The summer after my Junior year of high school, my Dad and I drove to Ithaca College, located in the Finger Lakes Region of New York state. I was going to have an informal lesson/audition with then bass professor Henry Neubert.
Why was I going to have this experience nearly seven months before I would have an official audition at Ithaca? I wanted to get to know the bass instructor. I wanted to see the campus. I wanted to put myself in (the somewhat nerve-wracking) situation of taking a lesson with a well-known bass pedagogue. I wanted to challenge myself.
In retrospect, I gained some valuable insights from this lesson (rather pre-audition). I learned that I would work well with Mr. Neubert. I learned that he thought I would be a good fit at Ithaca and, crucially, it gave me confidence that all my hours of preparation had succeeded, to a degree. At Ithaca, I learned that I needed to perform in an audition-setting more frequently before I was going to feel comfortable performing at college auditions in the upcoming Winter semester.
Performance
Performing for an audience is an important part of audition preparation, but it is crucial for the music student who may have little to no experience in “high-stake” audition settings. I’ve asked former students regularly, why do you think your college audition will be successful if you’ve never played your audition list for anyone (other than me) before you get into the audition? Often, I receive a nervous laugh or some version of, well, I’m going to practice more than I’ve ever practiced before, so that will be enough! While I’m ecstatic they are saying these words, I am also interested in crafting a broader plan to prepare them for their auditions.
Mock Auditions
Mock auditions are one of many techniques a student can use during their preparation period. A mock audition pushes the student to perform. Often (during practice) a student is not aware of how many times they start and stop during a solo or orchestral excerpt. They become accustomed to missing a shift, stopping, and recovering. As a result, these series of actions are baked into their performance. When one performs in this manner for a peer (or in a studio class setting) the practice becomes more pronounced and it motivates the student to seek improvement. A student does not want to be addressing these types of challenges in the weeks leading up to their college auditions.
Mindset
Mindset matters. The best preparation is one that is committed and long-term. This means one wants to avoid cramming for a college audition like some other type of assessment. The more you put into the process, the more you stand to gain in both your artistry and (on a practical level) your financial aid package.
When I prepared for my college auditions, I wanted to be ready to perform 6 to 8 weeks before the audition date. I also wanted to have multiple public performances of my audition list completed.
So, what does this timeline look like?
Timeline
May: Generate a list of schools you envision yourself attending.
June: Organize each school’s audition requirements into a spreadsheet. Is there any overlap? Organize your practice sessions. Write down your weekly goals.
July: Contact the bass instructor(s) at each school and introduce yourself. Ask broad-based questions, such as:
- What is the size of the bass studio?
- What is the graduate to the undergraduate ratio?
- How many days are you on campus?
- Is the instructor full-time or adjunct?
- How far do you travel to teach at this institution? How many times a semester will we meet?
- How much are you on campus? If we have to miss a lesson because of your performance schedule, how will we make that lesson up?
- Where will lessons be conducted? Are you able to meet online or in-person?
- What scholarship opportunities are available for someone like me?
August: Narrow down your list of schools after you analyze your experience with each bass instructor.
Fall: Continue audition preparation. Schedule mock auditions in September, October, November, and December. Aim for 1 to 2 per month.
November 15th: Are you ready to perform? If not, what needs to happen in the next 6 weeks? Are your applications ready to go? Have you confirmed your audition dates?
Holiday: Keep moving forward. Take a few days off to be with family, but stay focused on what is coming up in the New Year.
January – March: Begin your auditions.
In my upcoming posts, I will dive into more detail about what to look for in a music school, college auditions scheduling strategies, connecting with the teacher and institution you wish to attend, and day-of audition strategies.