Orchestral Roundtable Discussion
Pamela Endsley & Julie Duncan
Preparing for an Audition
- Know the entire part, not just the asked excerpt
- Know what comes before and after, and where your ques are.
- Listen to man different recordings of the excerpts. Many excerpts have wrong tempi listed.
- You have to have perfect Rhythm and Pitch.
- Practice the Excerpts at different Tempi. If you get asked to play it again, it is a good thing.
- Make your musical gestures so clear that someone behind the screen could write down what you are doing..
- Record yourself for Dynamics
- Mix up Excerpts when you practice them
- Play for other people and pretend you are actually taking the audition
- Be careful about asking an audition committee to replay something. If you must, only ask once.
- Do Excessively warm-up between pieces
- Take time to think about the piece.
Subbing in an Orchestra
- Be Early
- Be Quiet, If you warm-up, do it very quietly and just a scale or to. Do not show off.
- Always be prepared and never sound bad.
Orchestral Etiquette
- Page Turns and cleaning of the instrument should be done quietly, and not during solos.
Positive Traits in Musicians
- 2nd flute: blend your sound with the first flute, not too much vibrato
- Piccolo: Opposite of 2nd flute since it is a solo part. Play the part with no fear.
- Watch and move with the first player. If you have to, have your chair farther back then theirs.
Dress Code
Since I am a guy, this section didn't apply to me, however, the basic message was that you should look professional. A few stories were shared about people who were showing bellies or too much leg. This discussion was for both the orchestra and auditions.