Audition failed - I dont know what do do anymore

College Majors Music Major
1

<p>I recently auditioned at Catholic U and even though I practiced my songs to perfection for some reason I just broke under the pressure and could not stop making pointless mistakes. The piano had a very different feel to it and many keys on a lot of my slow pieces didnt come out clearly. I really thought I was ready but now I have no idea what is going to happen because I have been very late about the whole college audition process due to important conflicts and I have not applied to many other scools. CUA is the only one I auditioned for and had the time for since it was close. My grades are not too hot at all but my artistic ability soars through the roof; with a multitude of acheivments in acting, singing, piano exams, and school awards, along with my dedication and commitment to my arts. I wanted to enter CUA for piano performance but now with my audition I dont see how I will get in. I maybe streching it with the mistakes, it wasnt terrible but they were quite noticeable. :( </p>

<p>Have there been cases of not-so-perfect auditions still gaining admittance into the school or is it a long shot? </p>

<p>If I dont get it I don't really have anywhere else to go, what are my options?</p>

2

<p>Jonmoot, I feel your disappointment. First, remember that ANY audition is a crap shoot. You can prepare perfectly, be at the top of your game going in and any number of factors can work against you. A broken string, a sticky key in your case, an exceptional applicant pool, or your own faux pas may serve to do you in. It's part of being a musician.</p>

<p>Having said that, breathe deeply, relax and assess what you did (or did not do) correctly.</p>

<p>Were you truly prepared? You admitted "starting late", which is difficult to overcome in audition prep. Did you prepare properly, and with professional guidance? Realistically, were you "overshooting"? These are all tough questions, and require tough and honest answers.</p>

<p>The panel is not looking for perfection. They are assessing talent and ability, and are also considering musicality, intonation, and potential. They are also assessing you within the standards of their program, and within the pool of specific applicants within that instrument or specific discipline.</p>

<p>There MAY be some schools with quality programs that may still be accepting applicants (and audition positions) and a few that consider spring admits. I'd be hard pressed to name any specifically. Perhaps others here can. </p>

<p>Realize there may be musical options, but for most there is in reality never a true musical safety. </p>

<p>If you have the talent, the potential, and the dedication, and just "blew it", there are options. It is not unusual for an aspiring musician to take a gap year and devote it to high level instruction with the goal to enhance and refine skills, technique and rep. There are pros and cons, and it can be a very personal decision to go this route.</p>

<p>There are past threads on this forum regarding gap years, audition tips (and anxiety) which you can search for. </p>

<p>Also, if you haven't already done so, please read
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/258796-so-you-want-music-major-one-family-s-experience.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/258796-so-you-want-music-major-one-family-s-experience.html&lt;/a>
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/460187-how-many-music-voice-performance-majors-find-jobs.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/music-major/460187-how-many-music-voice-performance-majors-find-jobs.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Perhaps if you posted a bit more about some of your musical background and aspirations it may help others in offering specific advice.</p>

<p>Good luck to you, and take some time to reflect.</p>

3

<p>You don't know yet the results of your CUA audition--many kids feel awful about an audition but, as violadad said, the auditioners expect nervousness and look for your potential. However, if you were my kid, I would definitely be nagging you to death to have a safety or two as back-ups, just in case. </p>

<p>Do you have a relationship with your high school guidance counselor? He or she might know of schools that still are accepting applications.</p>

4

<p>Hi! My first audition was a bomb too! </p>

<p>If it was your first choice school, call them and ask for a second audition.
What's the worst they can say? No. The best is yes, and you can wow them!</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

<p>By the way, I played beautifully at my first choice school and they still said no.</p>

<p>I am auditioning at 7 more schools.
Wish me luck!</p>

5

<p>Jazzmom gave you some good advice- get in to talk with your high school guidance counselor ASAP! There are schools still taking applications,and although it might not be your first choice, you have several options to weigh- you could wait a semester or even a year and go through the admissions process again while taking more lessons, you could apply to one of the schools that still have openings and take a BA in Music, either remaining at that school for 4 years or attemping to transfer to another place after a year. There are many,many, non-audition based music programs out there.
The college admissions process is arduous and time consuming and for those planning on majoring in one of the performance areas, the audition is added on top of all of that. You state that you were late in the whole process..due to "important conflicts". Please, I certainly don't intend to be mean, but you have to realize that every other person going through this has events and committments that they must honor also, but they have prioritized and accomplished what was needed. If you didn't/couldn't do that, perhaps you really do need to step back and reconsider where you are heading. A career in music isn't a 9-5 job and will involve a lifetime of such prioritizing and scheduling, so you will have to learn the necessary skills to keep your life in order. It's also a lifetime of "competing" against others and against a standard of excellence that constantly varies according to the needs of the employer, so to speak. Taking a year off to perfect your skills, those within music and otherwise, and perhaps to seek out and enter various competitions to become more comfortable might be a really viable option for you. Once again, I'm going to climb on my soapbox as a former teacher and pick up on your statement about your grades being "not too hot"- there are those that might say that it doesn't matter as you want to perform and that you might not be writing research papers, and, too a certain extent, that is true. But, you still have to complete the applications, and write the essays to accompany them, so you need to be able to present yourself in the best possible light there too.I believe that the program at CUA is not a conservatory-based model, so you will have to take academic courses as well. There's where the grades factor in...
All of the kids on these boards have been told that "they are the best- super talented- will make it to Carnegie Hall, The Met, The Newport Jazz Festival,etc", but its a big world out there and you are not just dealing with those in your high school any more but against the best of the best.
Take a few hours to breathe deeply and ponder your choices; regroup, talk to your guidance counselor and choose the path that works best for you. Good Luck!</p>

6

<p>Do you have a piano teacher helping you prepare? They are a big key to helping find your place. They may know the people at schools that you are interested in attending. They can also critique your audition materials and preparation. If your grades are not so hot, then you need to be careful applying to music schools within universities. Are you in classical piano? </p>

<p>There are schools with dates still open. Westminster</a> College of the Arts - Rider University - 2008-2009 Undergraduate Audition Dates
Westminster College of the Arts has late dates for piano and the academic requirements are not as high. There are probably others.</p>

<p>BTW - the piano program is in the Westminster Choir College section.</p>

7

<p>I'm sorry things did not go as well as you expected. I totally understand what you mean. I am an experienced pianist/organist who had stage freight problems a few years ago, but was able to overcome it by performing in front of people often. I guess the only way to get good at performing is to simply practice performing. </p>

<p>I usually take a couple very deep breaths, set my tempo in my head, and then begin. When I start the piece, I focus completely on it, don't even pay attention to who's listening. I just show how much I enjoy the piece. </p>

<p>Besides, the people listening know that you have some nerves, and will understand if you slip some notes here and there. </p>

<p>Practice really slowly the day before the audition, and you'll be fine!</p>

<p>I also recommend reading the book, "The Inner Game of Music." I read parts of it before every recital/performance/audition and it works for me! Good luck!</p>

8

<p>Jonmoot, you've gotten some great advice here. I don't think you should necessarily assume you will not get accepted at Catholic because you were disappointed with your audition. When my D auditioned a few years ago, she was rejected at a school where she thought she gave one of her best auditions. She was also accepted at the school where she thought she had her worst audition and received her largest scholarship offer there. We have learned over time that auditions can not always be analyzed in a rational way.</p>

<p>Auditions are an ongoing part of a musician's life. One thing you can learn from this experience is how important it is to figure out how to manage your nerves. "The Inner Game of Music" is a great suggestion. Performing more often in a wide variety of situations is another.</p>

<p>Did you apply only to Catholic U because it is close by? If that is the case, you probably should have also considered Univ of Maryland and George Mason. Their deadlines probably have passed by now, but you could consider applying for next year. Another local option would be to apply to Montgomery College in Rockville. I think their website shows an application deadline of March 1. They have a music department with performance options and it would give you a chance to take classes and improve your academic performance. Maybe you can call, meet, and/or have a lesson with a piano instructor there in the next couple of weeks to see if that is a viable option.</p>

9

<p>Montgomery College! That's a great idea. I know it well--it's my old neighborhood, and it's got wonderful music and theatre facilities.</p>

10

<p>Jazzzzzmom, sounds like we are/were neighbors. I live right near there and in fact just got back from there, taking a non-credit continuing ed class.</p>

<p>About half my DD's friends go there ... outstanding community college, nice area ... I think the only downside is I don't believe there is any on-campus housing, though I know a lot of people who share apartments/townhomes in the general vicinity. </p>

<p>Plus, Jonmoot, if you go there and maintain a 3.0 GPA for two years I believe you are guaranteed admission into any of the University of Maryland schools ...</p>