Jimi Michiel

Dylan--

That's a bummer, although I have to say that from my own personal experience, as well as that of others, military band auditions on the whole are usually better run than many orchestral auditions.


In an orchestra gig, your job would never require you to wait around like that before playing (under normal circumstances). However, in a military band, there will be many times where you will be waiting around, even standing at attention for long periods of time while some retiring general blabs on about his first tour of duty in the Spanish American war. You have to be ready to sound good under a lot more adverse conditions than an orchestra job would require you to be. I've never taken a Marine band audition, was there an area you could go to and relax? Did they tell you'd be waiting for such a long time? It is a drag, but those are great gigs if you can get one...

As for all the kids who showed up and hand no chance... that's a bummer. Experience is important, but you don't get good experience showing up unprepared to auditions that you have no shot at winning. It's an unfortunate reality. I have a feeling that in the old days the conductor would have let the unprepared kids know in no uncertain terms that they had no business being at an audition. Today they just get a pat on the back and a "the committee was very impressed, but have chosen not to advance anyone."

-Jimi

richtom

Auditions are tough enough, but few have ever had to endure what
artists like Wilmer and Joe Wilder had to endure all those years ago.
Imagine being a world class player and not getting what is rightfully yours
because you are not white.
There is a terrific article just put online about Joe Wilder on the ITG website.
It is from March 2007 and should be read by all.
Keep at it Dylan. You are an excellent player and musician. You will get in.
Regards,
Rich Tomasek

RG111

The "Presidents Own" United States Marine Band has been around since 1801. How did they manage so well without the expert advice of some of our "legends in their own mind".
Roy Griffin

Schwab

I don't really understand this Roy, are you talking to me? I'll be the first one to tell anyone I'm a hack. I know! I have to listen to myself ALL THE TIME!

Patric_Bernard

How do you find auditions... I think I'm ready to start auditioning for some things. Definatly not crazy technical stuff, but I can play moderate things pretty well. Where would be a good place for me to audition?

I am also a pretty damn good lead player if i do say so myself.

MrClean

Look at it as a great learning experience. I lost an audition for the NY Phil under similar (not quite as bad) circumstances. I basically shot myself in the foot while waiting around to play, and wore myself out trying to stay warmed up and ready to go on virtually no notice, which in retrospect, was not necessary. I took the lesson learned there and applied it to my audition for the LA Phil.

Don't lose sleep over it. Learn. Do not repeat mistakes, or you are destined to repeat history. There may be something better waiting for you out there, and had you won that audition, you'd be off the market for the next 4 years...

BTW Schwab, if you consider yourself a hack, don't waste any more money on auditions. You will never, ever win if you believe that statement. No organization is looking to hire "hacks" except lumber companies.

Huggy Bear

Fo' Shizzle....Mr. Clean's in the Hizzle! Schwabby's no hack and Roy sounds like a bitter old man.....now drop and give me 20!

wiseone2

Right on, Jim.
We need to talk about attitude, a winning attitude.
My first big audition was for the Senior Student Concerts with the Philadelphia Orchestra. It seemed like every soloist in training was there. It was 1962 and Curtis Institute seemed to have a bumper crop of violinists and pianists. I was the lone wind player there. Puzzled looks from my string playing opponents....... "what's he doing here with that thing?" I was confident. I went on that stage at the Academy of Music and played. I won!

I have always been prepared at auditions. I know which horn I am going to use for which piece. I know what the lick sounds like in it's orchestral context. I am throughly prepared.
Wilmer

Schwab

I was just kidding, Mr. Clean. I meant that I'm no "legend in (my) own mind" here to offer advice to the Marine Band. If I had any advice it would be this, for candidates: Don't attend any audition that you don't absolutely know you can win.

I knew I could win it, I wasn't in it mentally by the time I got to play. Last time I went down I was 2nd runner up.

If you show up thinking, "Well, maybe I'll get lucky and play great", you aren't ready! Then the committee wouldn't have to sit and listen to 100 people!

Siegtrmpt

This particular audition was extremely competetive. Many solid and well prepared players didn't make the first cut. Not getting a gig under this situation isn't a referendum on someone's playing ability. Hang in there and try again, and again.