Helpful hints for successful auditions by Robert Dorer

Robert Dorer

Minnesota Orchestra

Be prepared. That is easy to say, but what exactly does this mean?  I have taken more auditions than I would like to remember, but I have learned a great deal from this experience. I have won six orchestral auditions, and I came very close to winning some others. I will focus on orchestral auditions, but hopefully this will also help musicians taking other auditions, such as college entrance auditions.

First, find out all you can about all of the music for the audition. You might not have even heard the names of some of the pieces asked at an audition. Do some research on the composer, on when the piece was written, and on why is the piece being asked.  Your job is to sound like you have performed these pieces many times before.  You would be wise to buy the real parts, because excerpt books have lots of mistakes and are incomplete. Try to listen to at least two recordings of each piece. If the interpretations of these two recordings are vastly different, listen to even more. This way you are able to find the middle ground or standard interpretation. It is important to know how your part fits in with what the rest of the orchestra is playing.  Develop a strong image in your mind of your phrasing and musical ideas. This image is your plan of how the piece goes. The stronger and more detailed plan you have, the more convincing you will be in your music making.

The next step is preparing the audition music.  If there is a piece you are hoping they won’t ask, they will ask for it.  Work on these pieces until you wish they would ask for them, so you can show how well you can play them.  Record yourself on each excerpt and listen back immediately.   Ask yourself “what did I like and what can I do to sound even better?” Then record it again, and listen back.  Do this every time you practice the list of music.  Audition committees are looking for playing that is in tune and in time.  Solid intonation is very important to every committee.  Find a tuner with a drone tone or tape yourself playing a long tone.  Listen to it sounding the tonic of the excerpt while you are practicing the excerpt.  Pulse and rhythm is also very important.  I find following a metronome only gets me so far. I like to record myself, and then tap my finger to the music as I listen back. That is what the committee is doing behind the curtain. Marching in place as you play helps develop inner pulse.  Then just imagine you are marching as you play.  Keep up your daily practice on your basics of easy sound production.  Audition lists are made to test the extremes of your playing.  Try not to overdo the high and loud extremes at the detriment of the rest of your playing.    

Unexpected things always happen on audition days, so try not to let anything get you flustered.  Be prepared for anything at the audition. I have been told “wait here in the hall and I will get you a warmup room, oh, they are ready for you now”.  Play mock auditions for friends, family, and tape recorders many times.  Be able to play the audition pieces on auto pilot by putting in the time, effort and repetitions on the music.  Pull the order of pieces out of a hat each time, so you don’t get used to a certain order.  Train physically and mentally to be able to be at your peak for three to five or more rounds in one day.  I played four or five rounds the day I won the Minnesota audition.  Warm up gently and slowly.  I never worried about the guy blasting through the whole list in the warmup room.  It was the person in the corner of the room totally focused on starting notes perfectly that was my competition.  However, worrying about either one of these players does not help anything.  

Auditions can be stressful. Treat yourself with respect on the audition day.  Get enough sleep the night before and don’t try to cram in practicing. You will need all your energy for the audition. Eat lightly and take a snack in case you are waiting around and get hungry. Get to the audition early so you have one less thing to think about. When we are under stress, muscles shorten and tense up. Taking in slow, full breaths can stretch  out the breathing muscles and can calm the body and mind.  Bring a water bottle into the audition in case you are worried about dry mouth. 

Try to keep your focus on the present moment.  Nerves come from thinking negative thoughts of the past or the future. We don’t need to be perfect. We need to communicate our musical thoughts to the audience. Concentrate on what you are doing at that moment. Everything else is just a distraction. I find that juggling before an audition gets my mind-body connection working. If my concentration wanders, or my body is tense, the bean bags fall.

After the audition, ask if it is possible to get comments from the committee. Many committee members keep notes and are willing to share their thoughts about your audition. I have learned about certain things I did not realize I did, like blowing the water out of the trumpet too loudly. 

The only thing you can control is how you play.  The audition committee does the judging. If you prepare well, no audition is a waste because the process of preparation raises your general level of playing.  Each audition is an opportunity to learn and develop the skills necessary to be successful at the next one. I know I would not have won my job in the Minnesota Orchestra without all the experience I gained in my previous auditions. Good Luck!

Brass Artist Feature - Rob Parton

We had the chance to interview Blessing Brass artist Rob Parton about his career as a music educator and performer.  He discusses his inspiration, advice for young musicians, and future projects below.

At what age did you begin playing trumpet? 

I started playing trumpet when I was going into the 6th grade.  The summer prior to 6th grade they started all instruments separately.

What inspired you to choose instrument?

The kid across the street played trumpet and he told me it was the coolest instrument!  I am so glad he was right!

What would be your advice for young people interested in learning trumpet?

First of all, find a private teacher if at all possible.  Listen as much as you can to great trumpet players so you can get some sort of sound in your head. Of course this responsibility lies more on the band director to play stuff for the kids.  Create a simple regular warm up routine where you can monitor your progress day in day out.  Mixture of long tones and scales can work for a while.

How is your current role as an educator at Capital University different from your experience as a performing musician?  What do you find to be the greatest challenges and rewards as an educator?

I am really energized while getting to work with future music educators. The energy these students have is exciting and it is exciting to know that my teaching philosophy could get carried on through these students. The great part is that my performing responsibilities have actually widened now that I am in Columbus.  I am playing with the Columbus Jazz Orchestra when needed, performing at many churches for special occasions and acting more as a guest soloist with concert bands and of course jazz bands.  I am also still involved in Chicago when needed, for example I am playing all next week with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.  The concert features the original score of West Side Story with film!

 What advice would you give to young musicians – including those wishing to pursue a career in performance, and those wishing to pursue a career in education?

Performance students- practice to the point that you have complete control of your instrument.  Be versatile and most of all be positive!  If it is orchestral performance you are pursuing, then you must study the full piece and not just the excerpts.  Get a score and learn what is happening throughout the piece.

Music Educators-take performing very serious and take all classes having to deal with teaching the instruments very seriously.  Try to make analogies to the trumpet or whatever your major instrument is.  Watch great teachers teach and decide how you want to be viewed as a teacher.  Study hard and realize that teaching is a calling and a major responsibilty.  We have to continue cultivating the audiences and supporters!

What projects do you have coming up in 2012?

I have a new CD coming out with the Rob Parton Big Band.  It will be called "We'll Be Together Again." Mostly due to my leaving Chicago, but I'll be back somehow!  I also have a Christmas CD that I have been working on for a long time.  I'd like to get that out by next Christmas.  It will be titled, "A Chicago Christmas."

Could you tell us what you like most about Blessing brass?

The products I use made by Blessing Brass have shown to be very consistent.  This reliability in all areas of craftsmanship, and has helped me to become more consistent over the entire horn. As a player this is critical and is possible due to these well built instruments by Blessing.  The best part is that they are made 100% in the USA!

E.K. Blessing is taking a long winter's NAP!

E.K. Blessing will be closed December 19 through January 2nd - we will reopen on January 3rd.

We hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday season!

See you next year!

Brass Artist Feature - Rob Slowik

Rob Slowik“Life under the big top” may be the dream of many young people, but it is a reality for Sonaré trumpet artist Rob Slowik.  Slowik, a native of Detroit, is currently in his 14^th season with the Big Apple Circus.  After speaking with Rob, I discovered that his appointment was initially temporary, as he had planned to perform with them for only a few months.  Now the Musical Director for the show, Slowik functions as a conductor and performer simultaneously.  He states, “I conduct with my left hand and play trumpet with my right.”  His current appointment is something that he thoroughly enjoys, and it is definitely a logical step along the path he has taken in his musical career.

Rob Slowik, a native of Detroit, began studying music in the third grade, learning both drums and trumpet.  He attended East Detroit High School and later enrolled at Eastern Michigan University.  His primary trumpet teachers include Ben Grycan, Jim Underwood, Carter Eggers, and Armando Ghitalla.  While studying at Eastern Michigan, he took a semester off to play in a tour of the Bob Fosse show Sweet Charity and began his professional career as a performer.  Slowik then performed on cruise ships for five years as a trumpeter, conductor, and music director.  He moved to New York City and had the good fortune to immediately land a steady position subbing with Broadway shows.  According to Slowik, he performed in over 40 shows, including Sunset Boulevard, Pippin, the Pajama Game, and Crazy For You.  While he was in between shows, he received a call from a trumpet player friend he performed with on Broadway.  The friend asked Rob if he could “fill in” for him for a few months with the Big Apple Circus.  Expecting to perform with the show for only three months, Rob stayed and was appointed Musical Director in 2000.

In the show, Slowik performs on trumpet, piccolo trumpet, bass trumpet, flugelhorn, and french horn.  He occasionally returns to his “roots” and plays percussion as well.  When I asked about the switch to french horn, Rob said he “picked it up in the last few years to add color” to the ensemble.  He mentioned that he can easily switch back and forth from trumpet to french horn without negatively affecting his embouchure on either instrument.  In the show, he performs a variety of styles including classical, jazz, bebop, rock, and fusion.  The ensemble consists of 2 brass players, 2 woodwind players, guitar, keyboard, bass, and drums.  The music for the show is put together a year in advance, and the process starts with Rob viewing videos of the circus acts.  He watches the videos, decides on a musical concept, and then communicates back to the performers to see if the music works for them conceptually.  Ultimately, Slowik and the ensemble make constant tempo changes and adjustments in the live show to insure the seamlessness of the music and the performance. 

Slowik’s experience with the circus has brought him together with many celebrities and has led to additional performing engagements.  He noted that one evening, Harry Connick, Jr., attended the show.  Rob was then asked by Harry to join him for a four-month tour of the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, New Zealand, and Australia.  Slowik is extremely happy to have celebrities in the audience and states, “it’s cool to see the people we look up to as musicians in awe of what we do at the circus.”  Rob recalls several famous guests at the circus and mentioned that they are all “very down to earth.”  Of the list of famous circus attendees, Rob has met Robert De Niro, Paul Schaffer, Jon Stewart, Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, David Bowie, Cyndi Lauper, James Gandolfini of the Sopranos, Comedy Central’s John Hodgman, and “all the detectives from Law and Order SVU.”  On the musical celebrity side, Ed Carroll and Ray Vega have attended the show as well.

As a Sonaré artist, Slowik has a variety of instruments to meet the demands of his performances.  He performs his Sonaré 800 and Blessing 1580 in his shows and for classical, symphonic, and brass quintet playing.  He also practices his Sonaré C trumpet daily to “feel at home with it and keep up the chops.”  He commends Sonaré on the consistency and intonation of the C trumpets and states, “Everytime someone tries my C, they want to buy it.  It’s the best C trumpet I’ve ever played.”  We thank Rob utilizing Sonaré and Blessing trumpets as his tools of the trade, especially with such a busy and diverse career.  If you are in New York, the Big Apple Circus performs at Lincoln Center Plaza in Damrosch Park (next to the Metropolitan Opera House).  You can also catch the show on tour March-December.  For more information, visit www.bigapplecircus.com.

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Brasswind Chamber Music in High School

By Seelan P. Manickam

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