the latter, start off with your best material. Very often, they will stop you before you finish a piece. In and of itself, that is neither good nor bad, it just means that they have heard what they wanted to hear from that piece and want to move on. Some judges like to turn the audition into a mini lesson. If so, go with the flow and do what they ask. When the audition is over, regardless of how you feel that it went, look them in the eye again, smile and thank them. Leave the room as you entered it, with your head held high and with a confident step.

After the audition: If you are the type to keep a journal, record your thoughts immediately and include everything you can remember. Everything will blur over the next few months and those impressions from the audition may eventually be important in deciding among offers in April. Write a short handwritten thank-you note to each judge. No matter how good or how bad you thought things went, put the experience behind you and start to focus on the next audition. Once you have gotten through the last one, a modest celebration is in order. You have earned it.

What are some of your most memorable audition experiences? How did you handle them and how did things turn out in the end?