5 Tips for Nailing Your Undergraduate Music School Audition

Contents

Practice in the Same or Similar Setting
Get Feedback
Check Your Equipment
Eat and Hydrate
Go Beyond the Minimum

No matter what instrument you play, you will need to prepare for your music school audition. Going to a music school like a conservatory lets you compete against other amazing players from around the world. You can become one of the best yourself. These schools only select a small number of students each year. They use the auditions to see decide who deserves one of its available spots. Preparing for your audition with some basic tips will help you nail that audition.

Practice in the Same or Similar Setting

When you practice in the days leading up to your audition, try to practice in the same space or venue where the audition is or in a similar setting. The nerves that you feel when playing on stage often occur because you never played there before. You don’t want to feel the same way when you play in front of an audition panel. If you use the same space or a similar place for your practice sessions, you’ll feel more confident when the big day arrives.

Get Feedback

No matter how confident you feel in the days leading up to your audition, you always want to get some feedback from others. Especially important are those familiar with the audition process that music schools use. Look to tutors, professional players, teachers and others. Look for those who can tell you if the panel looks for:

certain types of songs
if you use the right body language as you play
whether you need to play a little slower or faster

All that feedback can help you prepare for your audition.

Related resource: 10 Best University Jazz Programs

Check Your Equipment

Regardless of what type of instrument you play, you always want to check your equipment before the audition. If you play an instrument with strings, make sure that the strings are in good condition. Be sure you have an extra set in your bag too. When you start playing and find something clogging your instrument or another problem, you may feel frazzled, stressed, embarrassed. This will keep you from doing your best. You’ll also want to check your equipment for any signs of damage. Make sure that you bring anything you might need to your audition.

Eat and Hydrate

Even professional musicians can feel so nervous before a big audition that they forget to eat or drink. But eating a healthy meal and staying hydrated can help you look and feel better during your own audition. Eat a filling breakfast that morning. Plan some simple snacks to eat during the day. Drink plenty of water all day. If you have an audition scheduled before lunch, eat a quick snack to calm your stomach.

Go Beyond the Minimum

As you plan, you should get a packet of paperwork that explains the type of music you need to prepare and the length of that music. While you might focus on doing the bare minimum, you should think about going beyond that level. According to Peterson’s, you should know and plan for doing a longer song or a different song. If the audition panel thinks that your work is too similar to someone who already played , they may ask you to play a different song. They may ask you to play a piece that goes beyond what you practiced. Going to music school is a dream for many people who studied and played music in high school. To find the best students for their programs, most schools require that you perform a music school audition. You can prepare for this weeks or even months in advance.