Posted by Sean Chisham on February 14, 2000 at 21:18:29:
In Reply to: Prospective Audition posted by Auditioner on February 14, 2000 at 20:46:10:
Your first 10-20 seconds will make or break you in most cases. Pick a solo with a high "WOW!!!" factor from the very first note. Not schlock, per se, but with a great melody and with a lot of pep. You've got to grab the bull by the horns from the very opening phrase and never let go. If you go out there with the VW Romanza and the next guy goes out with a smoking performance of the 3rd movement of the VW, then you could already be 2 strikes down. An audition is just like show business.
Why only the big horn? If you have something which sounds more impressive on F or Eb, then bring that. The tune should be the very best one you can possibly perform. Don't be afraid of playing your "One Hit Wonder", if it really is something special. Even though everyone back home may have heard you play that same tune a billion times over the course of 3 years, the committee is only gonna hear it once, for 1-5 minutes. Perhaps once more, if you win :)
Lastly, plan for the final round. No one ever won a military band audition who couldn't "sight read" well under pressure. Get all the standard excerpts and then any others which are challenging and available to you and study them every day. The "war horse" transcriptions, marches, holst, etc. WILL show up in "sight reading". The sight reading material not only tests your ability to read down unfamiliar music, but also your knowledge of standard literature, ability to cope with stress, and musical approach to the ink on the page.
When you do "sight read", be very sensitive to not only the key and time signatures, but also the nuance markings, such as dynamics, speed fluctuations, slurring, and different types of accents. These mechanical components, along with proper musical style, can help set you apart from the guy who simply hits all the intervals, rhythms, and accidentals.
Oh, and lastly and most often abused, keep a metronomically accurate pulse at all times, while still sustaining the musical line.
sean