Bragging Time

Since I know my beautiful daughter won't brag about herself, allow me to!

The orchestra program at our local high school is pathetic.  The band?  Award winning.  The choirs?  Award winning.  The orchestra?  They take fifth out of five orchestras.....thanks for playing!

After Johannah made it into the top orchestra this summer at Interlochen, she knew that there was no going back.  No going back to rehearsals that are all talking, and no rehearsing.  Performances that are embarrassing.  So, she checked into our local professional orchestra, the Nittany Valley Symphony.

As luck would have it, they were holding open auditions for only four instruments, viola being one of them.

Let me reiterate.  This is a professional orchestra, made up of adult performers, many of whom hold advance degrees in music.

While the website said the auditions weren't until the middle of September, when Johannah called, she discovered that they were being held in 12 days.  And the excerpts still had to be mailed to her.

By the time Hannie got the excerpts, she had one week to learn them.  One week to learn four pages of excerpts.  Too, she was to come prepared with a solo work.

Looking at the excerpts, I'm sure they would have been a breeze for any adult musician.  In all likelihood, any adult would have played the excerpts before in actual performances.

Not Johannah.  Not a one.  She did know a couple of the pieces (like Beethoven V), but playing them? Never.

We quickly contacted her teacher in Philly who was thankfully home for the week, and we scheduled a lesson.  She helped Hannie refine what she had already practiced and wished her luck.

After church on Sunday, we headed over to the high school for the audition.  There were only four other people auditioning, and we didn't know on which instruments.

As soon as Hannah had warmed up in the parking lot, we walked in, and she was instantly whisked into the auditorium.  No deep breathing exercises, no mental preparation.

And this is where the real test began.

For young musicians, it's not about the notes.  They think it is, but auditions shouldn't be.  If they've practiced and put in the hours, the notes will be there.  The real battle is with the nerves.  It's a battle of the mind.

The easiest and most natural way to think before an audition is negative.  "What if..." plagues the inner conversation.

• What if I miss the notes?
• What if my hands start shaking?
• What if I don't get into the orchestra?
• What if I forget to do something?

What should be in the mind is a visualization of success.

• Imagine how good it will feel to walk out of the audition, knowing I did my best.
• I have practiced this 1,000 times.  This is simply the 1,001st time to play it.
• The judges are on my side--they want me to succeed.
• I can do this.

Believe me, we have practiced this a million times.  Well, it feels like a million to me, because I've already been through it with Mark.  The best way to master auditions is to audition.  In other words, the performer needs to go through the experience over and over to reduce the feelings of nervousness.    Too, the more one auditions, the more good experiences one has which is always good for the confidence.  An interesting point:  Mark's horn professor at Michigan holds "mock auditions" every month or so, just to let the kids experience the process.

So, Hannah knew the notes.  It was all about controlling the nerves.

One of the best things that I have learned through the years is to block out the judges.  I suspect one can liken it to "imagining an audience naked" for people who fear public speaking.  Glo's teacher, Amy, taught her to take a moment before playing and imagine Amy's apartment and Amy standing right there.  It's almost like seeing spots, conveniently covering the judges, and envisioning a place that is inspirational.

Well, enough about the philosophy.  We performers know it, but the question is if we can implement it.

When Hannah came out of her audition, her whole body was shaking, and I recognized the flow of adrenaline because she was talking really, really fast and talking a lot!

She said that she nailed the excerpts and only had one or two slip-ups in the Stamitz viola concerto.

That's all we wanted.  Yes, it would have been nice for her to get into the orchestra, but at this point, we are looking for good audition experiences that will teach her how to audition better the next time.

She had entered fairly calm, but each time she felt her nerves rising (and her stomach tightening), she made an effort to relax.  It's really about being aware of your body, even though your mind (and self-doubts) are trying to take over.

I was so incredibly proud of her.  She auditioned in front of adults who expected her to play at a professional level.  

And we found out today that she made it.  Yes, she made it into the orchestra and will be attending rehearsals during evenings and performing monthly.  It's a big time commitment, but the experience of playing with a higher caliber orchestra will help her tremendously.

This is only the beginning of the bragging, Hannie.  You better get used to it :-)