To fully prepare for an audition, you need from 3 to 6 weeks, depending on whether you have previous knowledge of the standard excerpts – ideally 6 weeks to accommodate the physical and mental preparation. Set out a time-frame like the one below.

Week One:

Look at the type of job for which you are auditioning, read the job description, and do some research on the orchestra to establish what kinds of music they regularly perform. Check out their web page and calendar to see their schedule of performances, and what they are working on around the time of the audition date. Make your own ‘guess’ list from the most popular excerpts, and their current or upcoming repertoire. This should be about 12 excerpts.

Locate recordings of all the excerpts and/or DVDs. Immediately find explanations for any musical terms and write them into your parts, putting in tempo markings. Check out your potential colleagues, and if possible search out opportunities to hear them play, or their recordings. Decide on your concerto and solo piece, taking into account the type of ensemble. Start slow practice – always with your metronome and tuner.

Week Two:

Write a list of your strengths and weaknesses and work out strategies to fix these problems. Have a rehearsal with your pianist. Have a lesson, and either video or record it. Write out a practice schedule that includes performing your program with recordings at the end of every other session.

Week Three:

This is the week to sort out your warm-up for audition day – it should be 20 minutes maximum. By now you will have already raised your level of playing, and you need to think about mental preparation.

Write out 20 aspects of your playing that you are proud of. When you are practising, look at that list every time you get a negative thought. During your practice sessions, give yourself praise (out loud) whenever you play well.

Week Four:

Check your progress by doing a video audition. Play straight through everything without repeating any of the excerpts as in a practice session. Give yourself only a 20 minute warm-up. Take one practice session to adjudicate this, carefully checking intonation, rhythm, articulation, dynamics and musicality.

Watch the video through one time just looking at the way you use your body. Observe if you change posture at any point – e.g. moving into the stand during fast passages, or dipping forward at the ends of breaths.

Week Five:

This week you should get your excerpt list. Immediately locate recordings and go to the library to copy the scores that show the accompaniment to the solos. Write in any translations to musical terms.

Have a lesson and a rehearsal with your pianist. Start a journal that helps you keep track of your progress. Find out about the audition space, and either try to get in there to sound out the acoustic, or go to a performance in the space. From now on you should visualise yourself playing in that space.

Week Six:

Final week of preparation, not the week to be learning notes... Your tempi should be set at the end of week five, now it is all about mental preparation and letting the expression in the music come through.

At each practice session, start with the warm-up you will do on the day. Have a word or phrase that helps to encapsulate the overall expression or character of each excerpt, and focus on that before you play it. In your mind see yourself performing the piece in the orchestra as you play it. If your mind strays, regroup and focus again on the feeling of really being in the orchestra and performing it. This gets your mind out of the way whilst you are practising, and by practising this way you can maintain this attitude in the audition.

Play your audition to three friends. They do not even have to comment – just get in front of people! This week, to help with your stress, get plenty of sleep in the evenings, eat very healthily, drink plenty of water, cut back on the caffeine and sweets, and keep patting yourself on the back, because you are very prepared and have worked very hard.

Audition Day!

What Happens At An Audition?

Preliminary Round:

Typically the first round is about eliminating people. Why? Because a panel of musicians (however sincere and nice they may be as people), are only human, and there is only so much time allocated to finding a suitable candidate. So this means that, right from the first note, you play to show all you can do (even your couple of notes to sound out the acoustic). Please always remember that elimination is never just about being technically perfect. If you play with a beautiful sound, musically and in tune with a good sense of rhythm, the panel will no doubt want to hear more.

A first round will involve lots of players, and you will either have an allotted time, or be part of a group of people to be heard within a time-frame, and in that case the order of player will be decided when you arrive. Almost always you will have a room 15-20 mins before you play, and it is normally at this point that you are given the selection of excerpts they will hear

Before you get your own room, you may be able to warm-up in a larger room with several other people. Be aware that you almost always can hear lots of flutists playing around you, many probably practising fast and loud!

When you do get to audition, you will be silently ushered into a room that will screen off the panel. You are not allowed to speak. It is allowed for you to play a few notes before starting your excerpt, just to get used to the room. If something goes wrong or you make a mistake, recover quickly – this can be very impressive. You may not get to finish the selection but it is still possible that you have been advanced to the next round. Successful candidates will be announced either at the end of your group, or at the end of the day.

Semi-Final:

This round may or may not be with a screen. Usually at this point the opportunity to perform with piano is given – this is so the panel can see how you interact with another musician. Please pre-tune with a tuner! Usually there will be a longer list, and the panel may ask you to repeat some excerpts – this is always a GOOD sign. You may be in the audition for 20-30 minutes.

Final Round:

This round will probably take place on the same day as the semi-final so being strong and able to pace yourself is important. Have some healthy food to hand and water – you don’t want hunger to make your energy low.

A final round will have only a handful of candidates. Be proud – anyone at this stage of the audition is considered appropriate for the position. Now is the time to remind yourself of all your good attributes, and to make the most of them when you perform. Remember to look confident and in control, and to address the panel in a genuine, friendly manner.

And, be determined – go get that job!

Lisa-Maree Amos is Principal Flute of Orchestra Victoria and Principal Flute of the Colorado Music Festival in USA. Her course, Flute Audition Success, is an intensive 2 day course held annually in Melbourne and Brisbane, details of which can be found on www.FluteAustralia.com
or phone on +61- 433 836 587