Why the best players don’t (always) win auditions
Let’s get one thing straight: when I’ve won an audition, the system worked and the best player prevailed! All the other times, something wacky went down.
Joking aside, you win some and you lose some. But while there’s no surefire way to guarantee triumph, there are ways to plan on bombing. And I’m here to help you steer clear of them.
Playing “in tune and in time”, while necessary, aren’t quite enough. Plus, how do you prepare so that you can cover those basics under pressure anyway?
It all comes down to risk and reward. You have to know what risks are worth taking, as well as how risky every component of the audition program is for you. As Clint Eastwood said as “Dirty Harry” in Magnum Force, “A man’s got to know his limitations.”
So let me introduce you to two mental models that will help you build a powerful plan for your next audition: The Box and Ceiling/Floor.
This is a big enough topic that it needs a video, with playing examples. Some of the excerpts I touch on are:
- Strauss Don Juan
- Mozart 39
- Schumann 2
- Rachmaninoff 2
- Beethoven 3
- Mendelssohn Midsummer Night’s Dream
- Brahms 4
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Hi Nate,
Your videos are amazing and very helpful!
I appreciate every single detail and advice you dispense..
I’ve been following you closely for a long time..
Thank you for what you do for the violin community.
Richard
Very helpful & insightful. Thanks.
“In an audition, one’s floor is most important”… this explains so much!!!
Definitely find it hard not to trip on an excerpt here and there.
This is also great advice for non-pros who might be preparing for a recital or to play at a family event. Understanding “floor and ceiling” helps defeat stage fright. Reminds me (sports analogy) of how figure skaters prepare competition routines… if you can’t successfully land a jump 90-95% of the time in practice, it doesn’t get included in the program.
This is a wonderful, well-organized philosophy of auditions, paired with practicable applications. Congratulations to Nate and to everyone who watches, listens and learns!