Has anyone tried to live audition back to back, for example, audition at Univ. of Cinn on Friday and drive four hours that same day to Oberlin for an audition the next day? I don’t know what the weather will be like in February for driving four hours in Cincinnati. It will be risky, I think, but I was wondering if I should even consider it. Also how about auditioning on a Friday at U of Mich, and fly the next day to Peabody for an audition on Sunday (in Feb)? Any thoughts?
Worth the weather risk and less expensive than separate trips. We back to backed several auditions without any trouble. Planning down to the smallest detail and early boarding were the keys for us. We did things like Texas one day and CO the next without a problem and judging by the number of instruments on the planes we took, so were a lot of other people. Oberlin and CIM schedule back to back audition dates to facilitate this and I suspect there are other examples out there. Go for it.
The weather can be so unpredictable–I think that is a worse source of than back-to-back auditions. I think also it depends on whether you’re an instrumentalist or vocalist and whether the rep is much different between auditions. For vocalists, illness can wipe out an audition, so it might make sense to schedule with more a gap, just so that all eggs are not in the same proverbial time-basket. (Forgive that awful mixed metaphor.) People do schedule back-to-back auditions, and it is more efficient, certainly, at least in terms of missing work/school. In our situation, I found it better to drive whenever possible because bad weather means flight cancellations, even if it’s not weather in the cities where you are traveling. When you drive, the highways are clear (barring real disasters, and then all bets are off on any form of travel.) When my daughter auditioned in Cleveland I finally decided driving was a safer bet (it’s about 7 hours.) Friends from the same city (several sets) flew; there was a blizzard the day before. We all got there on time, but they were much more stressed, having endured a lot of delay and uncertainty. As for the Friday/Sunday, it should be fine with that extra buffer day. Two days would be safer, but sometimes you just have to do the best you can with scheduling and take the risk.
I don’t about VPMs but I still stand by what I posted before. So much worry and second guessing gets you chasing your tail. But that said, NEC seems to be in a class all by itself when it comes to bad weather, at least in the last few years. I’d clear out everything else around it for like a month 
. Weather ( sorry ) you are going to get in or not has been determined long before you audition so just put your best foot forward and hope for the best.
@glassharmonica I’m so glad I read your post. we are requesting audition dates now and doing early action applications for a few schools so we can hopefully not have too much of a scheduling disaster. I really wasn’t considering driving from NYC to oberlin or NEC, but I think I should perhaps do so.
@jb1966 I don’t know think I understand your statement about acceptances being “determined long before you audition.” For VP that’s just not the case.
I think he or she might be referring to a level of preparation for talent-- but that is also not true for instrumentalists. A bad day or a very good one can make a huge difference.
Absolutely. I just was referring to the prior post, as @jb1966 wrote, " I don’t know about VPMs."
Perhaps they know something I don’t , which is quite possible!
@Apso555 I think you’ll like Oberlin. There was a definite effort by Admissions to organize a complete experience during jazz auditions. We especially enjoyed the guest bassist /performance ensembles the night before at Cat in the Cream coffeehouse on campus. Really well attended (students and faculty) high level of playing and you could tell these musicians support each other. The new jazz building is beautiful and the campus and town (although smallish) feels expansive compared to some of the other conservatories we visited. I think the only drawback was that the audition was in a group only (current students and then prospective, I think). We hadn’t visited most of the conservatories prior to auditions and my son really enjoyed the one on one audition with the jazz guitar teachers. So @unscripted, I think some earlier visits are a great idea if your daughter is eager. She’ll have an opportunity to meet teachers on (hopefully) a day that’s not as hectic as audition day.
To clarify, what I was saying was that whether your kid gets into a specific institution in a specific year has already been predetermined by their natural talent, the incredibly hard work they have put in during the years proceeding AND what the institution is looking for that year. Also, of course , what the institution can tolerate financially towards you. Maybe if you are the rare full pay the rules are different but for the rest of us, dependent on a discount, the die has been cast. You would have to really suck to change the minds of the people listening to you. I’m basing this on the rather frank discussions I’ve had with high level profs who say they can always hear past a “meh” audition. I’ve had teachers tell me they can tell everything they need to know about a student in the first 30 seconds of hearing them. If your kid doesn’t get in to an institution I really doubt it was because they fluffed a high B or took something at a wrong tempo. It’s more about what the institution needs that year, how much talent your kid has, and how much money the parents are going to cost the school.
It’s easy to think I’m being fatalistic or the dreaded “negative” but I see this in a more positive light- talent and hard work count for much more than forgetting a cue or hitting a bad note at an audition. I believe the value of your kid comes through- at least that’s what I hope. Maybe I’m just an optimist.
Maybe I’m just being an optimist too but, with regards to scheduling auditions, I believe that some strategizing of logistics and timing was one way to help my son perform his best. We actually even enjoyed ourselves
We had a gas. At one audition one of the teachers accused my daughter of having fun. We just figured whether she got in or not was decided back during those countless hours of practicing.
I think there is a danger of over-generalizing here. It could be that in some conservatories this is true. And it’s probably also true for the very rare prodigy who can write his or her own ticket, or even skip college if s/he wants to. For my daughter’s undergrad auditions, on a very competitive instrument at the most elite conservatories, high level professors were definitely not tolerating “meh” auditions because they could see through to the talent beneath. The field was just too good for that. This is not to say that a small wobble or a tiny memory slip would take you out of the running completely. But a bad day will. The vagaries of how one plays on a particular day can and do affect the outcome. Of course, speaking to your point about talent and preparation, you have to be at a particular level already to be a contender. We also found tuition discounts to be unpredictable.
Thank you @glassharmonica.
My main concern is illness and being under par during auditions.
i guess what I meant that your kid on a bad day or your kid on a great day will not vary enough to make the difference. I think the teachers see past an audition, especially when they have had a chance to listen to your kid in a longer form situation, which is why I believe so strongly in practice lessons. More to the point is who they have already heard and liked better or who is coming in without financial demands, or in some cases how many legacy or heavy donor kids they have to deal with. To think the choice depends solely on how your kid auditions is naive at best, I’m sorry. I wished everyone was judged on merit alone.
My DD goes to a high end conservatory pre college here in NYC.
Her teacher said something very similar to you @jb1966 today during pre screen recordings. I hope it happens that way!
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I guess we will have to agree to disagree. And, I beg to differ: I am not “naive at best.” I’m in this for the long game, and it’s been many years. My point is that, regardless of your preparation, a bad day can throw you off. Preparation and talent are no guarantee. There is always risk.
oh wow. I responded to a post that no longer exsists…or was completely edited.
no, that’s not what my DD teacher said at all.
I think you removed a post @jb1966 where you talked about pre screens etc.
I agree with glassharmonica on this. There are too many kids auditioning now to think that a panel will cut slack for a poor audition; barring some “pull” on the part of a teacher who knows the kid and really wants them in the studio, it’s always on the line when that door closes and it’s time to play or sing. It’s a fact that at one well known conservatory, attending the pre-college program gives the students no advantage whatsoever when it comes to applying to the college program; in fact, in one of the very competitive majors, often none of the kids from the pre-college are granted auditions. Moral of this story is: Don’t count on anything. Be as prepared as possible, take precautions to stay healthy and if weather intervenes, contact the school as soon as you know that you’re not going to be able to get there so that you can try to reschedule.
Do you really think that these seasoned professionals could listen to a kid play three or four rep pieces on a pre screen tape and not have made up their minds before audition time? Just like our kids have their ideal schools, the teachers have a dream studio in their heads, but like our kids have to settle and adjust for realities. Mom and dad might not have the money for that conservatory and that amazing cellist that was going to be the teacher’s best new student just went with Curtis instead. Hey, teachers have fall back students just like students have fall back schools. If you have the talent ,the “right stuff” or “the sh*t” or whatever you want to call it and you have prepared it well, you would really have to stink the place up in a big way to blow what your teachers already think about you. Now places without prescreen or practice lessons might be another story. Hmm…if I could only think of a major conservatory without prescreen or practice lessons…
Well I know that my DD’s pre college does pass/waive all VP pre college students pre screens ( there are 6 seniors this year) and her teacher also passes her singers at the other conservatories she teaches at ( 4 in total). I know you don’t like it @Mezzo’sMama but, it’s true, SOME pre college programs actually open doors for these exceptionally talented young people. You can count on that.