College Auditions 101
By Oliver Talukder
College auditions. They’re a tiring and stressful process that every music student must endure, but it can also be an amazing time of resilience and growth! The college audition process is confusing but I’m here to give you tips on how to navigate and thrive during this crucial time in 9 steps.
Step 1: Decide on which schools to apply to (Junior Year/Grade 11)
Welcome to the starting line of your college audition journey! It’s important to choose schools based on your values and educational goals. Here are some key factors to take into account when applying for schools:
Cost of attendance & financial aid
Student Body (size and demographics)
Major Faculty and successes of their students
Location
Educational Opportunities that pique your interest
This is really only scratching the surface of things to consider when choosing a school. Make sure to consult your private teacher or local support organization during this process, as they can give you more in-depth information about faculty and programs that might not be apparent online.
Tip: Be sure to keep the list of schools on the lower side. Keep in mind that you will need to travel to each school for the audition and each additional school comes with additional travel costs (flight tickets, hotels, food, etc.). Also, with each additional school comes additional repertoire to prepare for the audition.
Step 2: Get organized (Summer before Senior Year/Grade 12)
Applying to music school gets very complicated and staying organized will make it a lot easier! You’ll be juggling many deadlines and repertoire requirements and it’s best to keep it all in one place. Make a spreadsheet that contains all the important information for your schools. This can include but is not limited to: faculty, repertoire requirements, application deadlines, audition dates, application fees. Be sure to include any additional information you’ll need in the future when making a decision on which school to attend such as distance from home and cost of attendance.
Click here for a sample template for your beautiful and informative spreadsheet!
Step 3: Choosing your repertoire (Summer before Senior Year/Grade 12)
The next step is to choose your repertoire. Most schools won’t assign specific pieces for the auditions, but rather categories (ie. a classical concerto or sonata, a technical and lyrical etude, a piece by a living composer, etc. ). This leaves the final decision up to you!
Repertoire choices reflect your musical values. Be sure to pick music you enjoy playing as you’ll be practicing it for many months. Pick music that plays to your strengths but will also challenge you. This process needs to happen alongside your private teacher. They know your strengths and the right pieces to show them off. Be sure to leave plenty of time to purchase or borrow the parts and scores for your repertoire!
Tip: Check the repertoire page on your schools’ websites frequently because they can sometimes change without notice!
Step 4: Practicing your Repertoire (Starting in August of your Senior Year/Grade 12)
It’s important to start practicing your repertoire early. There’s going to be a lot of music in many different styles that you’ll have to prepare over the next months. Come up with a game plan with your private teacher to tackle all the music. You might feel overwhelmed at first, but take it day by day, practice session by practice session.
Tip: Make sure to set specific goals at the beginning of each practice session. Don’t just practice by aimlessly running the pieces over and over again! Set specific things you want to work on. For example, “I want to improve the intonation in measures 24-72” or “I want to clean up my fast etude”. Taking advantage of every minute of your practice sessions will set you up for great success.
Step 5: Practice Performing (Starting in December of your Senior Year/Grade 12)
Once you’ve gotten the repertoire under your fingers, it’s time to start playing them for people. These are known as “mock auditions” or “mocks” for short. Mocks will help you get used to the feeling of playing for an audience. My recommendation is to play mocks for anyone and everyone who is willing to listen. Your teachers, friends, parents, siblings, pets, and stuffed animals are all great candidates to play mocks for.
When playing mocks, try to simulate what the audition will feel like. Run through all your repertoire in the same way you would at your audition. The key thing for mocks is if you make a mistake, keep going! Rarely is a performance 100% perfect and it’s key to learn how to recover quickly and seamlessly. Mock auditions are the perfect environment to learn how to do this.
Tip: Do mock performances in your audition clothes! Sometimes these clothes can restrict mobility and it’s important to know and fix this before your audition.
Step 6: Taking Care of Yourself (Throughout the entire process)
Self-care is extremely important throughout this process. Preparing for these auditions is very physically and emotionally exhausting. Be sure to have a balanced diet, get adequate and consistent amounts of sleep, and exercise. When things get tough, reach out to your network of support. During my senior year, my best friends, guidance counselor, and private teacher helped me stay sane and grounded.
Leading up to the auditions, try your absolute best not to get sick. You can practice all you want, but if you get sick right before the audition for your dream school, it can negatively impact your performance. Be sure to practice healthy habits like frequent hand washing, wearing a mask, and staying hydrated.
Step 7: Traveling to your auditions
It’s time to travel to your auditions! Make sure to pack early and double check you have everything you need for a successful audition.
Here is a checklist of necessary things to bring:
Instrument
Any accessories or supplies (reeds, bows, mouthpieces, extra strings, rosin, etc)
All music and piano parts (in case you need to play with an accompanist)
Audition Clothes
Chargers for your phone, iPad, and/or laptop
Here’s a list of items that aren’t necessary but help:
Reusable water bottle
Hydration Packets (Liquid IV is my favorite)
Healthy snacks in case you don’t have immediate access to food (Cliff bars are my favorite)
Ear plugs
Eye mask for sleeping
Click here for an audition checklist template!
Tip: I would highly recommend traveling to your destination the day before your audition. This ensures that if any travel delays happen, you can still make it to your audition the next day. Traveling is stressful enough by itself and you don’t want to add that to your audition-day stress.
Step 8: Your Audition (February/March)
Congratulations! You’ve finally made it to the audition. After months of preparation, it’s time to show the judges your talent and artistry!
On the day of the audition, make sure you leave your hotel with plenty of time to get to the school. Stay away from caffeine as it can increase anxiety and dehydrate you. Instead, drink some caffeine-free tea or those handy hydration packs, anything to stay hydrated! Eat a balanced and plain meal– something that won’t upset your stomach.
When you arrive at the school, follow the directions in the email sent by the school. Check in with the audition workers and don’t be afraid to ask any questions.
When you get to the audition room, stay calm and cool. Do 2 minutes of deep breathing to calm yourself down. You’ve been practicing for months, so trust in your preparation. The panel is on your side and rooting for you to play your best. Remember to have fun!
Tip: At the audition, you might see other musicians you know from summer festivals or social media. You can say “hi” to them, but my recommendation would be to keep to yourself until you finish your audition. This isn't a social hour and chatting too much can be distracting. Politely ask people to talk after the audition.
Step 9: Celebrate!
Once you’ve finished all your auditions, take some time to reflect on the amazing work you put into these auditions and how much better you got because of it. After that, CELEBRATE! Treat yourself in any and all ways, you deserve it!
Oliver Talukder (he/him) is currently Assistant Principal Oboe at Opera Philadelphia and a recent Curtis Institute of Music graduate.