How to Rock Your College Auditions

So you want to go into music? Great!

Guess what?

You have to be able to play.

This is true across the board, regardless of whether you’re interested in performance, education, or business.

Music schools want students that can actually throw down.

Even if you’re not planning on being a performance major, most music schools have the following criteria for accepting any student:

Will this person be able to contribute to our ensembles?

If you want a seat at the table, you’ve got to be able to play.

Strategies

1. Prepare Like a Maniac

Nothing beats high-quality, consistent preparation.  Check out our article Ten Strategies for Better Auditioning for advice on preparing yourself for your auditions.

2. Be a Familiar Face

Seek out the people you know you want a shot at studying with.

Play for them, then play for them again closer to the audition.

Let them see that you can incorporate their suggestions.

3. Showing up in Person Counts for a Lot

It shows dedication. Determination. Hunger. Seriousness.

Demonstrating serious interest in a teacher and their program is huge.

4. No Excuses

Nobody cares if you’re tired, hungry, forgot to print out the correct list, etc.

Starting out your audition apologizing is a bad first impression.  I’ve seen this happen a disturbing number of times.

Be able to play exactly what the school requires in terms of audition repertoire.  Communicate with the teacher.  Show up.  Then show up again.

More Resources

• Winning the Audition
• Don Greene Interview (author of Audition Success and Performance Success)