by Grace Salyards (BM Eastman School of Music, MM Penn State University; Faculty, Dickinson College)
For many young musicians, their first audition can feel overwhelming—a high-stakes event that challenges not only their musical skills but also their mental resilience. Auditions are more than just a means of placement; they are significant opportunities for growth. I have developed four core strategies to guide my students through this process, helping them build skills that extend far beyond the audition room.
1. Teach Them How to Practice
Knowing how to effectively practice a passage of music is vital, and often overlooked in early years of playing an instrument. Young musicians often play an extensive passage over and over despite imperfections, which leads to reinforcing bad habits—strained phrases, rhythmic pauses, or poor intonation. These bad habits are highlighted in high-pressure situations like auditions, so one of the first things I do in lessons is teach them to break the music into very small, manageable sections, practicing slowly and slurred. This allows students to focus on the air support, which is the foundation of solid brass playing. Depending on the student's level, I will often play alongside them in the beginning, helping them feel supported. Once their air support is consistent, we gradually add articulation and build tempo. Think of it like ice cream: you start with the solid scoop, and you can add all the different sorts of sprinkles (articulation, phrasing, dynamics, and so on). For particularly technical passages, we isolate even smaller sections—sometimes just 2-4 sixteenth notes at a time—and aim for seven perfect repetitions at a very slow tempo with a metronome. Then, we increase speed just two clicks at a time. This kind of focused, goal-oriented practice shows students that even 20 minutes of concentrated effort can produce discernible results. More importantly, it provides structure they can apply to successfully learning any piece of music they approach in the future.
2. Teach Them How to Perform
Confidence in an audition is key! I often encourage my students to exude confidence in their playing, no matter whether it is authentic or acting. Performance is part music, part theater. The skill to project confidence—real or prepared—can thoroughly transform an audition. By practicing effectively, students deserve to feel confident. However, conveying this takes discipline and conviction, which we pursue in lessons. I offer students affirmations of their playing and abilities, and I also require them to verbally acknowledge their own strengths, training their inner thoughts.
3. Prepare Them for Nerves and Pressure
Nerves are inevitable, but we can prepare a response to them. In lessons, I condition their heart rates to rise under pressure as students do 30 seconds of jumping jacks or running in place, then immediately play their excepts with no recovery time. This mimics the physical effects nerves can have in an audition.
Usually the first attempt to play post-exercise is shaky, breathless, and almost certainly not very musical. But that's the point! We use these discouraging moments to discuss how nerves can affect all aspects of our playing, and I assign this kind of practice at home daily in the weeks leading up to an audition. In their audition preparation, I also encourage students to play for as many family members, friends, and teachers as possible—with “bonus points” if their audience tries to distract them! This strengthens the mental ability to focus under pressure.
4. Teach Them to Be Gracious, No Matter the Outcome
Long before the audition day arrives, I remind my students that their value as musicians is not determined by a ranking or chair placement. Whether they walk away with first chair or last, auditions are not a final judgment but, rather, a snapshot of one moment in time. Results are beyond our control, I remind them; what we can do is present our abilities the best we can. Learning how to practice with intention, perform with confidence, manage nerves with perseverance, and receive results with graciousness towards oneself and others are not just musical skills—they are life skills that will serve them for years to come.
