TrumpetMaster - View Single Post

Jimi Michiel · 02-23-2008, 11:13 AM

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

02-23-2008, 11:13 AM	#11 (permalink)
Jimi Michiel Forte User Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Fort Worth Posts: 1,751	Re: Auditions 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 __________________ Last edited by Jimi Michiel; 02-23-2008 at 11:43 AM.