pmkt16

Mr Carrol I was just wondering if you had any advice for a senior getting ready for college auditions this coming year. Through your experiences are there some mistakes that seem to be recurring for prospective students in auditions, not necessarily with the music. Are there pieces that you love to hear in auditions and are there pieces that you dread, A piece that you see to often or a piece you wish you would see more. What really makes a prospective student stand out from the crowd?

ecarroll

Hi Pmk,

The best way to "stand out from the crowd" in any free choice audition is to play the absolute daylights out of a program that you, yourself, love to play. Listen to your heart and trust your instincts. . . your audition is about you, not us.

Our job is to determine if we're a good fit, and the commitment that you bring to your program helps us enormously in making mutually beneficial choices.

Where are you auditioning and what are you considering playing?

Best,
EC

pmkt16

I am auditioning at Eastman, DePaul, University of Illinois, Indiana University, Illinois Wesleyan, and Western Illinois. I currently don't really know what I am going to audition on all though I was thinking Petrouchka, Pictures at an Exhibition, Mahler 5, and something else for excerpts maybe and then possibly Tomasi or Artunian or Legend...I really don't know and my teacher and I haven't really picked it out yet...I think we are soon though.

sinfoniantrumpeter

-you might want to think of playing some lesser known excerpts (of course they must demonstrate the same things the well-known ones do)

-some schools have specific requirements-check those

-I have no idea what kind of player you are, but think long and hard about doing the Tomasi (notice I didn't say "don't do it")

best of luck

ecarroll

Sinf & 229,

I understand your concern (and might even share it), but absolutely believe that pmk should play whatever he/she wants to play. That's the point, afterall.

EC

pmkt16

Mr Carrol, What excerpts and solos do you like hearing in auditions? My post previously was just ideas nothing has been decided yet...

ecarroll

Pmk,

(It's Ed, by the way)

I may be in the minority amongst my colleagues, but repertoire choice doesn't matter to me in the slightest. I want to hear what YOU want to play and, hopefully, your performance will tell me why.

Best,
EC

WaWa

Mr. Carrol,

On the subject of college auditions, do you find much of a difference in the student to try out with 7 different horns in 5 different keys or the student that tries out with one Bb trumpet?

I am going to start auditioning to diffenct colleges next year and I am not certain that I will have much more than my Bb trumpet, I may possibly get a C trumpet before than..but that depends on if I manage to get a well-paying job...(more than minimum wage)

Just curious on if you look more highly on the kid with more horns and has..the..right sound for each excerpt..or the student can play each one..but just on the same trumpet. Hmm...I hope that made sense..

Thank you for your time,

ecarroll

Peyton,

Try this idea on for size. . .

Your trumpet is a mirror that reflects what's going on in your musical mind. It's the idea that counts, not the length of the mirror that you're holding.

Play your audition beautifully on your Bb trumpet, Peyton. Later, if your collection grows and you love to present pieces on a wider variety of horns, play beautifully on them as well.

I'm off to get a cup of coffee. Tom Stevens is stopping in soon and I like to be sharp. . .even artificially (!)

Best,
EC

ebtromba

I second the above advice. I know the Tomasi quite well, but the first couple times I have performed it....well, lets say there has been a very distinct learning curve

Also, in my opinion, the Tomasi concerto really is quite hindered when performed without piano accompaniment. The piece already extremely exposing, and when you don't have a piano player backing you up, this is magnified.

The 4 years I was at Northwestern, Charlie Geyer had a sign on his wall that read "when in doubt, play beautifully." I think this is among the best advice to any trumpeter.