ecarroll

TMers,

Take a moment and read a conductor's perspective on the hateful orchestral audition process. . . it's very interesting.

http://www.adaptistration.com/sticks...in-the-mi.html

Best,
EC

rowuk

Hmmm,
Maybe all of the good players don't go to Edmonton? Or maybe there are great voids in the education of the next generation? Or maybe we have quantity and quality mixed up? Did everybody have a bad day or .......................
Ed, this is some SERIOUS stuff. Food for thought for anybody thinking about doing this for a living.
PAY YOUR DUES!!!!!!!!!!

ecarroll

Robin,

This audition was for Canadian nationals only and by invitation. I'm sure that there were some good players to choose from and it appears that they made a choice.

The Montreal Symphony held fourth trumpet auditions for Canadian nationals last season and didn't choose anyone, leading to an international audition earlier this month. 80 people played, 11 advanced to the semi finals, and the job was offered to Chris Smith, a member of the U.S. Marine Corps Band.

I got a kick out of these three lines: "if you can't just roll outta bed, put the horn to your mouth, and play the exposition of the Hadyn trumpet concerto pretty much note perfect and with great élan, than why are you auditioning for a major job?". . ."trumpet players carry around a lot of crap. They've got all the horns they have to play, the various mutes, mouthpieces, ancillary equipment (hats for the 2nd mvt. of the Gershwin Concerto in F), and only God knows what else." and . . ."listening to auditions all day is an easy way to become an alcoholic".

Bottoms up,
EC

Khora

My friend Susan sang the Janacek Glagolitic Mass with Edmonton last spring. She thoroughly enjoyed working with Bill (and she has worked with a lot of conductors in her career). He knows what he is talking about.

We would do better to admit that we are auditioning for a chance to have a trial period with an orchestra. Most auditions now result in several people playing trials with the orchestra, so lets just be up front about it. That's why the big orchestras mention sight-reading. It certainly shouldn't be the kind of sight-reading from high school contest - they expect you to know the rep, and just not have spent weeks woodshedding those particular pieces.

He is right on the money. I know a lot of people who feel they are ready for a 'real' job. And yet they have to agonize for hours just to play something like the exposition of the Haydn. At some point, the standard repertoire has to become completely second nature, or you need to accept that you aren't really ready to have that kind of job. Yes, it is a harsh reality. But when you are working full-time, you don't have hours each week to learn each piece from scratch.

I see a lot of students spending a lot of time online - but the ones winning the jobs are the ones in the practice rooms / listening rooms.

Learn the rep early on in life - and learn it stone cold, so you can play it no matter what, in your sleep. Play it along with recordings if you don't have a chance to play it with an orchestra - that process is so simple these days with an iPod and headset! Push the tempos, dynamics, etc. in all directions.
When you know this stuff in your sleep, you're really ready to take the auditions.

ecarroll

Sandy,

You can't mean less time on TrumpetMaster, can you? (nodding) I'll assume that you mean playing online games. (nodding again, even harder)

Brava. I couldn't say this better. (nodding once more)

Best,
EC (stiff neck)

trumpetlore

Hey all,
I suppose I can add a snippet here. Having taken the Edmonton audition, as well as subbing with the ESO on occasion, I don't mind saying that Eddins is a little quirky, but he's a wonderful conductor, and does know what he's talking about. Maybe the bit on the Velcro wasn't necessary, but having talked with him a few days later it was clear there was a lack of preparation by many auditionees. This was my first real audition, and while I don't think I embarrassed myself. I'm sure people listening could tell I had some nerve issues. I thought I was prepared, but as I'm sure everybody who's ever done a first audition (umm...I guess that would be all of us) I learned much about what it will actually take to be fully prepared.
Perhaps they did prolong their own agony...they let everybody play through the first round, regardless of if they were prepared or not. 14 players in 4 hour for the first round. methinks a little over, but what can ya do.

moving quickly to Eddins #10

TrentAustin

Yeah but my "Medal of Honor" chops are bordering on virtuosic! ;)

nplotts1

My problem with this statement is that I don't really have a way to get my hands on a lot of the standards. I was lucky to find Haydn one day in the store and get it for under $10. But being a college student, my money tends to go for food, not repitoire. Also, I have been asking my trumpet instructor to listen to me play Haydn since we came back from winter holidays (Christmas Break for those who don't care to be politically correct.) I know there are still a few licks in it that I have trouble with, but I do get better every week, and have those licks nearing perfection. My instructor seems to want me to work fundimentals and only fundimentals, or a piece for juries at the end of the semester. I don't even want to think about asking him if I should look at Hummel, Artunian, Goedike or any of the other standards. I already know his answer. (Sorry if I misspelled any of the composers names, I am rather sleepy atm.)
I just ordered an excerpt book on Friday so that I can begin looking at pieces for sight-reading and preperation for when I audition for Grad Schools, but I am wondering if I should even mention it to my instructor. Don't get me wrong, I love being his student, but sometimes I get tired of doing scales and buzzing and actually want to practice those fundimentals in the form of music and not the same boring "warm-up" routines.

wiseone2

When I was High School, I played in Community Orchestras, Wind Ensembles and any organization that would have me. There must be even more chances to play at the college level.
Some of the solo stuff like the Haydn is available online.........free
Be patient.
Wilmer

misty.sj

Your university is huge and will have a substantial music library, both of sheet music and recordings, nplotts...