Your Spring Audition Prep Starts Here!

Conductors are eager and ready to support students as they prepare for Spring Auditions! In the coming weeks during rehearsals, conductors will focus on a variety of audition preparation themes and provide some engaging activities. They’ll also be available 30 minutes before rehearsal the weeks of April 6 and 13 to help students, answer questions, and provide additional support. There’s no need to sign up so just show up if you’d like to connect!

Students: In preparation for spring auditions, conductors are requesting you print and bring your audition materials, including your solo, to rehearsal each week. It’s probably easiest to just leave these in your GTCYS folder, so you’ll never forget them! You can find links to materials and resources at gtcys.org/auditions.

Audition Preparation Tips for Students

Assess where you are now

• The GTCYS10 is the minimum level of participation. This means that you commit 10 minutes out of your regular practice routine to your GTCYS orchestra music and audition preparation. If you’re there, that’s something to be proud of and the foundation of what everything else is built on!
• To move up an orchestra level, you’ll build on this and need to commit more time in your practice sessions.

Here are some questions you can ask yourself

• Have I been practicing at home nearly every day this week and for the last several months?
• Am I fixing something every time I practice, or just running through the music?
• Do I use practice tools daily such as recording myself, using a metronome and tuner, and listening to example recordings of my solo/excerpts?
• What questions do I have and who can I ask?

What a strong practice routine looks like

• You play your instrument at home nearly every day of the week (not just when you feel like it).
• You don’t just run through your music. You fix something every single time you play a scale, solo, or excerpt: a rough section, an intonation issue, rhythms, etc.
• You use the following practice strategies frequently:
  • Practice slowly with attention to details in the music.
  • Mark reminders (tricky fingerings, rhythm counting, etc.) in your music, so you don’t forget when you come back next time.
  • Record yourself using a phone, tablet, or laptop and listen back.
  • Listen to example recordings of your solo and/or excerpts.
  • Use your metronome and tuner to give you instant feedback.
  • Make notes to ask questions of your conductor, private teacher, or band/orchestra teacher.

What if I don’t have the time to commit beyond the regular GTCYS10?

• That’s ok! Many students are in GTCYS because they love the experience of playing music and they make a choice not to feel the pressure to move up every year.
• When you spend another year in an orchestra, you don’t repeat the same experience. There’s new music to learn and an opportunity to meet new people and be a leader in the ensemble.