Not all schools offer the option to apply Early Decision (ED) or Early Action (EA) for music.

But for those that do, it’s vitally important to research ED and EA before applying.

What does Early Decision mean for a music applicant?

• Apply earlier than the regular decision time – typically in November (up to a month earlier). 

• Receive notification about acceptance early, typically in December.

• ED is binding. You, your parents or legal guardians, and your high school counselor sign an agreement stating you are committed to attending the school you’re applying to ED if you get an acceptance. 

• If you accept an ED offer, you must withdraw all other applications and forfeit any outstanding auditions. 

• You may need to send a nonrefundable deposit before May 1 to the school you’re accepted to ED.

• Since ED is binding, apply to only one school as an ED applicant. Apply to other schools as a regular admission applicant.

• You won’t know what merit and other financial assistance will be offered until after you’re accepted.

Who is a good candidate for applying Early Decision?

• Students who are confident in their first-choice school.

• Students whose GPA fits with the school where they’re applying. 

• Students who believe the school matches their own criteria for choosing a “good fit” school. 

• Students who find the financial obligation manageable if they are accepted to their ED choice, since they won’t know the merit and other financial assistance they’ll be offered when they apply.

Upsides of applying early

• The application ordeal is over sooner assuming you’re accepted. 

• Fewer applications to fill out save time and expense.

• If you’re not accepted, you’ll know sooner so you can rethink your plans and apply elsewhere. 

Downsides of applying ED

• Lack of time and/or financial means to visit schools early to decide where to apply ED.

• Inability to compare scholarship and financial aid offers before you’re accepted.

• Not knowing for sure what your cost of attendance will be until your acceptance comes through and any scholarships/financial aid offers are clarified.

• Not being able to compare and contrast financial offers from other schools if accepted ED.

Note that some schools offer a binding ED2, where the deadline for applying is later than ED1, sometimes as late as the regular decision application deadline. Other schools offer non-binding ED2. Be sure you know the expectations of each school before you apply!

What about Early Action?

• Early Action is not binding. 

• Apply early but not as early as ED.

• Receive notification typically in January or February about whether you’re accepted.

• Apply to other schools under regular admission plans.

Does applying early increase your chance of acceptance?

Not necessarily, especially in music. This is a good question to ask the admissions office at each school you’re considering, since every school is different.

Some schools that offer ED and/or EA will not accept you early but will instead re-evaluate your application during the regular admissions timeframe. 

Don’t let your guard down after applying early!

Students who think they can let their academics slide once they’re accepted early could be in for a rude awakening. There are instances where schools have rescinded their offers to students who let their academics go or who got into trouble with the law after applying early.

What if you change your mind after being accepted ED?

This gets tricky. You’ve signed a binding contract. Unless you can demonstrate that you cannot afford the school after they’ve offered financial assistance, you’re obligated. Should the school decide to let you out of the ED, you’ll definitely lose your deposit. And you won’t be able to apply early decision to another school until the next application cycle.

Thank you to the following for contributing to this article:

Megan Grady, Director of Recruitment & Enrollment
Carnegie Mellon University School of Music

Amanda Harrington, Former Admissions Coordinator
Boston University School of Music

Molly Jewell, Associate Director of Admissions
Vanderbilt University Blair School of Music

Mary Kate Smith, Former Director of Admissions
Lawrence University Conservatory of Music

Photo by: Desola Lanre-Ologun

Stage fright, also known as performance anxiety, is one of the most common and perplexing problems we musicians face. It strikes at all stages of our development. In fact, one study found that 70% of professional orchestra musicians suffer from such intense anxiety that it gets in the way of their playing. You’re in great company if you become nervous when you perform.

by  David Fish

Sadly, many musicians never find the way beyond their stage fright. There are a couple of reasons. First, they don’t understand the true nature of the problem. Second, they often don’t realize that part of the solution to their performance anxiety is found in accepting rather than trying to fight it.

Natural Phenomenon

Stage fright is more of a natural phenomenon than many performers realize. But it can keep you from achieving your full potential as a performer.

Some of the ways it can get in your way:

• Causes debilitating physical symptoms.

• Disrupts your concentration leading to mistakes.

• Impairs your motivation.

• Leads to procrastination that results in a lack of preparation.

• Takes the enjoyment out of performing.

In addition, stage fright can keep you from experiencing a sense of flow when you perform. This is the mental state where you’re completely immersed in an activity. Flow is the gateway to peak performance in many endeavors including music performance.

Three factors

Three factors are always at play when stage fright strikes.

• You perform for an audience.

• The audience judges you (or you at least feel it is doing so).

• A negative judgment would constitute a threat.

Sometimes, the threat behind a bout of stage fright is obvious. Let’s say you’re auditioning for acceptance at a prestigious conservatory or other school you have your heart set on attending. You may only get one chance at such an opportunity, and you feel like the stakes are high regarding your future. Both the judgment and the threat associated with it are real. It is understandable that you’re nervous.

Deeper fear

At other times, the threat posed by a performance is less understandable. I like to tell the story of one of the talented students I taught as part of the popular music program I direct at Catawba College. Sam obsessed about his fear of his voice cracking when he performed. While he knew it was unlikely to happen, and the audience wouldn’t care much if it did, he still worried.

A lot of musicians let stage fright tie them up in knots in a similar sort of way. They worry about something that may seem inconsequential to others and then beat up on themselves for worrying.

Sam’s anxiety over his voice cracking turned out to be a surface manifestation of what I call the fear of a “deep danger.” This is a legitimate fear about something that could have significant consequences.

Downward arrow

You can use what is known as the downward arrow technique to uncover the “deep danger” at the heart of your stage fright. You do so by asking a series of “If that happened, then what?” questions. Each consequence forms the next question until you reach the real underlying fear. When I led Sam through the downward arrow, it went something like this:

Me: If your voice did crack, then what?

Sam: The audience won’t take me seriously.

Me: If that happened, then what?

Sam: They won’t come back to hear me again.

Me: If that happened, then what?

Sam: I’d have no audience and I’d have to give up being a musician.

Me: If that happened, then what?

Sam: I’ll lose something that’s very important to me.

Saxophonist Dr. David Fish is the former director of Catawba College’s Popular Music degree concentration. He runs College Music Major and has authored a number of music-oriented publications including the book Goodbye Butterflies: The 5-Day State Fright Solution.

Photo Credit: Catawba College

Essays, personal statements and résumés for music students can be daunting. While the audition is a key component in the acceptance process, admission reps want you to keep in mind that the paperwork side of the application is also important.

by Caitlin Peterkin

“We have a small interview component to our audition process and we review recommendation letters and a student’s music history (typically via the résumé),” says Megan Grady, music recruitment coordinator and assistant director of Admission at the University of Puget Sound School of Music. “We also like to see what else students do and if we think they’ll fit in well with our liberal arts university, not just the School of Music.”

Applying to music school is a highly-competitive process. Brittany Jimenez, associate director of Undergraduate Admission at USC Thornton School of Music, encourages students to be genuine and to put their best foot forward in all parts of the admission process.

“There are many parts of the application and admission process you cannot control, like who else is applying,” she says, “so carefully managing the parts you can control (like the writing supplements and portfolio submissions) will be very important.”

Catch the attention you want

An essay, often referred to as your personal statement, is required by many music schools. Each school posts its own guidelines for these. If you’re uncertain about what they’re asking for, contact the admissions office.

The Common App streamlines the process of applying to several schools, although not all schools use it. You’ll find out whether colleges and universities that use the Common App require a personal essay once you create your Dashboard on the Common App website. The Common App provides a list of “prompts” or ideas to write about and you are given the option to edit your essay after you submit your first application. Even if schools don’t require a personal essay, you’ll have the option to submit one. 

Music schools within universities as well as some colleges require you to apply to the university or college as well as to the music school. A separate school of music essay may also be required. Schools will indicate the word count as well as prompts or a specific theme they want you to write about. This may be referred to as a “supplemental essay.”

You can also choose to apply directly to schools instead of using the Common App. A request for supplemental materials including writing requirements is built in to these applications.

Note that these requirements may be different for transfer students.

So how do you make sure your essay and personal statement stand out from the crowd?

Here are suggestions from recruiters and admission representatives for creating essays they’ll they’ll be eager to read:

1. Do your research.

“It is beneficial to research the school and program and speak to the specific aspects and opportunities you find most relevant to you and your interests,” says Jimenez. “Getting to know the specific programs and faculty is important because every school is going to be unique in the type of experience they offer.”

Patrick Zylka, assistant dean for Admission, Financial Aid and Graduate Services at Northwestern University Bienen School of Music, agrees. “We want to know an applicant has done the research on our institution, not just that it’s a top ten ranking, or that their best friend goes here, but that they’ve really dug a little bit deeper and understand what the institution offers….and whether we’re actually a good fit for them.”

But he adds the caveat to not just regurgitate what’s on a school’s website: “Don’t tell us we’re a beautiful campus next to Lake Michigan—we already know!”

2. Don’t copy and paste.

Faculty and staff recognize that you’re probably applying to multiple institutions. Make sure to write a unique statement for each one, tailoring each essay to the specific program you’re applying to. Schools do not want to see a generic, cookie-cutter answer as to why you’re choosing their particular program.

“Essays that are clearly ‘cut and paste’ versions of an essay you’ve sent to a dozen schools…are not very persuasive,” says Christina Crispin, assistant director of Admissions at Eastman School of Music.

3. Show your personality!

As faculty and admissions reps review hundreds of applications each year, they want to read thoughtful statements from prospective students to get a better sense of each individual’s personality.

According to Zylka, admission reps view the essay as an applicant’s only opportunity to really show who they are as an individual, more than what any transcript or test score can reveal. “Speak from the heart,” he says. “If you’re funny, be funny. If you’re serious, be serious.”

Grady agrees: “We are looking for students to tell us more about themselves. We like to see creative essays that tell us something we may not be able to learn from the rest of their application.”

4. Proofread—multiple times.

Not only are essays a good way to show your personality, but they’re also a chance to demonstrate that you can write in a clear and coherent way.

“The essays that we are least impressed by are those that have typos, grammatical or punctuation errors—anything that screams, ‘I didn’t proofread this,’” says Crispin.

Some other no-nos: run-on sentences and “writing one big paragraph instead of a thought-out essay,” according to Grady.

Your résumé – the right way

Nearly all applications for music schools require a résumé. 

“The résumé is the place for applicants to highlight their musical accomplishments and experiences,” says Crispin. “If they want us to know about other extracurricular activities, leadership, volunteer work, etc., the résumé is a good place to capture that information.”

“It’s important to tell us about any honors, awards, summer festivals, private lessons,” adds Zylka. “Things that show us you didn’t just go to high school from a certain time in the morning to the afternoon.” 

Tips:

• Make it clean and organized.

There is no one right way to format a résumé unless specified by the schools you’re applying to. They should be easy to read. Include your contact information plus music-specific information and experience.

“Present your résumé in an organized way so it is easy to review what you have done and when,” says Jimenez. “The résumé is typically 1-2 pages in length and mostly focuses on accomplishments and activities during high school.”

“Clean résumés are best—for musicians, that involves what you’ve performed, competitions you’ve won, ensembles you’ve performed along with chair placement (if applicable),” says Grady. 

“Keep your activities limited to your high school achievements,” she adds “unless there’s something particularly outstanding (like a performance at Carnegie Hall) that took place before high school. Show that you play multiple instruments and for how long, who you’ve studied with, ensemble directors, etc.”

• Proofread.

Edit your résumé multiple times, and have a trusted friend, family member, or teacher look it over. “We never want to see typos, misspelled words, or grammatical errors,” says Jimenez.

Final thoughts

Crispin advises all students to start their application early. “We often hear from applicants that they were surprised how much time it took to fill out their applications, and you don’t want to be rushing and risking errors right before the deadline,” she says. This also includes reaching out to teachers for recommendations well before applications are due.

Just like no two music programs are the same, no two application processes are the same. Do the research on what exactly is needed for each program you’re applying to, and make a checklist with deadlines for each one.

Finally, utilize all the resources available online and in admission offices. “Our website should be your best friend throughout the process,” says Jimenez. “Your other best friends will be the people in the office of admission. Applicants are always encouraged to ask questions anytime! We want our applicants to be successful throughout the admission process and are here to help however we can.”

Caitlin Peterkin is a writer/editor and arts enthusiast currently based in Portland, OR. She has worked as program manager for Earshot Jazz (Seattle) and has written for BestNewBands.com, Chronicle of Higher Education, and Paste Magazine. She graduated from Indiana University Bloomington with a B.A. in Journalism and a minor in Music. 

Photo credit: Mimi Thian

College audition preparation programs assist prospective music majors in getting ready for game day. Many students bump up their performance skills, sight-reading and music theory knowledge at summer music camps, programs and festivals throughout the U.S. and in other parts of the world. Some seek specific support for the college audition process.

We spoke with three summer college audition preparation programs featured on MajoringInMusic.com’s 2018 Summer Music Camps & Programs to learn more.

At Carnegie Mellon University, the Summer Pre-College Music program for instrumentalists and vocalists includes “Mastering the Art of the Audition.” Seminars, lectures and mock auditions are offered to help students build confidence and prepare for future auditions. 

According to Daniel Curtis, who directs the orchestra at the Pre-College Program, questions such as the following are addressed:

• What is appropriate attire for an audition?  

• How fast should I walk out and how should I carry myself?  

• Should I smile or be serious?  

• Is it okay to speak or ask questions during my audition?  

• How do I choose my audition repertoire?  

• What happens if I make a big mistake?  Can I recover or do I need to start over? 

• How should I practice my excerpts?  

• How can I mentally prepare for an audition?

Tom Walsh, chair of the Jazz Studies Department at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, co-directs the school’s week-long summer College Audition Preparation Workshop. “I think students are most concerned with knowing how they are being evaluated in auditions and how they can best prepare for that,” he says. “The mock auditions give students the opportunity to perform their audition material in the same type of environment as a real audition and receive feedback. This helps them gauge how they will perform in an actual audition and come away with suggestions for improvement.”

The College Audition Preparation Seminar offered by the Philadelphia International Music Festival (PIMF) in conjunction with its summer youth Symphony Orchestra focuses on pre-screen recordings, arts supplements, performance anxiety, and résumé writing in addition to mock auditions.

MajoringInMusic.com spoke with Philadelphia Orchestra cellist Gloria DePasquale, who facilitates the PIMF program. 

MajoringInMusic.com: What’s your best tip for dealing with performance anxiety?

Gloria DePasquale:  The best antidote for performance anxiety is bullet-proof preparation, which includes a lengthy timeline leading to the “big performance” with smaller low profile performances and mock auditions from which to identify “chinks in your armor” and fine-tune and strategize your practice.

MM: Is it ok to ask for feedback from the audition panel? 

GDP:  I never have students ask for feedback during or at an audition. This is an inappropriate time for feedback. The time for feedback is BEFORE auditions when you are visiting schools and setting up trial lessons with studio teachers. Be sure to keep notes on what each teacher recommends and then emphasize in your audition that you have incorporated their feedback.

MM: What do you say to students who love music but aren’t sure of a career path?

GDP: The choice for a career in music is no longer the binary “perform or teach.” In today’s world, the entrepreneurial musician has a host of options for career paths, combining other passions and skills for satisfying and financially-rewarding careers. 

A few examples include engineering (music apps for learning, medical research, video games, etc.); medicine (research, especially in pediatrics, geriatrics; and neuroscience on the effects of music on the brain and in development and/or clues to mental deterioration); composition (in addition to traditional classical ensembles: scoring for movies, media advertising, video games, etc.); history; writing; library science (program notes, reviews in major online and print publications, archiving for performing and academic institutions). Also there’s arts management for not only musical institutions but for museums and dance companies as well. 

And every performing arts institution needs a CFO, a marketing director, a development director, and public relations. There are many more examples of career paths, and most high-level conservatories and other educational institutions have course offerings in these areas.

MM: Your suggestions regarding required arts supplements? 

GDP: The biggest mistake I have seen students make is to not thoroughly prepare an arts supplement (AS). The AS is intended to set your application apart from others with similar high-achieving academic profiles and high board scores. The AS should be of competitive nature to those students applying to conservatories or to other schools as a music major. Otherwise, your AS may work against you, defining you in the pool of students submitting the AS as being only average or even worse, sub par.

MM: A final tip for prospective music majors?

GDP: If you can visit a school before applying and make personal contact with the orchestra director and/or studio teacher, this is usually a plus. 

For music majors and/or conservatory applicants, studio teachers are allowed only a certain number of hours. In any given year, a studio teacher has only a few openings, depending on graduating students and/or transfers. Even if you play at a level to be admitted to a conservatory, you can be denied entrance if there are not spots in the studio teachers’ schedules. You can usually find out how many open spots there will likely be with a personal visit. And, you can better gauge your fit with a studio teacher.

A successful music audition has everything to do with whether more competitive music schools will offer you an acceptances. The college audition process can be daunting. Preparation and practice are key to hearing those magic words, “You’re accepted!”

So how can you best prepare?

By Misha Galaganov

Get an early start.

Study each school’s audition requirements carefully. Decide on your repertoire about a year in advance and aim to finish learning the pieces 2 – 3 months before your first audition. Choose pieces that you can play well and that represent you in the best light.

Usually, the audition committee expects to hear a variety of music: a slow piece; some Bach to see musicality and understanding of style; and a fast piece, like the first movement of a concerto, to show virtuosity. You can decide to play more of Bach if you feel really comfortable with it and love doing it, or you can play only a short movement if you feel this is not one of your strong areas.

Faculty members usually communicate with their applicants, so take advantage of the opportunity to ask questions and express your interest in their music program. Schedule a trial lesson far in advance.

Come prepared.

Perform all of your audition pieces as many times as you can before your audition. At minimum, schedule a recital for friends and family, your congregation, or people in a retirement home.

The amount of daily practice time dedicated to playing through complete portions of audition pieces should increase significantly the closer you get to your audition. Students – as well as professionals – get too used to being able to stop at any time during practice when they make the slightest mistake; this will not be helpful during an audition when you have to keep going even if something happens. A habit of going through complete sections or pieces has to be cultivated before auditions.

Set yourself up for success on audition day.

When you arrive on campus on audition day, find the check-in table and sign in. This is important because if a student doesn’t check in, the committee will be notified and the faculty will move on to the next person on the schedule. Arrive well in advance to allow enough time to find everything, including your audition room, and to warm up.

Expect the unexpected.

Sometimes students don’t realize they will not be able to perform all of their audition pieces in their entirety, simply because the committee has limited time scheduled for each candidate. Be prepared for us to interrupt you in mid-performance by practicing stopping in the middle of a piece, concentrating, and starting another piece.

Not taking enough time to concentrate before playing is one of the most common mistakes we see. Taking the time to imagine the mood and character of the next piece is crucial. Students who don’t do this usually make a mistake very soon after beginning.

While students usually start auditions with pieces of their choice, sometimes committees will select the next piece (or even the very first one) from a candidate’s repertoire. You might not play in the order you’re used to playing when preparing for your audition, so practice performing your pieces in various orders.

Don’t worry if you’re not perfect.

At college auditions we’re looking for students who are good players with potential to grow as professionals. We overlook deficiencies or mistakes if we see talent, determination to succeed and a willingness to work hard. While you should try to perform your very best, remember that nobody is perfect.

Dr. Misha Galaganov is chair of strings and professor of viola at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, TX. His former viola and violin students can be heard as principals in orchestras, university teachers, soloists and chamber music performers.

Photo Credit:  Idyllwild Arts Academy

by Katherine Pukinskis –

I can’t tell you with any certainty why you were not accepted to a particular music school. A lot of times, even the schools themselves can’t tell you why they made their decisions (this is often for legal reasons). Having spent some time as the Interim Admissions Coordinator for the Carnegie Mellon School of Music, what I can offer are a few thoughts to consider about application decisions.

1. First, there is this weird inexplicable thing that music schools talk about called “fit”, as in, “You just aren’t the right fit with our school.” This is not a cop-out, even though it may feel that way. Certain music programs subscribe to certain schools of thought. Teachers have specific methods of instruction (did you know there are two different schools of harp performance?), and sometimes the methods they employ aren’t suited for you and your skills.

Maybe you want to be a singer/songwriter, and the program focuses more on classical repertoire. Perhaps the trumpet teacher knows you are applying to another school, and that you would grow so much more if you were in the studio of the trumpet teacher there. Sometimes there isn’t a strong interpersonal connection between teacher and student at the audition. It’s not that you’re not good enough, it’s just a personality thing.

We all know that forcing a square peg into a round hole doesn’t get you very far. It’s important to trust that the professors reading your application and hearing your audition are making their decisions in your best interest, whether you can see it or not. Chances are, they, as professional musicians, are hearing things and understanding things about you as a growing musician that you may not even be aware of yet. People want you to succeed, and sometimes certain schools don’t put you in the best place for that. Thus, it’s not the right fit.

2. A lot of music programs fill their studios based on the number of spaces they have available. For instance, if the cello studio capacity is 20 students and four musicians graduated last year, then there are four spaces available to fill. If you are sixth on the list, you probably won’t get an offer. However, next year, six people may graduate. If you audition again and you are still sixth on the list, you have a better chance of being accepted. It’s entirely possible that you are talented enough to attend this school, but the numbers game just didn’t align for you this year. This is arguably a more frustrating concept than the idea of “fit,” but it’s just something we have to come to terms with.

An Alternative Plan

If you had your heart set on a particular school, and if there is nowhere else in the world you can stand to be for the next four years, all hope is not lost. If you are in a position where you can still attend that school (as a non-music major) and perhaps apply to the music school for your sophomore year, consider doing that. You’ll have an extra year of practice, you can form relationships with faculty, and the numbers game may play out for you. Also consider contacting someone who heard your audition and ask them what you can do to prepare more effectively for the future. They may not be able to tell you exactly why your audition didn’t turn out the way you had hoped, but your efforts to continue to learn and become a better musician will reflect positively on you.

Not being accepted is still hard to hear and come to terms with. What may become clearer over time is that there was a reason for it that will actually serve you and your music. While it may not make sense now, perspective often comes further down the road.

Hang in there.

Katherine Pukinskis is a renown composer as well as assistant professor of music and chair of the Contemporary Creative Practice Division at Carnegie Mellon University School of Music. She holds a PhD in Composition from University of Chicago and bachelor and master’s degrees in Composition from Carnegie Mellon University.

Sight-reading is an important and necessary skill for music majors. Quite often, they will be asked to learn pieces of music in a very short amount of time. The ability to sight-read is critical to the ability to function within a performance ensemble. And it opens doors to getting gigs including life-changing opportunities that arise at the last minute.

by Michael Kozubek

Developing the skill of sight-reading

Most young musicians seeking to major in music will need to audition, especially at more competitive music schools. The auditioning process will very likely contain exercises in reading music at sight.

To prepare, one should do a little bit of sight-reading every day. Start with simple pieces and gradually increase the level of difficulty. After all, sight-reading is 50% skill rather than talent and skills can be developed, whereas talent is intuitive. It takes talent as well to be an incredible sight-reader, but most young musicians can certainly increase their level of musicianship by working on their reading ability.

Musicians on some instruments start with reading immediately, whereas others begin with positioning and ear development.

Eventually, reading music becomes a foolproof way of earning your living as a professional. If you can read music like you read a novel, your phone will ring off the hook with work.

The science of sight-reading

If you understand the sight-reading process, you can begin to develop the appropriate skill sets required to be a good reader. Regardless of what instrument you play, reading is always a mental process. Your optic nerve (your eyes) picks up a symbol on the music staff. That symbol is then sent to the brain where it processes this information. The brain then sends a signal through your neural network (your nervous system) and tells your muscles what string to press or valve to open or key to push.

If your brain can’t process this information quickly enough, then one of two things is happening:

1.You don’t know the notes on your instrument well enough to react to the given symbol on the staff;

OR

2. The piece is too far beyond your brain’s ability to process the information.

If the first problem is the case, you suffer from slow pitch recognition. By the time your brain figures out where that pitch is on your instrument, the time to play that pitch has elapsed and you are late getting to the next note.

Remember that rhythm and pitch are integral parts of one another. If you play the correct note at the wrong time, it’s a mistake. If you play at the correct time but the wrong pitch, it’s a mistake. This is why you need to play slowly and accurately rather than quickly with stops and starts.

Recommendations

• Read with a metronome no matter how slow the speed.
• Play slowly and accurately rather than quickly with stops and starts.
• Keep going to the next note whether you have properly played the last one or not. Do not stop! If this is not possible, you may be selecting pieces that are too difficult for you or you don’t know the notes of your instrument well enough to play in time.
• If your music reading stops at every other measure, you are not learning the proper skill sets. Reduce the difficulty of your music until your reading flows fluently with the metronome.
• Work on sight-reading every day for about twenty minutes and see how much better you get within a year. Eventually you will begin to read at a steadier rate and the complexity of your music will increase.
• Do not sight-read a piece of music more than twice. If you do, you are beginning to practice rather than reading at sight.

You can develop sight-reading music skills if you work at it daily.

Remember the notes don’t move! You simply have to recognize them quickly.

Michael Kozubek, B.M.,M.M., is Director of Guitar Studies at Azusa Pacific University School of Music.

In the midst of music school auditions, there’s always the chance that unforeseens might crop up. The most common of these are weather-related delays and cancellations, illness, and disappointment with your audition performance.

What can you do if any of these surprise you?

1. The blown audition.

We’ve polled a variety of schools and they basically maintain similar policies: you can’t re-audition. If denied admission because of the quality of your audition, you must wait until the next application/audition cycle to start the process again.

• Try to get feedback about your audition if you don’t get accepted, so you know what you need to do to work on. Find out how realistic it is to hone your skills enough by the next audition cycle in order to be a serious candidate for admission to that school.
• If the music school is part of a larger university, you may be accepted to the university but not to the music school. Should you accept the offer, you can take instrumental or voice lessons to strengthen your chances of getting accepted the next time you can audition. It’s also important to talk with the music faculty about taking the first level of music theory so you won’t be too far behind your peers if you do get accepted.
• Keep in mind that faculty who audition students realize that aspiring music majors can be nervous during their auditions and therefore may not perform as well as they could. Admission folks tell us they are not looking for perfection, but rather for students who show talent and promise and who are likely to flourish at their schools. They may also be looking for a specific instrument to fill the orchestra or jazz band, or voice for the traveling choir, which adds another level of competitiveness to the audition process.

2. Weather-related delays and illness.

Schools do their best to reschedule auditions that are canceled due to weather, illness, and other unforeseen circumstances. Admission staffs are quite savvy about being able to discern whether the need for changing an audition slot is legitimate; inconvenience or a lack of readiness do not make the cut. But in dire circumstances, the schools will do their best to work out an alternative plan.

Some schools will be willing to arrange “ad hoc” auditions with faculty if there are no scheduled audition times available. This varies from school to school and sometimes even from department to department within each school, so research the options carefully.

Some schools will accept a video audition in lieu of a live audition. If you must audition via video, be sure to thoroughly check out the specifications for recorded auditions at each school. Note that some schools will not consider students for merit scholarships unless they audition live, so check this out as well if it’s important to you.

Special thanks to Carnegie Mellon University School of Music, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, and University of Denver Lamont School of Music for their helpful contributions to this article.

Having a successful audition is about more than just luck. Schools are interested in knowing more about you and what you have to offer them. And they want to find out whether they think you’ll benefit from what they have to offer you.

Here are a few tips to make your audition more successful:

1. Think of your audition like a job interview. You have something schools think they may want, and they’ve got something you think you may want. The audition is really a time for both sides to get a better sense of what’s available and whether each side really wants to spend the next four years together.

2. Show interest and enthusiasm. And do your best to avoid sounding desperate for admission by trusting that you will land on your feet whether or not a specific school makes you an offer –– and whether or not you accept that offer. This is an important mindset to go into auditions with.

3. Show respect:

• By being on time.
• In the way you address the people you meet. Faculty should be addressed as “Professor _______. NEVER by their first names.
• In how you interact with staff and any accompanist provided by the school. Anyone you meet may be someone you’ll need to work with over the course of the next four years. They may even be asked for input about their interactions with you.
• By thanking your audition team as well as any staff who’ve gone out of their way for you. Do this at the end of your audition – as well as with a follow up email.

4. To show up as a serious candidate, be prepared:

• With the correct repertoire for the school for which you’re auditioning. This should be a no-brainer but you wouldn’t believe how many students show up at an audition prepared for a different school than the one they’re at.
• By reviewing the school’s website carefully. Don’t waste your audition team’s time by asking questions that are already answered on their website.

5. Be yourself.  Schools know that students coming for auditions are often nervous. You may even want to acknowledge that right off the bat to get it out of the way. They really want to see if they think you’ll be a good fit at their school and the best way for them to find out is for you to show them who you really are.

6. Next year this time, you’ll likely be at one of the schools you audition for. When audition season feels nerve-wracking or endless, remember this.

Photo Credits: MajoringInMusic.com

by Katherine Pukinskis –

Surviving music school auditions is like a day-long performance. It’s hard to be at your best (as a human and a musician) when you’re tired, and there’s no way around it: this is going to be a tired time for you. Here are some hints for making it through:

1. Get Sleep. Really. As much as you can. Sacrificing sleep in order to do any kind of work will sacrifice the quality of work that you are able to do. Don’t rely on energy drinks or caffeine to get you through. (Plus, those can really mess with your fine motor control, one of the big skills required for playing an instrument.)

2. Keep to your rituals or create new ones. There are all sorts of variables (eg., travel, time zones, weather) that throw a wrench in your system, and it’s important to have an established routine or set of activities that you can rely on. It can be a daily ritual like stretching before you go to bed, or a pre-audition ritual like always eating eggs for breakfast on audition day.

3. Thank your parents for dealing with you during your crazy stress-monster auditions. When I was auditioning for schools, my parents got used to my routine of not eating or speaking for up to 24 hours before an audition, and then being famished and extremely talkative immediately afterwards. They quietly accepted my peculiarities and chalked them up to the “audition crazies.” If you are lucky enough to have parents who can deal with your crazies, remember to thank them.

4. Keep up with your homework. Teachers are usually pretty great about extensions for projects during this stressful time, but don’t use that as an excuse for not doing any work at all. Use car and plane rides to stay on top of your homework.

5. Have an outlet to get away from music for a while. Sometimes, with all of the practicing and rehearsing and auditioning, it’s just too much music. It’s important to have something that “resets” or “recharges” your work.

And remember, everyone is different. What worked for me may not work for you. The best thing to do is to listen to yourself and take care of the bigger instrument –– you.

Katherine Pukinskis is a renown composer as well as assistant professor of music and chair of the Contemporary Creative Practice Division at Carnegie Mellon University School of Music. She holds a PhD in Composition from University of Chicago and bachelor and master’s degrees in Composition from Carnegie Mellon University.

by Wendy LeBorgne, PhD –

As the college audition season approaches, staying healthy for vocal auditions is on the mind of every prospective voice major. Inevitably, the timing of auditions coincides with cold and flu season. You hear horror stories of friends who wake up with a sore throat or runny nose, or worst case scenario, laryngitis, at the worst possible moment. As a professional singer, this is also something that you may experience throughout your career.

The sooner you prepare yourself to prevent and minimize illnesses that can interfere at high stakes vocal demand times, the better off you’ll be.  Many of the following tips may be “things your mother told you,” but when they’re not coming from your mom, perhaps you will be more likely to take them to heart.

1. Get Enough Sleep

There is no substitute for sleep. You cannot “catch up” on sleep.  People who are sleep deprived generally have slightly depressed immune systems, which makes them more susceptible to illness. Everyone has slightly different sleep needs, but generally speaking, 18-22 year olds require 6-10 hours of sleep daily for optimal brain and body function.

Not only is adequate sleep important to keep your immune system functioning at optimal capacity, but you need to be well-rested to keep your brain mentally sharp. Mental sharpness is vital for remembering lyrics and focusing on being your best for the most important 2-10 minutes of your life.

2. Hydrate

In a 10-year retrospective study of incoming freshman musical theatre performers (Donahue, LeBorgne, Brehm, & Weinrich, “in review”), over 50% were significantly under-hydrated.

It takes at least 2-3 hours for the liquid you drink to filter through your body and help lubricate the vocal folds. Nothing you drink gets directly onto the vocal folds. Lack of adequate hydration is like not putting oil in a car: the gears don’t work as well, there’s increased heat and friction in the gears, and the oil that’s left tends to be gummy and thick.

The current rule for adequate oral hydration is to take your body weight, and divide it in half. That’s the number of ounces of water you should minimally be drinking (ex. 150 lbs. ÷ 2= 75 oz.). This formula does not take into consideration any activity such as singing or dancing.

Minimize whatever can be systemically drying, such as caffeine.  There are certain medications that also have mucosal drying effects. DO NOT discontinue any medication that you have been prescribed, but ensure that you are adequately balancing the drying properties. Besides caffeine, some of the most common and drying medications young adults take include: oral allergy medications (Allegra, Claritin, Zyrtec, Singular, Benedryl, etc.), oral decongestants (Sudafed, etc.); inhaled corticosteroids (Albuterol, etc.); oral acne medications (Accutane); ADD/ADHD medications (Adderall, Concerta, Ritalin); antidepressants (Wellbutrin, Zoloft, etc.).

Finally, beware of “overhydrating” (water intoxication). Over hydration can be a potentially medically dangerous condition. Typically, this only occurs in rare situations and generally results when someone consumes more than 2 gallons of water per day.

3. Don’t Overcommit

If you are auditioning for a career in vocal music, you are likely to be an accomplished and sought-after singer in your high school and community. Because of your talent, you are probably involved in choir, the school musical, private voice lessons, recitals, personal practice time, etc. This generally involves being “vocally overcommitted,” and can be detrimental to your ability to perform maximally at your auditions.

Think of an Olympic athlete who physically overtrains just before their event.  They are at increased risk of injury and poor performance, compared to the athlete who gradually builds stamina for a given event so that they “peak” in their performance at exactly the right time. This is your goal for a college audition. You have spent years training and you want to “peak” at your auditions. If you are involved in too many activities (vocal or otherwise), you cannot be in optimal vocal, mental, or physical form for your auditions.

Choose your activities wisely. Practice wisely. Remember that mental practice is highly beneficial –– you can memorize lyrics, rhythms, character choices, dynamic changes.

In addition to your vocal activities, the social activities that often occur throughout your high school senior year may expose you to late nights, loud talking –– even substance abuse. By all means it is important to celebrate your achievements, but as a “vocal athlete,” remember you are in “training” for your auditions, which will help prepare you for the rest of your career.

4. Wash Your Hands

The simple act of washing your hands can significantly reduce the spread of germs from person to person.  Think about all the places your hands have been and the things you touch that are shared with multiple others: door knobs, piano keys, cell phones, pencils, desks, computer keyboards, etc. For good hand washing hygiene, use warm, soapy water and sing (in your head or out loud) “Happy Birthday” while lathering up. Rinse with warm water and turn off the water with the back of your hand (or use a paper towel).  If you have no available water handy, carry hand sanitizer with you and remember: hand sanitizer must have 60%+ alcohol concentration to combat the spread of flu.

5. Eat Well and Take Your Vitamins

Your body is your instrument. You’ve heard it a thousand times before, but you are what you eat. For optimal performance of muscle and brain function, your body should be well-hydrated and well-nourished.  Good nutrition does not begin the day before your audition. Think of eating properly as part of the training process.

Fuel your body with nutritious, wholesome foods. Limit processed foods and sugar consumption. This includes sodas and sports drinks.

Wendy LeBorgne, PhD CCC-SLP (Voice Pathologist and Singing Voice Specialist) is the director of the Blaine Block Institute for Voice Analysis and Rehabilitation and the Professional Voice Center of Greater Cincinnati. She holds an adjunct Assistant Professor at Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music and the College of Allied Health. Her research includes the area of the Broadway “belt.” In addition to her duties as a voice pathologist, she continues to maintain an active professional performing career.

Do the schools you’re applying to require pre-screens? Or are you planning to send recorded auditions to one or more schools instead of auditioning live?

These tips will help you stay on track and gain a better chance of making it from pre-screens to auditions to acceptance letters.

1. Every school or program has its own requirements. It’s your job to know what they are.

Carefully check all the requirements for sending pre-screens and recorded auditions for each school or program where you’re applying. Go over the details more than once. See if you can get a family member or friend to review them with you. Make no assumptions –– what works for one school may not work at all for another. The schools have no mercy when it comes to students misreading their requirements.

2. Pay attention to deadlines.

Most schools currently state December 1st as the pre-screen deadline but be sure that’s the correct date for each school you’re applying to. Note that these deadlines are firm and if a pre-screen is required and you miss the deadline, you won’t be invited for a live audition.

3. Don’t leave your recordings for the last minute.

Practice and hone the music you’ll be submitting well before the deadlines. A number of things can go wrong with the recording so plan ahead, figure out what you’re going to record with, get your questions answered, and fix any problems in enough time to meet the deadlines.

4. Create a recording you’ll be proud of.

Your recording may be the schools’ first impression of you, and it may be your only chance to show them something about who you are, what you can do, and why you deserve a chance to become their student. Really good sound quality is essential. (See recording tips below.)

5. Live vs. recorded auditions?

Schools that require pre-screens expect you to send recordings. The pre-screen information on their websites will indicate how they want you to do this –– through an upload company such as Acceptd, DecisionDesk, Slide Room, or through the mail.

If you make it through pre-screens, you’ll need to decide whether to audition live on campus, live at a regional audition site if available, or through a recorded audition.

What are some of the pros and cons of sending a recorded audition?

A live audition is ideal. It offers an opportunity for a two-way interview between you and the school. You get to experience the campus, hopefully get a lesson from a faculty in whose private studio you may end up, determine how well you fit in with other students, and much more. Some schools like Penn State School of Music, also evaluate you for merit scholarships at the live audition.

“It’s so easy to send recordings, particularly now that videos can just get uploaded from a central place. However, it’s increasingly more difficult to get a sense of whether or not a student really wants to come if they just send a recording,” says Amy Mertz, who worked as assistant director for admissions and community programs at Syracuse University’s Setnor School of Music in upstate New York.

If you are serious about a school but cannot make it to a live audition:

• Read each school’s recorded auditions policy on their website before contacting the admission office to ask questions. If the schools you are interested in participate on MajoringInMusic.com, use the forms on their pages to ask your questions. Find out the following:
  • Will you be considered for scholarships if you don’t attend a live audition?
  • Are your chances for acceptance lower if you don’t attend a live  audition?
  • In addition to a recorded audition, are there alumni in your area you can meet with to demonstrate that you’re a good candidate for admission?
• Contact any faculty you’re interested in studying with, and ask specific questions related to becoming their student or about the program. Find out whatever you can about their areas of expertise before you actually contact them.
• Treat every email or phone call as if it were a mini-audition. Most schools keep a record of every communication a student has with them.

Do You Need a Professional Recording Engineer?

It all comes down to sound quality.

The cost of hiring a professional recording engineer may be beyond what’s affordable for you right now. No school wants to create financial hardship especially at this stage in the process. While some schools encourage applicants to hire an engineer, others actually discourage it if you can get good sound quality on your recording without an engineer. You’re smart to check each school’s guidelines on this and to ask them directly if there’s no clear information available.

• If you do decide to work with a professional recording engineer, interview one or more of them to be sure that whoever you choose will serve you well.
• Any recording engineer you decide to work with must fully understand the recording requirements of each school you’re auditioning for. Is editing acceptable? Is processing acceptable (i.e., reverb, equalization, dynamics, pitch alteration)? Your recording engineer must know and work within these guidelines.
• Robert Bullington, at Front Row Seat Productions, emphasizes the need to find an engineer who is skilled in recording your repertoire. Classical repertoire has different requirements from jazz, popular, and other genres. “Discuss the requirements of the recording and your expectations candidly, in advance of the session,” says Bullington.  “Get as many technical details about the upload requirements as you can, and share that with the recording engineer.”
• Want to work with a recording engineer but can’t afford it? Contact a local music school with a good music technology program. See if students will take on recording projects like these for experience, at low or no cost.

Since every school is different, tracking your music school applications, pre-screens and auditions is essential!

There are myriad details involved, and noting what is due and when it’s due will save you from unnecessary surprises and disappointments. Consider using this template for keeping tabs on deadlines. Adapt it to your needs. And if it’s helpful, you can thank Kate Pukinskis, a Carnegie Mellon University School of Music graduate and University of Chicago composition doctoral candidate, who graciously provided it to MajoringInMusic.com readers.

 Note that MajoringInMusic.com offers consultation sessions for students and parents about applying to music school and majoring in music, on a sliding-scale basis.

For more information, email to: contact@majoringinmusic.com

For high school seniors who are interested in becoming music majors, this is the time of year that’s filled with musical preparation for upcoming college music auditions. Much excitement accompanies this process, and many students find themselves full of worry and trepidation. I would like to share some helpful audition advice to support you as you embark on the very busy audition season ahead.

 by Dr. Michelle Stanley

Preparing For the Big Day

1. Practice, practice, practice!
While I’m not advocating cramming, I urge you to include practice in your day-to-day routine. This includes practicing your entire required repertoire for each school. Be sure to review sight-reading and scales as well. Don’t be surprised if an audition committee requests you to play something that you weren’t expecting. It isn’t the intention to trip you up, but rather to see where you are in your musical development. Not being able to do something doesn’t mean you don’t pass an audition. It simply informs the committee of where you are in your abilities.

2. Create your own audition committee
Often the scariest part of auditioning is performing for a panel of strangers who  give very little feedback during your audition. Re-creating that atmosphere can help control your nerves on the day of your audition. Create an audition committee that will listen to you play through your music prior to your auditions. Pull in classmates, teachers, and friends to listen to you perform. The more strangers, the better! Have them ask you to play certain scales or different repertoire than what you have prepared. Act as you would at your audition. Practice smiling, thanking the committee, and playing your best.

3. The non-musical side
Often your audition begins the moment you walk into the room. Present your best self by being well-dressed, full of poise, friendly, respectful, and confidant. Mistakes are ok – even expected. How you recover, and how you perform overall, are what a committee will remember.

The Mental Game of Auditions

1. It’s all about your potential
An audition committee fully realizes that you are a developing musician who won’t be perfect in every way. If you were perfect, we wouldn’t need to teach you! We listen for potential. Does a student have the potential to be a great student and musician? We often think of your strengths and weaknesses and how they would work with our own teaching styles.

2. Fast fingers aren’t everything!
Playing fast and furiously is a small part of being a good musician. Perform with attention to intonation, integrity of rhythm, thoughtfulness, musicality, and beautiful tone.

3. “Oh no, they stopped me before I finished my piece!”
Don’t worry if a committee stops you early in your piece. It could mean that they could be interested in hearing more of what you have to offer or they felt that they have heard a full representation of your playing. Often there is a limited amount of time that they have to listen to each student and they need to hear as much as they can from you in a short period of time. Be sure to practice stopping in different places in your music and go on to other pieces as you review your repertoire daily.

4. You are the committee too..
While the committee may be assessing you to see if you are a good fit for their school, you should be assessing the school to see if it is the right place for you. Spend time touring the facilities, investigating the program, talking with other students, and most importantly, meet with the teacher that you would study with. If possible, get a lesson. Most teachers are happy to give you a free lesson as you research their school. College is a place where you are going to invest a lot of time and money, and you need to be happy with your choice.

5. The bottom line
The reason you are auditioning to be a music major is because you love music and
you want to become a better musician. Remember that love you have for music while you play. That excitement for music will shine through your performance and dazzle your listeners. Every college audition committee is interested in hearing you do your best. We are rooting for you to have an excellent audition!

Which school to attend?

When you finally have all of your offers from the schools you applied to and auditioned for, you have much to consider. After taking all the steps mentioned above (meeting the applied teacher you would work with, touring the school, talking with students), you should have a good idea about the ‘feel’ of each school.

You will want to consider other issues such geographic location, finances, scholarship offers and comfort with the size of the department and school at large, once you get a feel for each school. Make sure the schools you are serious about have all the degree program(s) you have interest in (especially if you are undecided about what you actually want to pursue). Will you study with a graduate student or the main faculty teacher in your area? What is the size of the studio you would be in? Will you be able to perform in the major ensembles the school offers?

Should you be lucky to get competing offers from several music programs, be sure to communicate those competing offers with each of the applied teachers. Sometimes an offer can be raised if you a school really wants you to attend.

Being a music major is a wonderful experience, full of strong bonds with faculty and students. This unique degree program is one that you will be a part of long after your degree is conferred. You choose to apply to each school through realistic and careful consideration. Choosing a school to attend a particular school is often a matter of following your heart to where you feel that you belong.

Good luck!

Dr. Michelle Stanley is Assistant Professor of Music (flute) at Colorado State University. She is a member of the Colorado Ballet Orchestra and a regular performer with the Colorado Symphony. Her teaching and performing regularly take her across the United States and abroad.

Link: Dr. Michelle Stanley’s website

by Joanna Cazden –

Managing your audition anxiety is key to your audition success. You want to be at your peak of health, relaxation, and confidence when you stand on that stage. But your anxiety about the outcome can feel like an impossible obstacle.

Performance anxiety is normal. Professionals learn how to manage it, but it never fully goes away. So don’t interpret your fear as a sign that you have no talent, or don’t deserve to succeed.

Here are 6 tools that may help—things I’ve learned from my own performing life, from my training as a speech therapist, and from coaching and counseling students like you.

1. The #1 antidote to anxiety is being prepared. So practice! The moments before you perform are when you’ll be most nervous, so work that sequence just as you work your music. Rehearse walking in, what you’ll say to the faculty, and your cues for the accompanist.

Link these actions to breathing: exhale-pause-inhale before you enter, before you speak, and before you start your music. This breath sequence—and your attention to it—will help keep you calm.

2. When you’re bored or in a rut, change it up. Run your pieces too fast, then very slowly, with comic attitude one day and melodrama the next. Do them in crazy order with dance or calisthenics in between.

Plug in competing music at the same time. Wear a stupid hat. These variations help keep your interpretation fresh. More important, they prepare you to cope with the unexpected distractions—snowstorms, family crises—that could challenge your audition.

During the last week before auditions, just run the program straight so that you’re not confused when you need to be clear.

3. Mentally practice, as athletes do. Go through the audition in your mind, seeing and feeling yourself glide easily from front door through hardest arpeggio to final exit. This reinforces your skills and you can do it anywhere.

4. Practice facing your doubts. “But what if….?” fears are common. Don’t suppress them but don’t give in either. Especially avoid spinning into “what-if-I-can’t-avoid-my-nervousness” spirals.

Anxiety usually hides an equal amount of positive excitement. So welcome your fear as if it’s an animal that is secretly tame. Thank your ambitious energy for showing up, review your exhale-pause-inhale pattern a few times, and go back to work.

5. If you still feel overwhelmed by anxiety despite all of these efforts, talk to a counselor. There may be some other problem or worry that is intensifying your natural feelings about audition season. Keep practicing in the meantime.

6. Find a way to reward yourself for getting through each audition. Ritualize what comes after, to help manage the let-down from all that adrenaline. For instance: jot in a special notebook or app about what you learned from each experience, have a favorite snack, then get some exercise and lots of sleep before the next round of challenges.

Best of luck to you!

Joanna Cazden is a singer-songwriter, voice rehabilitation specialist, and intuitive coach in Los Angeles. She has released six solo albums and is the author of Visualizations for Singers, a CD/MP4 of guided imagery that includes a voice relaxation sequence. Joanna is also the author of Everyday Voice Care:The Lifestyle Guide for Singers and Talkers.

Photo Courtesy of CSU Department of Music, Theatre and Dance 

Butterflies in the stomach; sweaty palms; negative self-talk; stomach pain; dry mouth; excessive swallowing; shortness of breath; fuzzy thinking; avoidance; or giving up. These are some of the signs and symptoms of performance anxiety. It feels so unfair when your hard work in the practice room is thwarted by fear or discomfort. A little stress can improve your game, motivating you to practice so you are sufficiently prepared by performance time. And sometimes the rush of adrenaline can sharpen performance. If stress is manageable, then all is well.

But if anxiety limits your ability to develop your talent and music performance charisma, you may wonder whether you should pursue public performance at all. Some people who suffer from performance anxiety decide to play music in ensembles, rather than as soloists. Some become music educators. These are valid choices, but before deciding to change your career path, give yourself time to explore some other options.

You Don’t Have to Be Anxious!

Our biological systems are wired to alert us to danger so we can defend, protect, survive, and procreate. Rapid heartbeat and increased muscle tension are valuable if we want to attack the wooly mammoth or run up a tree to escape it. But when it comes to public speaking, studio recording, or performing on stage, we seldom encounter situations where our lives are literally threatened. Your system doesn’t differentiate between clear and present danger and the perception of it. If you have a conscious or unconscious belief “as if” performing music were life-threatening, your body may tighten, your thoughts may become fuzzy, and you may encounter a variety of uncomfortable symptoms. It is an understatement to say it is not optimal to be in the throes of performance anxiety when you need to delicately coordinate your voice, breathing, arms, or fingers. We may be hard-wired to survey our environment for danger, but we can learn to cope. You can learn to orchestrate the level of stress at which you rehearse, as well as reduce the level of anxiety the day of a music performance, the moments before walking on stage, and even during the concert.

Coping with Performance Anxiety

As a long-time singer and lecturer who used to worry a lot, I found the Alexander Technique helped me improve my vocal technique, and that helped my confidence. I continue to use my Alexander thinking to center myself before performance, and –– most importantly –– to guide my thinking away from self-defeating thoughts and towards constructive ones. Using every Alexander option available to me, I can feel comfortable and joyous while preparing and then performing in front of people. For instance:

• Lying in semi-supine (see Revitalizing You and Your Music) is a fantastic way for musicians to prepare for practice, rehearsal, auditions, and performance. It’s also a great way to unwind. When you literally stop and rest, you decrease the level of stimuli bombarding you, and anxious thoughts and feelings evaporate. When you resume activity, you’ll have more resilience to encounter new stress-producing conditions.
• Learning to sit or stand with ease while performing music can improve sound quality, breath control, and endurance. In addition, standing in the “monkey” position — where you bend your hips, knees and ankles simultaneously –– can be used during warm-up and practice to transform the quality of your sound.
• Special breathing techniques are often recommended as coping strategies. The Alexander Technique’s approach is the whispered “ah.” All musicians, including conductors, can reap the rewards from its calming effect.

Other useful Alexander practices help you shift your attitude or behavior to prevent confusion, panic, or getting hooked into negative thinking. By mentally preparing yourself ahead of time, there is less to deal with during a music performance. But if you do get triggered, stress hormones that course through your system are only effective for some 20 minutes. Once you know that, the feeling of your heart pounding doesn’t have to perpetuate anxious thoughts. Moreover, you can ask yourself what you want instead: clear thinking, easy breathing, and less tension. It may seem improbable that you could entertain these thoughts in the midst of performance, but that is what Alexander Technique lessons train you to do. The combination of skilled hands, gentle touch, cognitive instruction, and training in how to send yourself messages becomes a powerful and unique way of learning.

Conclusion

Becoming a professional musician offers tremendous rewards––and challenges. If your talent leads you to music performance, don’t let anxiety prevent you from experiencing joy and satisfaction in your chosen field. Students of the Alexander Technique learn many skills to reduce the harmful effects of music performance anxiety. They develop strategies to prevent and diminish discomfort, to put uncomfortable situations in perspective, and to continue organizing themselves to enable peak performance.

Ruth Rootberg is an AmSAT-certified Alexander Technique teacher, designated Linklater theater voice teacher, Laban Movement Analyst, and classical singer. After graduating from the New England Conservatory of Music, Ruth sang opera and symphonic literature in Europe and the United States. She teaches the Alexander Technique and voice to people of all ages in Amherst, Massachusetts, and gives workshops around the country, including her highly successful Moving Voices with Quiet Hands—weekend workshops for voice professionals. Ruth conceived, edited and published Teaching Breathing: Results of a Survey (2002).

Is your child auditioning for a spot in a music school?

Here are 6 tips to support them AND you.

1. Calm down!

Your auditioning offspring needs you to stay the course and manage your own anxiety. Take a brisk walk or get other exercise; take three long breaths when you get antsy; seek out other adults to vent with if you need to. Whatever you do, don’t let your anxiety spill out and onto your child. At the same time, kids are masters of reading between the lines. Don’t let the audition be like the elephant in the room. Acknowledge it. But don’t harp on it.

2. Have faith.

No matter what happens, your child will be fine. Really. It may be hard to imagine, but it’s true. The more you do whatever you can to feel and experience this within, the better you’ll be at transmitting this message to your child, verbally and non-verbally .

3. Remember this is THEIR audition.

One of the worst things you can do is show up like the mom of a recent American Idol contestant did. In her effort to support her child, the audition became all about her. This will not go over well with music schools!

4. Be supportive but not overbearing.

Auditions are anxiety-provoking on several levels. Most of all, kids need a sense of consistency and support at this time. Checking in with your child is important. So is maintaining an awareness of how they are doing. Peppering them with questions, however, is bound to backfire, especially if they’re not used to talking about their feelings.

5. Keep healthy food around.

It’s easy for kids to get run down around audition time. Having healthy, easy-to-grab food around will serve them well. Good hydration is important, too.

6. Congratulate yourself.

You’ve done a ton of work to help get your child to this point in time. Now it’s time to breathe and hold down the fort, while they test the waters of what lies ahead.

Photo Credit: CU Denver LYNX Camp, Robert King Photography