Thank you! yes, she applied as a VP/Music Ed or Choral major where available, so we are going with a classic look. In the warm weather, it is nice dress and shoes, maybe light cardigan, but we need help for the cold weather schools.
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I remember walking though a snow storm in NYC to a grad audition (the only one I was invited to). There were no cabs available so we just walked. You definitely should consider buying some sort of shoe/boot for a cold weather auditions. Sorel will have some cute, thick sole boots. We are from Mpls so wearing outdoor clothes to an audition and then changing in a restroom feels very normal. Feel free to bring make-up and hair products to re-freshen in case you have to pull up your hood or put a scrarf over your hair. In very cold weather, expectations will change and practicality will kick inâŠauditioning in stylish boots and tights during a snow storm would most likely be acceptableâŠbc at least you made it! That would be the attitude. Of course, if the weather was clear, you would probably want to get the pumps out to sing in.
VP is more traditional. My D did get the advice to not be afraid to show a bit a personality in her dress. She loves fashion so she did not wear black. Still she made sure her dress was not âdistractingâ in any way. No big prints, for example. Avoid any cut-outs or low cuts. No chucky jewelry. Hair should be neat. I felt her dress was a bit short and her heels a bit highâŠbut it was what she was comfortable in. When she left the 5 minute audition (some can be surprisingly short) at the school that she choseâŠher (soon to be) teacher said: btw I like your dressâŠshe was glad that she went with her instinct and wore something a bit different. Still I would work with your D to find what she feels most comfortable inâŠ.and traditional, conservative black is always fine. Or a nice dress that she would wear to a formal winter dance would be fine. A cardigan would work well too if she runs cold. Itâs fine to have a sweater and remove it right before going in too. There is someone usually watching the door that could hold it.
Parents often end up sitting in an area covered in jackets and bags. I was always jealous of the boys who showed up alone with very littleâŠwhile I had a big bag fully of my Dâs stuff!
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My daughterâs most worn audition dress (VP) including for prescreens was black. But it isnât what I would call conservative and traditional and definitely showed some personality. It was kind of vintage-y? It was a reasonable length and did cover well. Her 2nd dress had that vibe as well and was not black. She did carry around heels for a couple but when weather was really bad, she just stuck with the docs (they are winter treated). We saw some super wild weather last year.
Anyway, totally agree with bridgenail at least for VP fine to show a little personality and stage presence without being overly distracting with your choice.
My daughter wears glasses and contacts and has had enough lessons/master classes/auditions now that she always wears contacts to auditions. Even though day to day she prefers to throw on glasses. She got a reminder to do that from her voice teacher for her juries this fall. So just a thought for glasses wearers if you have the option, that seems to be the preference.
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Thank you, @KaylaMidwest and @bridgenail for all the information. It is super helpful! We will definitely be bringing a bag with hair/makeup, shoes to change in and cardigan. So much to consider in addition to repertoire.
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We havenât done any auditions like this yet, but when it comes to my daughterâs outfits I just support. Her confidence should be taking main stage, and I donât want to interfere with that. But yeah- she mostly dressed like the other jazz kidsâŠ. So not to much to think about.
Weâre from Florida and barely understand what seasons are. Iâm hoping a sweater dress, knee boots, and lined tights will work in Rochester and Chicago.
Since auditions are coming up, I thought I would give some unsolicited advice. Sometimes students are so focused on being perfect that they forget to simply be good, kind, authentic human beings.
If you have passed pre-screens, your skill level is most likely âgood enoughâ for the school. The audition is for you to show your skills again and for teachers to think about their studio for the next year. Most teachers are not looking for a perfect audition, they are looking for a student to mentor. You may be a great talent but just not the right talent for them. In VP, my D found out her UG teacher worked with a lot of Mozart voices. You may have a great voiceâŠbut it may not be the type of voice that a teacher feels is right for their style. She may pass on you knowing that another teacher would be better fit for you. So the BEST thing that you can do in an audition is âbe yourselfâ so the right teacher sees your talent and wants to work with you.
The 3 best things to do at an audition:
-
Be prepared.
Show up on time. Dress neatly and with thought. Have your music organized. Very few teachers will want to take on student that canât seem to put on clean, unwrinkled clothes and be organized. That student may be a lot of work for them. So walking into a room on time, dressed neatly and ready to goâŠwill get you a long way in an audition. -
Be positive.
Having a positive disposition is also crucial. A teacher will need to spend 4 years with youâŠand if you are sullen or non-responsiveâŠthat may not be an attractive candidate for a studio. And, be aware that things can go wrong during an audition. You may be asked to go in earlier than you throughâŠor wait longer. A panel member may be rude. An accompanist may play too fast or too slowâŠor mess up. Even when it is not your error, you need to smile through it allâŠand show that you can take it all in stride. It is worth thinking through how to handle the unexpected. Hopefully it will not happenâŠbut if it doesâŠyou need to remain âprofessional and positiveâ. -
Be curious
Do NOT be a know-it-all. Do not be arrogant about your talent. Show that you are there to learn. No one wants to work with a 18 year old that knows it all! Some auditions may take a short time with little said. Thatâs fine. Sometimes you will be asked to do something new during the audition. That doesnât mean you did anything wrong. They may be checking how well you take direction. They may also want to check how you respond if uncomfortable. You try all that is requested of youâŠand smile. This is a rare chance to work with some great teachers so you should be open and curious to any interaction.
If you (or your kid) does all 3 above and has a solid audition, they should get offers from the right teachers and schools for their talent. Again itâs best to stay âopenâ to a variety of schools and teachers (be curious!) and not focus to hard on a dream schoolâŠbc the best teacher for you may be at another schools. It really does take the whole process to figure that out.
Good luck. And Iâll hope that the weather gods are kind this year!
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Great advice, @bridgenail as always.
A few other thoughts to add under the âbe prepared â heading:
The audition length and the way it is organized can vary quite a lot. Sometimes a candidate can choose the order of their repertoire, sometimes not. Be prepared that you might be asked to start at a place not at the beginning of one of your selections. So you should be familiar with instructions such as âplease start at the expositionâ or âbegin at such and such key changeâ. It has been said, but know that some auditions are very short. I remember my son being surprised and saying words to the effect of; 1 year of work, days of travel and 7 minutes to perform. 
Despite the short audition, he was accepted.
Be prepared to interact with the panel if the opportunity arises. At a few of my sonâs auditions he was asked questions. Examples included:
Where else are you applying/auditioning?
What are you looking for in a school/studio?
Do you have any questions for us?
Similar to a job interview, there are no right or wrong answers. I do think that the professors are looking for fit and how a candidate communicates. So just be prepared with some thoughtful questions and answers.
Be prepared for a variety of different reactions from the professors/panel. And donât read too much into them during the audition and afterwards. My son experienced everything from warm interaction to a professor with his back turned and looking out the window during his auditions. (This was actually at the school where my son now attends and it turns out this professor prefers to always only listen and not look at the candidates)
While no one can prepare for everything, it helped my son to know that the auditions were somewhat variable and dynamic.
Best of luck to your amazing musicians!
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Congrats!! Violin?
I love the veteran parent advice. I remember how âscaryâ it all was four years ago and now my son is auditioning again for MM. I echo the sentiment about not trying to read too much into the length of the audition. At one school, the guy before my son played for a full 15 minutes; my sonâs turn, they asked for the first minute of his concerto, and then a very short Bach and he was out the door in 5 minutes. We looked at each other in the hall with shrugs (thinking it was a bad sign) but then the prof chased him out into the hall to âcongratulateâ him and he ended up accepted w/ loads of scholarships (didnât end up there) so donât worry if itâs not what you expected. The other thing I would add is that you should try to schedule a âtrial lessonâ if you can afford to get to the audition a day early. My son did this for every teacher and it was incredibly helpful in making his final decisions. All the profs were ecstatic to do this and only one charged anything (remember, theyâve viewed your prescreen and are now trying to recruit you!). It was a chance for my son to show his personality outside the short/nervewracking audition and definitely helped him connect with each teacher.
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TY! Double bass
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This is great advice. My current college freshman did this when we toured his junior year. It really helped him decide where he wanted to apply. For him, clicking with the professor was a really important factor.
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My son dressed for auditions; it made him feel more professional. But it has to be comfortable, too- they will often be walking around campus going from warm up space to audition to other audition-day activities.
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a yes for UMich - was in D24âs portal rather than on email (in case anyone else is waiting)
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Frost-Miami prescreen passes were going out yesterday (soprano, classical voice).
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Instrumentalist here, still waiting on Eastman. First audition gets underway next weekend! It beginsâŠ
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S24 was called for audition - Miami Frost - MADE Program (drums)!
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D still has not heard for violin Frost
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My S just got a message about a âchangeâ in his app through his Eastman portal for piano/music ed!
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Peabody prescreen results (classical voice, soprano) being sent via email! 
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