Auditions

What should you play? There are many solos possible for your audition into IUP. On the IUP Department of Music Audition Information site will be listed at the bottom. I have indicated: “Students auditioning for the trumpet studio should select a work from the list below—or any other solo of comparable difficulty—that displays both technical and lyrical abilities. For multimovement works, two movements of contrasting styles and tempi should be chosen.”

• Arban, The Carnival of Venice

• Arutunian, Concerto

• Balay, Petite Piece Concertante

• Barat, Andante et Scherzo

• Bozza, Badinage

• Bozza, Caprice

• Bozza, Rustiques

• Corelli/Fitzgerald, Sonata VII

• Ewazen, Sonata

• Fitzgerald, Gaelic Suite

• Fitzgerald, Scarlatti Suite

• Gabaye, Boutade

• Gibbons, Suite

• Goedicke, Concert Etude, Op. 49

• Handel/Fitzgerald, Aria con variazione

• Haydn, Concerto in E-flat

• Hindemith, Sonate

• Hummel, Concerto in E-flat

• Kennan, Sonata

• Latham, Suite

• Peeters, Sonata, Op. 51

• Robbins, Mont Saint-Michel

• Ropartz, Andante et Allegro

• Stevens, Sonata

• Turrin, Two Portraits

It is impossible to list every piece of music that is acceptable for audition. If you have a solo other than those listed above, feel free to contact me to ensure that your solo is acceptable. Almost any work that is of comparable difficulty to the solos above will be acceptable. Portions of marching band or concert band music are not acceptable!

Plan to perform for a minimum of 5 minutes (B.S. and B.A. degrees). Candidates for the B.F.A. degree or for the M.M in Performance should prepare a minimum of 15 minutes worth of music.

Regarding your preparation:

Practice. That seems obvious enough! But how should you practice? By learning your music s-l-o-w-l-y. If the given metronome marking for your solo is q = 120, why not begin practicing at q = 60? Remember, practice makes PERMANENT. If you learn something incorrectly, you will ALWAYS play it incorrectly! Learn the correct notes, the correct intervals and the correct rhythms; then gradually increase the tempo until you reach "performance" speed. Spend some time considering the style of the piece. Is it a march? A "love song?" Have some definite ideas about the piece you are going to perform. The more you know about a piece of music, the easier that piece is to play.

Listen. Many of the pieces that you may select for audition have been recorded by some of the finest trumpet players in the world. If you have never heard someone else playing the piece that you are preparing, how do you know you are performing it in the best way? At the most appropriate tempo? Do not play along with the recording, however. While this may give you a sense of security during practice, the recording will not be there for you during the audition itself. The purpose of listening to a recording is to give you ideas about the work’s tempo, style, articulation, etc. Once you have “permission” (from the recording) to explore the various possibilities, head out on your own! Play as dramatically as you can. I am interested in hearing your personality in the music that you play!

Build confidence. All musicians need to practice "performing." In other words, play in front of people! Some "audiences" that you might perform for include your parents, teachers, and other band members in your high school. It may sound silly, but this type of practice really helps. Things happen in an audition that never happen in the practice room. Don't be afraid to make mistakes in these situations. Learn from the things that don't go the way that you had planned, so that on the day of your audition, everything goes the way you had planned!

The Audition Day. The big day is here! You should arrive at the audition site in plenty of time, following a good night's rest and after having had a light meal. Now you begin the "waiting game." Whether you have ten minutes or two hours before your audition, briefly warm up, but AVOID PRACTICING TOO MUCH! Just as cramming for a test doesn't really help you get a better grade, running through your solo eight more times will only make you tired and remind you of all of the "scary" sections you have to play. You want to give your best performance in front me, not in the bathroom down the hall!

Don't be influenced by other trumpeters you see and hear. Don't decide to change your interpretation of a piece at the last minute simply because you hear someone else playing it differently. Their rendition may not be correct. Make sure that your trumpet is in good working condition; valves are oiled, slides are greased, and so on. Today is NOT the day to try out a new mouthpiece! Nor is it a good day to completely clean your trumpet. Cleaning will always make your trumpet play differently. Why take an audition on a trumpet that feels unfamiliar to you?

Dress comfortably but neatly. Most people will play the way that they look. If you dress sloppily and have a sloppy attitude, you will probably also play sloppily.

I usually give permission for you to play a few notes before starting your audition. Most people will tell you to play a few notes to "get used to the room." Do not run through your entire warm-up routine and don't attempt to impress me with an amazing, pyrotechnic display of your trumpet-playing wizardry! Just play four or five notes and move on to the task at hand.

Take your time! Many trumpeters play the music in their audition faster than they've ever rehearsed it. Before you begin playing, "hear" the music in your head just as you've rehearsed it. Take a deep breath (I always breathe in the tempo of the piece I am about to play) and begin playing. Once you have started, however, don't stop. Ignore cracked notes, missed rhythms or accidentals. Keep going, look ahead, and give it your absolute best! Allow your body to react to the music; it's too late to think. If there are several pieces to be played, take a few moments to regroup after each work. Remember, this is YOUR time, so don't feel as though you have to jump from one piece of music right into the next. On the other hand, there won't be enough time for you to leave the room to get a drink of water. 20 seconds is plenty of time for you to move from one composition to the next. This is the type of pacing that should be checked during your practice performances.

When you are finished with your audition, do not render judgment on your own performance! What you might think was a poor performance might not be viewed as such by me. The crumbling or tearing up of music, the use of profanity or the slamming of doors will NOT impress me! Trumpet players who show a poor attitude will not win auditions!

Some trumpeters may get "dry mouth" when they perform. There are several ways to combat this problem. First, it is possible to take a glass of water into the audition room. However, that sip of water doesn't last long; most people feel dry again within a very short period of time. More success might be had by drinking some soda or "pop" just before you enter the audition area. The taste of the soft drink will stimulate your salivary glands and give you the "juice" you need to play. Chewing up a small piece of candy will accomplish the same thing, but don't appear in front of the judges until your mouth is empty. Using soft drinks or candy is okay, but remember to clean out your instrument as soon as the audition is over!

An audition is not always a true representation of the abilities of a young trumpet player. There is an "art" to preparing for such an event. Performing auditions can be a great learning experience for all trumpeters. With the proper approach, attitude and motivation, everyone has an equal chance of "making the grade."

Unfortunately, not everyone who tries out for IUP is accepted. The Trumpet Studio is limited to roughly 28 members. This means that some people will not be able to attend IUP as a music major. This does not mean that you aren’t good enough! It simply means that I am not able to accept you into my studio. Keep your dreams. If you want to be a music major, pursue your dreams at another university. I hope that you will be successful wherever you attend college!