Very recently, I was afforded a unique opportunity. I was able to sit on an audition committee with my section-mates. My perspective was different, however, than most of the committee members: I was behind the screen with the candidates. Thus, I had a chance to make not only aural, but visual observations of the audition process. What I saw and heard was enlightening indeed. In discussing the experience afterwards with some of the candidates, I came to realize that a great many lessons could be learned from my observations. The majority of them were unaware of their musical and physical reactions on stage. For their benefit and for all of us who plan on taking auditions in the future, I decided to document the experience and shed light on the matter. I truly believe that we can all gain from others’ experiences.....good or bad.
In that spirit, then, I write not as judge and jury, but to gain and dispense some valuable knowledge.
Nothing contained herein is new or revolutionary. Many fine teachers have discussed these matters for a great many years. Nevertheless, it couldn’t hurt to refresh these ideas and present them concisely and coherently. I originally posted this article on the Internet and received overwhelming response. This indicates to me that maybe these ideas are not “old hat”. In fact, some aspiring trombonists had not thought of these things before.
I have three main categories to discuss concerning the audition process: preparation,equipment, and presentation.

PREPARATION

A terrific group of candidates showed up for our audition. The resumes were spectacular, with some of the best schools and teachers being represented. We were very anxious to hear these people play. We had every expectation to hear some truly stellar trombone-playing. We were saddened, though, when none of the candidates “knocked our socks off”. Most were quite clearly nervous (more on that later), but what was more surprising was the lack of proper preparation on their part. We had about seven excerpts to be prepared, along with a Bordogni etude and the David Concertino.
Good rhythm was most lacking in the Bordogni. Don’t confuse bad rhythm with musicality. As a committee member, we can’t tell if you’re being incredibly creative or you just can’t count. Perhaps it is best to take a “middle-of-the-road” interpretation into an audition. Rubato....sure!! But like a good spice, it’s best when used sparingly. Thinking more “vocally” would help. (These are, after all, vocalises.) The same problems arose on the David. Ritards appeared in the most unmusical places; and at times it seemed that the fast scalar passages were being slowed to ease facility!
On the required excerpts, all tempos were clearly noted. This is a great help to the auditionee! Practice with a metronome religiously and be sure that you can play consistently at the marked tempo. (Just assume that some committee member is holding a metronome and checking your accuracy. At the very least, a few will be tapping their feet or conducting along with you.)
Be sure to play EXACTLY what’s on the page. Avoid “interpretive” articulations, dynamics, etc. When dozens of players are going to play the first round, this is an easy way for the committee to “weed you out”. So don’t play slurs when you don’t see them and don’t assume that a fortissimo means “as loud as possible”. Control and accuracy will get you through this round. In preparing for the audition, your best ally will be your tape recorder. It will fix all the aforementioned ailments and then some! Get in the habit of leaving a tape recorder on all the time while practicing. Then, when you rest for a few moments, just listen back to what you’ve played. The dividends paid by this simple practice cannot be overstated!
The last part of the audition process was sight-reading. We put up a rather fast march, a jazz ballad, and a bravura excerpt with some rhythmic challenges. What I noticed right away was the fact that on the fast scalar passages in the march, players had difficulty playing fast scales in tune. These should be done every day and “tossed off” when encountered in music. Recognizing scalar and triadic patterns and knowing them like the back of your hand is probably the best preparation for sight reading. When it came time for the ballad, only one player really changed styles. The notes were pretty simple and the rhythm not too complex. We were wanting to hear a real stylistic change from all that had come before. Versatility and adaptability were the reasons for putting this excerpt on the stand. Perhaps a moment of thought before jumping in would have helped. I know the next time I encounter sight-reading on an audition I will think to myself (after quickly scanning the key signature, dynamics, etc.), “what are they hoping to hear on this one....other than right notes and rhythms?”.
The last excerpt revealed that sight-reading rhythms is indeed a tough task. Err on the side of caution and proceed slowly (within reason, of course!). They can always ask you to play it again a little bit faster. Sub-divide in your head like CRAZY! This can be worked on every day of our playing lives....make it a HABIT! Other than that, I suggest sight-reading a wide variety of stuff on a regular basis. Etude books, solos, transcriptions, anything and everything you can get your hands on! Libraries are great places to start, or ask your teacher to “unload” some piles of music on you. It can be a lot of fun to fly through stacks of music at one sitting, not stopping to correct mistakes! Liberating, in fact!
None of the committee members were impressed with the tonguing of any of the candidates. For the most part, tonguing was inconsistent and didn’t have enough “sound up front”. The style of music we play demands a very precise tongue with no “delayed” attack. Most of the attacks we heard this day were too broad- or even “tubby”. This led to a discussion amongst the committee, most of whom were brass players: did equipment have a role in this?

EQUIPMENT

I am fully aware of how personal this topic is to each of us. I will strive to make a few quick points here and leave the rest to the individual.
More than a few committee members commented on the sheer size of the equipment being used by the candidates. Almost without exception, these players had big, dark, beautiful sounds. What they lost, however, was endurance and accuracy in the upper register and a nimbleness and delicacy of the tongue. It’s no secret that the prevailing wisdom is “bigger is better”. (Often, this wisdom is more prevalent among students than professionals.) For those of us blessed with a certain physique and a very strong embouchure, bigger often is better. Perhaps the hardest task for us, then, is to strike a balance. No single set-up will be ideal for all styles of music. We must find the equipment that best suits us individually. It must do enough things reasonably well without sacrificing timbre and tone quality. Indeed, some very fine professionals play on surprisingly small equipment with no adverse effects to their tone.
It was my opinion and that of other committee members that some of these players had gone too far and couldn’t control their horns. Most obviously, they couldn’t tongue precisely or quickly without that “tubby” sound. Maybe a rule of thumb could be “just big enough to do the job.”

PRESENTATION

As I noted earlier, everybody was suffering from nerves on this day. There may be no more common experience than this for us musicians. We have all been there (some of us many times), and we can certainly empathize. We heard a lot of timid playing; enough that one committee member remarked that she felt uncomfortable listening to people trying to avoid mistakes, rather than trying to make a musical statement. Herein lies the secret! If we can focus on nothing but the music in front of us, we can turn this nervous energy to our advantage. I was waiting for someone to step out on the stage and project the attitude that “here I am and I know how to play this thing! You’re gonna LOVE this, just listen to me!”. Instead, everyone was “tip-toeing” through the excerpts.
It is during these most stressful times that we should reflect on the basics: why do I love playing the trombone and how can I convey this love to others? If our objective is to win the job at all costs....we probably are doomed to fail. If we strive to make as much music as we can, we will undoubtably fare better. At the very least, we will have communicated something of great value to another human being...something that transcends language. This is perhaps more important than “winning”.
From experience I know that when I get very nervous, I have usually lost this perspective and my motivations have become a bit more selfish. Think about why you play....what drew you to the trombone in the first place...and why you’ve pursued it with such devotion. Magically, these sentiments are heard out your bell and a tangible energy is transmitted. People are drawn to this energy. It’s infectious, contagious, and self-propelling. Being creatures of habit, we can practice this every time we pick up the horn! Strive to say something and convey some positive energy every time you play.

CONCLUSION

As you may have guessed, we were unable to hire any candidates at this audition. I personally agree wholeheartedly with those that say the audition process is flawed and often not indicative of a player’s talent. We’re stuck with it, though, until we think up a better way. For this reason, I hope that this article will be of some benefit to those embarking on the audition circuit. A few references that I highly recommend are:

Notes on Orchestral Auditions by Doug Yeo (available for free download at his web-site: http://www.yeodoug.com)

Performance Power: Transforming Stress into Creative Energy by Dr. Irmtraud Tarr Kruger. Available through Summit Books, P.O.Box 26850. Tempe, AZ 85285-6850.

Also, I welcome any comments and will address any questions at my e-mail address: TboneGib@aol.com