Hi all! I’ve recently found this site and have learned so much by scrolling/reading through all your posts. My daughter is graduating Class of 2022 and planning on flute performance. We are deep in the process of researching schools and trying to keep up performance (virtual) and competition opportunities through Covid. My question is this… what is everyone using to accomplish their pre-screen recordings? Is it advised to have them professionally done in studio? Are you setting up at-home recording situations with decent equipment? If so, I would love some recommendations. It feels like it’s time to improve the quality of our recordings from the iPhone/external mic I’ve been using and move into something that better captures instrument subtleties and dynamic range. Have been researching many options but am unsure of best route. Thanks!
I’m definitely no expert, and I would love to see some responses on this so I’m nudging it up by replying.
Many people on this site have mentioned using professional studio services for their prescreens. But when I have talked to people who review prescreens (I’ve only talked to three), they have indicated that home recording is fine. One told me my iPhone was fine. Another told me an external mic was preferable. Another told me that professional recording was best but not a realistic expectation for many high schoolers, so we should just do the best we can at home.
We have used iPhone + Tascam audio, and iPhone alone. We found the most difference to be room selection and preparation - and multiple takes over several sessions. I’m not saying we’ve done a great job or that you should copy us, but that’s what we’ve done.
Another reason I’d be interested in others’ responses is that obviously this is a really weird year to be doing prescreens. The bar could be pretty low this year. I wonder if the bar changes when reviewers know that more is possible.
My D, who is a professional now, does her own recordings at home on her iphone when a theater/company asks for one. Her friends/colleagues do the same. The companies don’t need a “produced” version of you. They just need to see the “raw” skills and talent to decide.
That being said there are studios that will help students/parents who are technically challenged or busy…and maybe want to outsource the work. For jazz, I think that there can be ensemble requirements (at least in the past) and that may be more easily done by renting a studio and having some pros help record. It shouldn’t be expensive if you outsource the work. Still an iphone at home is fine. Others can comment on the mic etc as I’m not up-to-date on that.
And a good rule of thumb…if you watch it back and think…yep that sounds/looks like my kid…that is really what is needed. An authentic version of your kid is best.
This was an unusual year obviously, but I did them at home (with prerecorded accompaniments as well!) using an iPad camera and my Zoom H4N mic. (I recommend the H4N, some swear by the more advanced ones, and there are several other good options, too. Others still like Shure mics that plug straight into an Apple device, and others like Tascam. Whatever is best for your price range.)
However, when I made recordings for summer festivals during my undergrad years, I reserved the concert hall and had someone help me do the tech side of things (and had a live pianist, of course). It depends on the landscape of your school, sometimes conservatories offer recording services at a fee, and other times there are ambitious students at the school who run side gigs recording and mixing for festivals and grad school apps, etc. Others have tech-savvy professors who take the bull by the horns and sort all of that out. (All things to be on the lookout for going forward for a BM/BA student!)
So, for a high schooler (during what will hopefully be post-covid times, fingers crossed!) I think the “professional production value” is of pretty much zero consequence, so paying out of one’s behind isn’t necessary for a prescreening. The venue could be your high school’s auditorium if that’s available to you, or your teacher’s private studio, or even somewhere in your home if you have a piano or are recording without accompaniment, or wherever else, really! Classrooms can even work especially well if the acoustic is generous, so scout it out closer to the recording date and see what’s going.
The expectations are a bit different for graduate schools in some cases, but for undergrad you want to focus on the following as a summary:
-a good camera angle that shows the performer clearly and allows faculty to evaluate technique and really see what’s happening
-clean, crisp, and representative audio that isn’t distorted, echoic, or ‘mushy’ sounding in any way. Audio is wayyyy more important than video, always always always!
-each clip MUST be a performance that shows expressivity and musicality and individuality and zing and pep and JOY for the art form. (Why else would you go to music school?) This is arguably the most important criterion for evaluation I’d say, especially if those above are met!
I hope this is helpful!
Here’s a great set of suggestions/recommendations from Nathan Cole of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. He’s a violinist but his suggestions are useful for all instruments and for all skill levels.
https://www.natesviolin.com/make-audition-video-without-spending-fortune/
I should add a bit more info based on personal experience from two sets of prescreens: my son’s own videos and those of a frinwhose videos he played on.
His friend used an iPhone on a tripod for both audio and video. They rented time at a local music school’s larger lesson rooms, and recorded multiple takes in one long session.
For my son’s prescreens, we got permission to get free access to the auditorium at a local school. I used a DSLR on a tripod about 10 rows back, with a Rode stereo mic connected to the hot shoe of the camera and audio feed being recorded by the camera. He did multiple takes on two different Sundays, with two weeks in between the recording sessions.
In both cases, they got invited to live auditions for all the schools to which they applied, all of which were among the most competitive conservatories and university music schools in the country.
Just goes to show that there are multiple ways to make solid videos, and spending $$$$ isn’t necessary to create one that works.