Managing Audition Nerves Part III: Organize Mock Auditions

To best prepare yourself for what a real audition might be like, set up several mock auditions in a variety of settings that mirror the stressful conditions of an actual audition.  At each mock audition, challenge yourself!

Play your repertoire all the way through, vary the order of the pieces, or ask your audience to stop you during the piece & move onto the next piece. This is hard, but with this experience under your belt, you will feel much more confident.

Here are tips to get you started:

1. Vary the settings of your performance:

   Pick a generic room with fluorescent lighting, a more formal stage in an auditorium, or a less formal room with natural lighting. 

2. Choose your audience:

   Invite friends, your violin, voice, or trumpet studio, students from your orchestra or choir (if you come to mine, I’ll go to yours!), teachers or other mentors, & maybe even a small panel of people who make you feel uncomfortable.

3. Train yourself to push through distractions:

   Ask the audience to leave their phones on, eat their lunch, cough, shuffle papers, & take notes. Make cue cards so participants can bark orders of where to stop & move onto the next piece. Instruct them to leave an awkward empty space between the instructions. 

4. Don’t fear silence:

   Remind yourself not to speak during the audition. Embrace the silent moments, using the Centering Process. Before rushing to start, evoke your mental image of the opening of the next piece. 

5. Dealing with mistakes:

   Accept them and recenter yourself. Technique is important, but remember that music schools are looking for students who are musical and receptive to instruction.

6. Record the performance:

   Listening back to a recording takes time & energy, but it will help you improve. 

7. Mock audition etiquette:

   Enter & exit the room before & after you play, take a bow, & dress appropriately.