Auditions are FINISHED!

-Allmusic- · 03-03-2008, 05:27 PM

After 1000 miles of driving last week, and four auditions, son is d-o-n-e!

I am exhausted. He is exhausted, but we both really enjoyed the experience and thought things went well. We met great people wherever we went.

Now, the decisions are in the hands of the admissions gods!

Anyone else done...and just waiting?

cartera45 · 03-03-2008, 05:36 PM

My D is done too - I think I'm suffereing from PAD - post audition depression. I am glad they are over, but I really did enjoy our little trips - trying new restaurants, getting lost, laughing together.

jazzzmomm · 03-03-2008, 05:41 PM

Also done. S enjoyed every audition, and seemed to be wholly without stress. That was left for me! The traveling and finding things in strange towns was a little trying, but all in all, it was a good experience. I was telling a friend who is a non-music parent, that it's kind of nice to still have contact with the schools you are applying to as you do with auditions. While other kids have been waiting in silence for months now, our kids have been interacting with their schools. It kind of helps with the anxiety in a strange way!

Singersmom07 · 03-03-2008, 05:43 PM

cartera45 I know what you mean. Last year when we were done I was kind of sad. It had been hectic but such a special time with DD, too. Time with just the two of us traveling, sharing this experience with her, being part of this part of her life. All too soon decisions were being made and she was flying off on her own.

mom4 · 03-03-2008, 07:13 PM

Yup, we're done and very impatient. The audition experience was great--we made new friends, my son learned more about the process and how he can work with it. We're both very glad for the experience. I'm also glad that it's March already so we don't have tooo long to wait.

-Allmusic- · 03-03-2008, 07:20 PM

It's weird, since I also have almost that "letdown" feeling, like you have after you have thrown a wedding or Bar Mitzvah or another big party that you planned and planned.

Then it is over, and you are left with lots of memories.

The process has been arduous, but very memorable. We also met fabulous people, ate in neat places, had lots and lots of talking on various confined car trips and air trips.

It almost makes me think that parents who get the "easy way out" (i.e., their kids just mail out apps

) are really missing something special with their kids. Now THAT is a surprising feeling that I wasn't expecting at all!

jazzzmomm · 03-03-2008, 07:33 PM

I had to fight with my husband over who got to take him--we had to split the auditions up. I so didn't want to share, but, of course, I knew I had to.

thumper1 · 03-03-2008, 08:56 PM

Hi all you music parents. I hate to be the bearer of bad news....but for your music performance kids, the auditions have JUST BEGUN. This never ends...and it never gets less stressful.

stringfollies · 03-03-2008, 09:22 PM

True, Thumper, but they will do those in the future largely on their own. These have been precious times for us too. We took my husband on one trip, but I haven't shared any others - we couldn't afford for all three to go on others! He didn't want to when we planned it and it's too late now.....ha-ha!

L. Fortissimo · 03-03-2008, 10:46 PM

I think it's okay to go along for graduate auditions if they still want the help. It's not so bad to have someone you trust along when your flights are delayed and you end up in a strange city at 1 am having to take ground transportation to a hotel in who knows what kind of neighborhood. Most are going to do their master's auditions during senior year and that is a lot to handle--senior year curriculum, senior recital, audition repertoire, applications, plus traveling to half a dozen places for auditions!

thumper1 · 03-04-2008, 06:24 AM

Actually Fortissimo, DS and all of his friends DID handle grad school auditions on their own.

binx · 03-04-2008, 06:51 AM

Ha, Thumper! Yesterday when Allmusic first started this thread, that was exactly my reaction! Auditions are NEVER over.

But I didn't want to be the bearer of bad news.

My kid's grad school auditions are over, and we're waiting for results. (He did them alone - much less stressful on my part! All I have to do is worry in the comfort of my own home.) But he has three more pro auditions to go, so I didn't feel like I could join this group yet.

I have a big chart of this whole semester - calendar style - showing all his auditions, competitions, recitals, concerts, etc. It has nothing to do with him - just shows me when he's more likely to answer his phone. He continues his own pattern of good performance / bad performance / good / bad ... at least as he gets older his "bad" are not as bad as they used to be, and we are learning to take "bad" as a sign of good things to come!

Congrats to those who have finished the process, and are now waiting. The nervewracking process makes the acceptances all that much more sweeter. Still remains one of the highs of our life. I remember getting the special delivery packet in Germany, having to wait a few hours (because of the time difference) to be able to call my S who was finishing HS in the US. Meanwhile I called my H, who let out a yell in his stoic German department, and had to explain to his German colleagues what was going on. And then when I was able to reach my S, who was half-awake and struggling to understand what I was telling him. Very sweet memories.

musmom2 · 03-04-2008, 07:06 AM

After almost 2500 miles, 5 auditions and visits and lessons with 2 teachers at non-audition "safety schools", DD and I are done too! What a process! I am grateful for the time I had with her as well as for a better insight into the process and understanding of what lies ahead. Although I have "lurked" more than posted, I am thankful to all of you who have provided thoughtful opinions and unknowing support! Now the waiting begins- it's me who is compulsively checking the mailbox every day! (mostly because I'm usually home before she is- I know she is anxious too). All my friends say "oh don't worry- she'll get in everywhere". They don't have a clue as to how arduous and competitive an experience it is- especially for sopranos.

mom55 · 03-04-2008, 07:20 AM

My fingers are crossed, Allmusic, for your multi-talented son. I've been thinking of him and you and hoping that all was going well. Together you certainly mastered the planning, preparing and execution of a very complex process ...and should be proud!

neumes · 03-04-2008, 08:08 AM

I'm feeling a little sad because I didn't go to any auditions, but I did do the work behind the scenes (researched, nagged, got tickets, got music, formatted resume, made prescreening disc label, set up appts with accompanist, paid for voice lessons/accompanist, nagged, researched, etc.) and certainly feel emotionally invested, and will always be. H got to take S to one audition (partly because I had so much work and partly because S wanted to do most of the driving and H handles that better than I do!) and S made his way to the others himself, but two were just by train, one by plane.

The key to S's success will, I'm sure, lie in the really elegant black laceup shoes that my H bought S on sale at the Barney's outlet off I-95, exit 63, CT (in case you are driving by...). Justified it by saying they are leather lined and can be resoled and will last for years. I have no doubt that these magic shoes will be the key to any acceptances, and I hope I get to do some more purchasing of plane tickets and scheduling for visits and sample lessons after decisions are out. Fingers and toes are crossed, not for any one in particularly but for the right path to be taken.