Klarinet Archive - Posting 000466.txt from 2002/09

From: MaisondeHadley@-----.com
Subj: Re: [kl] Re: Music/Academics studies?
Date: Sun, 22 Sep 2002 14:23:00 -0400

Kimber the Wrestler wrote:
"My band teacher gave me the papers for the honor band all northwest competition thing, and I am going to sign up. I'm just going to play a solo on my clarinet, but...Does anyone on this list have any ideas? I have to get the music for the audition tape first"

Kimber,
Would this happen to the the All-Northwest Honor Band that takes place at the Hilton Hotel in Eugene, Oregon? If it is, I don't recall there being a solo or ensemble section, but I suppose it is possible. I've heard about it for the past four years or so as my former band director has generally been involved with it one way or another, and the Wind Ensemble has usually had at least one musician accccepted.
Everyone I've ever spoken to who passed the audition enjoyed the honor band immensely as they generally have at least one new piece, as well as more traditional music. If you're interested in this sort of thing, you should also ask your director about the WIBC honor bands. There's three of them, the audition is easier than for All-Northwest, you get to work with some really neat people (Composers such as Johann de Meij, Stephen Mellilo, Alfred Reed), and it takes place in Seattle at a hotel near the airport.
Best of luck to you with the auditions for whatever you do. I've seen the clarinet audition for All-Northwest, and you definitely will not be bored by it! The only advice I could offer is two points:
1) Do not record it on a cheap tape recorder. Schools generally have decent recording equipment where you can record your audition. With the amount of clarinet tapes the judges have to listen to, it gets old really quick to hear wavy tapes, and those annoying noises made when you pause and start a tape over and over.

and

2) Don't attempt to record the entire audition all at once! I read somewhere from one of the judges that it is best to do each segment at seperate times, when you are not tired, and you are at your best.

Both of these points came from an article one of the clarinet judges submitted to a magazine (I can't remember which one). If you do little things like that, your audition tape has a much higher chance of passing rather than being rejected. All in all, best of luck to you, and if you make it (which probably won't be too difficult), have fun as it is always a cool experience!

Joseph Stevens
Former clarinet soloist,
Dallas High School Wind Ensemble

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