<p>hi guys i play the clarinet and i am hoping to audition into one of the music groups in the fall (symphony, wind ensemble, or wind symphony). there are about 20 clarinet spots in general. i am hoping to gauge how hard it is gonna be to get in. i consider myself to be pretty decent and i am a very musical guy, plus im working hard.</p>
<p>any experiences as a musician? as a clarinetist? any tips?
whats it like being in one of the groups? is it fun? is it a lot of work?</p>
<p>thanks!</p>
<p>From what I understand, it’s somewhat competitive. However, if you’re good at solo pieces and stuff, you should be fine. I was considering trying out last year, but I don’t have the best history with auditions, so I chickened out</p>
<p>bumppppppppp…</p>
<p>It’s hard to judge your chances, since we don’t know specifics about your musical experience, but I can give you some generalizations, at least about Wind Symphony/Wind Ensemble.</p>
<p>In general, it’s fairly easy to get into one of the ensembles on clarinet, since there are a lot of spots. If you have taken private lessons in the past, have worked on solo pieces, or have been in any sort of ensemble that you’ve had to audition to get into, you’re probably at the appropriate level to get into an ensemble at Cornell. If your high school band or orchestra was really good and you got experience playing there, that might be enough also.</p>
<p>For your audition, try to choose a piece/etude/excerpt that showcases both your technical skill and your “musical ability,” i.e. something with a fast section and a slow, lyrical section. Also, once it becomes available, spend time preparing the required excerpt. I’ve gotten the impression that they really use this excerpt as a guide as to whether those auditioning will be able to keep up once they get into the ensembles.</p>
<p>In general, if you convey to them that you seriously prepared for the audition and that you want to be in one of the groups, you’ll likely get a spot. Especially in Wind Symphony, the instrumentation isn’t completely set in stone, so they’d likely create a spot for you if you’re qualified but all the existing spots have been filled.</p>
<p>To hoonose, if you’re still interested in playing, you might consider auditioning this year. I wouldn’t get too nervous about the audition; it’s really more about them getting to know you and your experience playing and then seeing if you would be a good fit for one of the ensembles.</p>
<p>Anyway, being in one of the ensembles is a fun experience, and it isn’t that much work outside of the two rehearsals each week. If you get into Wind Ensemble, you’ll have the opportunity to go on a trip to Costa Rica in January, which is lots of fun.</p>
<p>How about auditioning for viloin? Same situation??</p>
<p>I would assume so. I really only know specifics about Wind Ensemble/Wind Symphony, so I can’t give you as many details. Perhaps a string-playing CC poster might be able to help more. </p>
<p>Between the Cornell Symphony Orchestra and the Cornell Chamber Orchestra, there are around 45 spots for violins. The instrumentation seems to be fixed, and they list a certain number of “alternates” that will be selected. I have no idea whether these alternates ever end up playing in the ensembles. </p>
<p>I would say in general that the orchestra auditions will probably be more intense than the Wind Symphony/Wind Ensemble ones, but that’s just my impression. The basic guidelines I gave for the audition should still apply; in fact, on the orchestra website, they specifically suggest playing contrasting technical and lyrical excerpts. </p>
<p>If you have the kind of experience I listed in my previous post (private lessons, solo pieces, etc.), it’s definitely worth your time to audition.</p>
<p>Hi,</p>
<p>I am a sophomore, and I played clarinet in the Wind Symphony the past two semesters.</p>
<p>It is not too competitive just to get in. If you played throughout high school and were pretty good, just practice over the summer and you will probably be able to get a spot.</p>
<p>On the other hand, it is more difficult to get into the CSO or upper Wind Ensemble on clarinet… The music department at Cornell isn’t super large or competitive, but there are some extremely talented players.</p>
<p>thanks for the detailed response guys. i took private lessons when i began in 5th grade, but stopped about 2 years in. i was first chair in a fairly good symphony my sophomore year in high school and also played with some university musicians over the summer. my junior and senior yr i did not have time to play regularly, but im working hard now! crossing my fingers</p>
<p>I’ve played in the wind ensemble for 3 years (clarinet too). Wind ensemble is one of the best groups I’ve ever played in and is extremely serious. Wind ensemble has between 6 and 9 spots for clarinets. The conductor is great (and will be doing both WE and Wind Symphony next year). They usually dont’ turn people away from CUWinds, although they have turned some flutes away in the past. We play lots of great, challenging music and have a lot of fun. We do meaningful tours…hopefully going to costa rica for a music/service tour this winter!</p>
<p>I also auditioned for the Orchestra, but didn’t get in. There are only about 3 or 4 spots for each wind/brass instrument.</p>
<p>Btw, if you haven’t already, sign up for auditions at cuwinds.com!</p>
<p>sorry guys off topic but whats the difference between wind symphony and wind ensemble?</p>
<p>Hi I’m a junior and I played clarinet in Wind Symphony (hi jwright!) for a couple years. Wind Ensemble is the higher band, but Wind Symphony (at least not the past 2 years) is not too shabby. I think a spot in either ensemble would be fun!</p>