 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Lanie
Date: 2013-12-06 03:18
I'm a senior in high school. I was first chair at region last year (Texas, region IX) and 3 chairs away from making state. I have region tryouts tomorrow and I would love to make first chair again. I'm starting to get very nervous and scared though. Can y'all give me any tips for nerves, besides eating bananas because I eat a lot if those on audition days, or for doing well at the audition? Any help is highly appreciated. Thank y'all so much!
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Author: Ken Shaw ★2017
Date: 2013-12-06 05:51
Play a metronome click slower than your best speed. Moderate and even is much better than fast and sloppy. Never play faster than perfect.
Count like crazy, and even harder on long notes and rests. Inaccurate rhythm hurts more than any other flaw.
If the judges ask you to do something, think about it for two seconds (one-thousand-and-one, one-thousand-and-two). Don't jump in too quickly.
Find the point at which your head is perfectly balanced on your shoulders. Hold that and bring the clarinet up to you.
Inhale, not too much, going down to your hips and in the back and sides as well as the belly.
Set your embouchure, put the tip of your tongue on the reed, bring the support (air pressure) up to playing level, release your tongue from the reed and begin cleanly.
Keep everything smooth. During this season, think about taking a nice sip of eggnog.
Butterflies are normal. It's just excess energy burning off. You did great last year. This year will be even better.
Ken Shaw
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Author: Lelia Loban ★2017
Date: 2013-12-06 11:55
I dunno, thinking about all that stuff and trying to kep it straight in my brain might mess me up. Did I think about that one already? Oh, I thought about that one twice! Or maybe I forgot about it. Or .... Oh, hey, I was so busy keeping track of that list of things to keep track of that I forgot to get nervous! Hmmm, maybe that *would* work! ![[grin]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie5.gif)
But seriously -- the other contestants are nervous, too. Some of them will channel their nerves into better performances. Some of them will succumb to their nerves and do worse. You have an advantage in that you've already made first regional chair last year, so don't have to guess -- you've got evidence that you can play well in an audition. You can build on that success.
Lelia
http://www.scoreexchange.com/profiles/Lelia_Loban
To hear the audio, click on the "Scorch Plug-In" box above the score.
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Author: DougR
Date: 2013-12-06 17:41
I like Ken's suggestions a lot. Also, I'd add this:
I've always found that I play in auditions MUCH differently than in the practice room.
-the acoustics of the audition room, and the way my playing sounds to me, are MUCH different than I expect
-my breathing is shallower
-my mind is hyper-alert for my shortcomings (I cracked a note! Catastrophe!!!)
-my concentration tends to stick like glue to the mistake I just made
some of this is typical amateur stuff, I guess, and you may be well past that, but when I ACCEPTED all of the above as normal for the circumstances, I was better able to focus on my playing rather than my mistakes.
I guess my wish for you might be, awareness and acceptance of everything that's going on, physically and mentally, and a relentless continuous re-focus on the music that's coming up, when you get mentally off-track or distracted.
I guess maybe also, being able to put aside the "stakes" involved, and just create the music. By the time you're up there in front of the jury, "how it's going to go" is almost entirely out of your hands anyway, so might as well just relax and focus on the music!
Best of luck!
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Author: TJTG
Date: 2013-12-06 17:44
Eat a banana or 4 the day you audition. This can help calm nerves. But nothing beats good preparation.
Don't play a single thing up to temp that day when you warm up for the audition. Do everything slowly with intent and preferably with a metronome.
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Author: DavidBlumberg
Date: 2013-12-06 20:41
Just 1 or 2 bananas - any more won't work well with your stomach 
But they can/do really help!!
Other thing is tonight to visualize you playing, and RELAXING, relaxing while playing.
Everyone will walk out of the audition wondering what just happened - that's normal.
He who plays least worst will win!
http://www.SkypeClarinetLessons.com
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