How to Prepare for an Audition
Preparing for an audition can be scary, but it doesn’t have to be. Whether you are preparing for a chair audition, a competition, or a collegiate audition, these tips will help you perform your best.
Planning
Planning for your audition comes down to three factors.
Time before the audition
Practice time each week
Difficulty of audition material
Effective audition preparation depends significantly on the amount of time available prior to the audition date. A thoughtful allocation of practice time, tailored to the preparation window, allows for both technical refinement and artistic development. The following framework outlines recommended approaches for varying timelines.
One Month
With one month remaining, efficiency is critical. Divide practice time between a focused 10–15 minute warm-up and concentrated work on audition material.
The warm-up should target specific technical needs such as intonation, articulation, or other mechanical issues. Afterward, move directly into repertoire work and practice with clear goals and sustained focus. This phase is a short, intensive push toward performance readiness.
Three Months or More
With three or more months available, practice can be more comprehensive. Devote approximately 30 minutes to warm-ups and foundational exercises such as scales, arpeggios, and drone work.
This extended timeline allows for deeper technical development and more thoughtful musical refinement. Repertoire study can include detailed phrasing, problem-solving, and consistent technical reinforcement.
Six Months or More
With six months or more, adopt a long-term, strategic approach. Begin with goal setting and structured planning to maintain steady progress while balancing professional and personal responsibilities. Preparation can include studying leading recordings, refining technique, developing performance psychology, and engaging in detailed musical analysis. The focus should be on consistent, sustainable improvement rather than short-term intensity.
Keys to Success
Listen to the music and analyze your part: Before diving into your first practice session, listen to several different recordings of the repertoire with your music. Mark musical choices you want to emulate such as breaths, articulations, phrasing, and sections you know will be challenging. This preparatory work gives your first practice session a focus, allowing you to get right to work instead of wasting time running through the piece without a plan.
Use Tools: During your practice, use a metronome for rhythmic continuity and a drone for tuning. These tools are free, simple to use, and will never lie to you. If you can’t tune with the drone, there’s a problem and it’s 100% you! These tools provide real-time feedback so that you can improve quickly and track your progress.
Track your practice: There are many ways to keep track of your practice with journals, video practice logs, and good old legal pads. Logging your practice material and accomplishments provides data about goal setting, progress, strengths and weaknesses, and prevents repetition of material you’ve already practiced but don’t need to focus on. It also helps you listen to your recorded progress with specificity. At the end of your week take time to make and analyze a recording of your weekly work. Take notes about areas of growth and items that still need improvement (i.e. High C# out of tune, add RH stack or Articulation in the exposition is unclear) After you’ve taken notes, develop a plan to address your weaknesses in your practice sessions for the coming week. Continual self-assessment is the key to growth.
Record Yourself: Reserve a few minutes to record your progress at the end of each practice session. Listen with an open mind and make note of your progress and challenges you need to address.
Pitfalls to Avoid
Ignoring weaknesses: No one is perfect, so stop avoiding your weaknesses. To confront your weaknesses head on, make a list and choose one item to focus on for a week. Next week, focus your practicing on another item until you’ve addressed your weaknesses. If you can’t identify issues with your playing, ask a teacher or a trusted colleague to listen and provide feedback.
Overpracticing: Too much of a good thing can be harmful. You’ve done your homework, planned, and practiced diligently in the weeks and months leading up to your audition. You do not need to cram by practicing for 6 hours each day. This leads to injury, sets unhealthy expectations about musical success, and can culminate in a negative audition experience. Trust your process and focus on the mental posture needed for success.
Mental Game: Your psychological preparation is as important as practicing the repertoire. You can ount on feeling nervous because it’s your body’s way of showing that you care about an event. Develop strategies that help you manage performance anxiety. Good sleep, meditation, visualization, regular exercise, and box breathing are all healthy ways to calm your nervous system and manage the stress involved in the audition process. Planning how to navigate these challenges is crucial for success.
24 Hours Before
Optimal hydration is essential for feeling good. Drink plenty of water in the days leading up to and the day before your audition. This ensures that you feel great on the day of your audition. Trust me, your body will thank you!
Day of The Audition
Do what you need to feel good and perform at an optimal level. Focus on getting good sleep, eating healthy food, and spend time meditating or visualizing success in the audition. Trust yourself and your preparation for this day. Dress in something that boosts your confidence and makes you feel powerful. Plan for critical failures. Bring extra charging chords, copies of accompaniment, and your audition music. Nothing is more calming than being prepared for multiple situations. Don’t forget to keep drinking water!
These basic ideas will lead you toward a successful audition. Interested in working on fundamental skills that will help your next audition? Grab this Articulation Workout or join the “EPIC Practice” resource. Want some help? Schedule a free consultation to get peronsalized audition support.
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