 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: marieplayer
Date: 2011-11-25 05:00
ok so in 2 weeks i have an audition for region band. ive never done it before and im really scared. i get nervous in front of people, even when i get up in front of my english class and read a paper. but im pretty good and i want to be able to show my skills at my full potential. but i feel like i have an anxiety problem or something, its like i have a mini seizure. i want to prove to my self that i could accomplish something. but i have 0 confidence. i even got nervous to play it in front of a few family members, how the hell am i going to be able to do it in front of judges?!?!
p.s., can someone just tell me what the audition is like so maybe i could imagine it better. do u play in a little room with just the judges? ect
thanks! please give me tips and advice and ways to calm down nerves. im thinking about taking nervetonic. thanks!
-marie
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: EEBaum
Date: 2011-11-25 08:26
There are lots of possible ways to approach this, largely dependent on what's getting you hung up. Could you describe it a bit?
One key for me has been to get out of the mindset where playing for other people, whether casually, at a performance, or at an audition, is some sort of test. Even if it IS some sort of test, as at an audition.
Another is to be an active participant in the process. Recently, I've realized that a LOT of things I do, both musically and otherwise, I'll prepare well for, and I'll enjoy having done it, but while the actual process occurs I'll just be watching myself do it or somehow being disconnected. Making a conscious effort to live in the moment, and to physically take in and enjoy the moment as it happens, has opened new realms of experience and dramatically increased my comfort level.
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: fuzzystradjazz
Date: 2011-11-25 13:09
Marieplayer:
I think you'll find everyone deals with this in a different way, but here's my personal approach.
1. Prepare the best you can, and then just be yourself. Don't try to "fool" anyone into thinking you are better than you are...let them accept you AS YOU ARE. My meaning is hard to explain here, but I'll try: I used to go into auditions having practiced/prepared to the best of my ability, but then I'd be SO nervous because I'd be afraid of not performing to my "best" ability during the audition - and sure enough, 9 out of 10 times, this would be exactly what happened. The problem is that I kept hedging my bet on performing "my best" during the audition. The fact is...we all have off days, and we all have "on" days. Once I started realizing that (as Popeye would say), "I am what I am and that's all that I am"...meaning, I am neither as bad as my worst or as good as my best, but an average of them...THEN, I walked into auditions with the comforting/relaxing view that the audition board was either going to accept or reject me based on who I was as a player - NOT a "perfect" version of who I was. I'll never be 100% all the time, yet I somehow expect this to be the case during auditions?! To this day, I still have to remind myself not to try "fooling" anyone into thinking I am better than I am...but to play honestly and know that my true ability (or lack thereof) will present itself.
2. Remember that this is "about the ride" and not the destination. If you are playing music, and trying to improve...you are taking the ride. However, if you are overly excited about being the best, about being in first chair, about finding success...you might very well miss the most exciting and fun parts of that ride. Be appreciative of the journey - not just the destination. Treasure each thing you learn along the way. (This goes for life too - make sure to slow down long enough to enjoy the ride: I had to catch myself and realize I was always looking forward to the events of tomorrow - so much to the point that I wasn't ever appreciating "today").
Finally: I always remind myself of my practice sessions. If I'm working on a difficult piece in my room and do not have adequate time to prepare (which can often be the case with auditions)...then by the time auditions arrive and I look back at all the times I played the piece; I'll find that I played it incorrectly 90 times, and correctly 10 times. Out of those 10 correct times, I only truly played it "perfectly" once or twice. While I'll still put my best foot forward during the audition...it would seem unrealistic for me to expect a "correct" or "perfect' performance, and while that should still be my goal, I shouldn't expect it, or feel that I failed if I miss it.
For me, the secret was in finding that I was lying to myself about what to expect from the audition - that I was expecting a perfect performance even though I knew I could rarely (if ever) perform perfectly; and then I was sad when the inevitable happened. So, I'd recommend: Be yourself. When you walk in that audition door - you are "who you are" - and there is no hiding that, no changing that...your ability is "what your ability is" at that point. Whether you find success or failure in that specific audition...don't let it define who you are, and when it is over, go back to practicing and enjoying the ride.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: kimber
Date: 2011-11-25 13:27
While it will be difficult to fully relax given your previous experiences of nervousness...another angle would be to try to work on playing your best through the nerves. When your nerves get the best of you, your heart is probably really pumping the blood and you're breathing fast and heavy. You will probably not be able to fully eliminate those sensations. So - start working on playing when you feel 'less than relaxed.' That way you will also feel more comfortable and confident that you CAN play through it. Do some cardio exercise for a couple minutes before your practice time, a lap around the yard/block or a couple flights of stairs to get the body humming.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: marieplayer
Date: 2011-11-25 15:20
thanks so much for the advice guys i really appreciate it!
EEBaum- i'm not sure what im so hung up on. i guess i have too much high expectations being that my parents are music teacher and my grandparents and if i fail i will let everyone down. i sometimes just dont believe in myself.
ill try to calm my nerves as best as i can and i know its only one aspect of life. thanks again!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Katrina
Date: 2011-11-25 15:27
Eat a banana about an hour before the audition. It'll help calm the butterflies at the audition.
As far as the nerves that are happening now, you've gotten good advice above!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Bb R13 greenline
Date: 2011-11-25 16:13
also heres my tips for auditions
1. make sure your not to full or too hungry during the audition, both can have very negative outcomes when added with nerves
2.show up early or on time,but not late. Being late sometimes give a bad impression depending on whos judging you
3. dress appriopriately not super flashy but in jeans and a sloppy t shirt either
4. the more you practice your music the more comfortable youll feel playing it. I find memorizing music very helpful.
5. dont over practice and wear out your chops. you should have everything perfect 3-2 days before so you can leave the last couple days working on making sure you are physically ready for the audition
6.the more auditions you do the more youll be comfortable at them
7.dont pay attention to the other players whether they be worse or better than you, youd be suprised by the out come of alot of judging. dont let better players discourage you, they could be just playing something they practiced forever to scare others, and dont let worse players incourage you too much to the point where you lose your nerves. nerves are good they keep you thinking
8.the judge isnt trying to get you to mess up, they just wanna hear what you have to offer and to see if you have enuf playing ability to play the music the band is going to play. to them you have just as much chance as the guy outside whos playing dimished and half diminshed scales right after finishing the end of the second weber concerto
overall the more prepared the more at ease you will feel try not to leave everything for last minute and most of all have fun with it:) if you dont make it still be a good sport and congradulate your peers who did
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: EEBaum
Date: 2011-11-25 19:00
"EEBaum- i'm not sure what im so hung up on. i guess i have too much high expectations being that my parents are music teacher and my grandparents and if i fail i will let everyone down. i sometimes just dont believe in myself. "
OK, that tells me a lot.
A few more things to try / think about...
1) Get comfortable with playing the instrument, especially in front of people, as something you like to do. It doesn't have to be actual rep, and actually may be easier to get here without it being actual rep. Noodle around in front of people. Play silly tunes. Improvise. Make horrific screeching noises. Do it all for the joy of it. Mess around on the instrument, unapologetically.
2) Realize that there is no "right" and "wrong" with the instrument. There's not a little red light on the clarinet that marks when you did something right or wrong. It's a piece of wood with holes in it. Any sound that comes out, every note, every squeak, comes out as a direct result of something you did. Interpretations beyond that are entirely culturally imposed. Try to learn how to make ALL the sounds, not just the ones on the page, to get more comfortable with the instrument.
3) There is no perfect score on a piece of music. Any notion of a perfect performance or perfect audition is entirely in your head. There is always something more or something different or something more intricately nuanced you can do with the piece. I see a LOT of people judge themselves as they play by counting how many mistakes they've made. This is totally backwards, though, when you realize that there is no actual ceiling to how well something can be played, and in fact you have limited yourself in the process by predefining an arbitrary best-case scenario.
Instead, treat each performance as an improvement over zero. With every note, every moment, focus on how much you can ADD to whatever you're playing. If you don't add what you meant to (by missing a note), it's not a spiraling disaster of failure (and, regardless, it's in the past), but a momentary lapse, and the opportunities for the rest of the piece are still a completely blank slate to improve upon. Look toward each note, each phrase, as a challenge to attack head-on, to see just how well you can play it, just how much you can do with it.
4) Check out this article: http://youarenotsosmart.com/2011/10/05/the-benjamin-franklin-effect/ There's a lot to take away from it, but the key as relevant to the discussion is that it suggests the following: Your personality may be as much a reflection of your actions as your actions are of your personality. What I mean by that is that you may have a nervous-while-playing personality at least partially because you've seen yourself playing nervous in the past. By getting yourself into situations where you're playing (and public speaking) comfortably in front of others, your jitters may calm themselves on their own. I don't know how well this actually applies in practice, but it's worth a shot. My advice in #1 should help you along this path.
-Alex
www.mostlydifferent.com
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: marieplayer
Date: 2011-11-25 19:12
thanks again and for your time. ill check out the article thanks so very much!!!!!!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: gsurosey
Date: 2011-11-26 01:05
Make sure you remember to breathe (I suffer from performance anxiety as well). Breathe slowly and deeply. This will help calm down your heart rate and blood pressure. Personally, I can't do that for too long because then I get dizzy because I have naturally low blood pressure. A couple deep breaths are good for me.
When I had All-County/All-State auditions in school, the solo festivals were done in high schools in regular classrooms (some had pianos because singers and some players were accompanied). I found vocal auditions a tad easier because I always had an accompanist and was therefore not alone. Some judges allow non-players in the room and some don't; it's their prerogative and they don't have to, but some will allow it.
I've had auditions where sections of the music I always played well didn't go as well as in practice, but within the same audition I had sections of the music that finally came together. I echo the comments of not expecting perfection. Once I looked at the overall experience rather than nit-picking myself, it got easier. One thing that I had to fix in my thinking when I was younger is that it's not me versus the judge. The judge is judging your performance, but the comments are meant to be helpful and ultimately help make you a better player. Do you get to see their comments after the audition is done? We do in NY, but I don't know it works where you are.
I've said over and over (to myself and people around me ), that I don't believe you can truly make music if you're not enjoying yourself. So, take a deep breath and go enjoy yourself!
----------
Rachel
Clarinet Stash:
Bb/A: Buffet R13
Eb: Bundy
Bass: Royal Global Max
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: clarinetguy ★2017
Date: 2011-11-26 14:38
The others have given you good advice. Katrina had an interesting suggestion about eating a banana, and I agree with it. Bananas are a good source of potassium, and from what I know, potassium helps to lower blood pressure. It might be worth eating other potassium-rich foods the day before your audition, including potatoes, green leafy vegetables, and citrus fruits. If there are any physicians or nurses reading this, does this sound like good advice?
Here's another thought--I don't know if it will help, but it's worth a try. There are a lot of stock audience photos out there, and here's one link: http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?_adv_prop=image&fr=yfp-t-701&sz=all&va=audience
Practicing in front of a computer displaying an image of a large audience could help to calm your nerves.
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: gsurosey
Date: 2011-11-26 14:57
Not a nurse, but I was an EMT for 6 years. The potassium sounds like a good idea. I'd add sodium to that, too. Not a ton, though. The point that electrolyte imbalances can contribute to being light-headed and passing out. Being nervous on top of that won't help. Make sure diet things are ok for a few days leading up to the audition.
I know a lot of people that carbo load before big races (I was a distance runner in high school and college). Just doing that the day before won't help you; you have to be doing that a week to 10 days before. I would think the electrolyte stuff is done closer to the event.
----------
Rachel
Clarinet Stash:
Bb/A: Buffet R13
Eb: Bundy
Bass: Royal Global Max
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: Katrina
Date: 2011-11-26 19:09
What I heard about the banana is that it contains a "natural" beta-blocker (like the pills some people get prescribed for extreme stage fright). That may well be the potassium, for all I know!
At any rate I had suggested it to students for years when they were preparing for contests because I don't usually have a problem with stage fright per se (I typically only perform and haven't had a real audition in years). However, my band had an important audition for a big fellowship in May, and I was nervous. Had a banana about an hour or so before and found that the heightened jittery feeling (which I typically don't have before performances) was almost gone when we played. I had just enough "oomph" to play excitingly and no other jitters! And we got the fellowship...
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: marieplayer
Date: 2011-11-26 20:18
thats good to hear ill make sure i eat a banana before i go to the audition!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: DougR
Date: 2011-11-27 01:43
This is all such good information that I'm almost tempted not to add to it. But, having done theatrical and commercial auditions hundreds of times (as an actor AND as a horn player), and remembering too well what my first few auditions were like, I promise you this'll be the toughest audition you ever do, because of the "I've never done this before" and "it's really high stakes" stuff. Everything's new and frightening, it's all terribly Important, it "means" something about ME, all that stuff. Whereas after 5 auditions exactly like this one, your focus will be reliably on the music and what you want to communicate in it, rather than all the "life or death" stuff. (Which isn't really life or death, we just sometimes THINK it is.)
I would say, don't make a big deal out of the symptoms of nervousness, just incorporate them into your awareness in an un-critical way, just noticing, not judging: "Oh, look, my hands are shaking, yup, figured that would happen, oops, just squeaked a note, let it go, concentrate on my music, chest is a little tight, so don't forget to breathe deep, hello sweat running down my back, figured you'd show up, keep focus on the music..." You have the choice to make these phenomena significant or not, so just notice them, don't make them a big deal. "Hey, I expected I'd be nervous, and guess what? I AM! Cool!"
Under this kind of stress, our bodies always mobilize in a primordial way, in a stressful, fight-or-flight survival mode--shallow breathing, nerves, fear, sweats--and it's kind of funny how physiologically, a clarinet audition can make you feel the same as if a tyrannosaurus rex was chasing you across a prehistoric marsh. I definitely have that. It makes me laugh a little to think of climbing up onstage with my horn and my music, as scared as if a tyrannosaurus was going to come bounding down the aisle past the auditors, going ROWRRRR!! Look: no tyrannosaurus out there! Now can we just play the music, please?
Good luck--will be interested to hear how it went!
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
