The Confident Musicianing Podcast
Want to get better at your music auditions? You CAN transform the way you audition and The Confident Musicianing Podcast guides you through it.
I’m Eleanor, and together we dive into concrete strategies for the before, during, and after of your audition process so that you can be better prepared and crush that performance! If you’re a music student ready to revolutionize your auditioning, let’s jump in. Tune in every Tuesday for another insight-filled episode; see you there!
The Confident Musicianing Podcast
Wanna do youth orchestra? Listen to this
I had so much fun in youth orchestra, and I can't wait to share some things to remember when you start in youth orchestra!
This episode is available as a blog post. Click here to read!
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Hello and welcome to the Confident Musicianing Podcast. My name is Eleanor and I am a British American oboist studying at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland literally my dream school and it took me a long way to get there. I applied and auditioned for 12 schools in three different countries. It was a lot of hard work but, oh my gosh, so worth it. I want you to have the confidence to work hard in achieving your goals, so come with me as we go on this journey together. So sit down, pull up a chair, take a seat or, if you're on the go, welcome to the Confident Musicianing Podcast if you are auditioning for youth orchestra or maybe just thinking about doing it. Honestly, it is such a fun experience.
Speaker 1:I was in a youth orchestra, um, when I was in high school and not only was it just fun, but it was also extremely informative to how I have grown as a musician because literally at a high school age I was getting like orchestral experience and we played so many fun pieces. We played Shostakovich's fifth symphony, we played Mahler's first symphony, we played um Der Rose in Cavalier suites like, honestly, like such amazing pieces, and I was able to have that experience at, honestly, such a young age, which I'm so, so, so grateful for. Now, if you are thinking about doing youth orchestra or maybe you've gotten into one, or maybe you're auditioning for it, maybe you're thinking about it in the future here are some things to remember when you are thinking about doing youth orchestra. Now, this is kind of focused a little bit on habits to do or things to do when you actually get there, so like your first rehearsal or maybe just your second or third, but kind of the things to do when you get there and what to expect and kind of how to make a good impression, because that is really, really important. I think it can be easy to think, especially when we're at high school level, like, oh, things are fun, but honestly, I mean it is obviously fun, but it's not just fun. Do you know what I mean? It is so informative and so helpful and through my youth orchestra experience, I have made like professional connections with like world class musicians. Like, honestly, it's really good, it's like it's it's a really amazing experience and in order to get the best out of it, we have to kind of give it our best and make a good impression. So that is what this episode is about.
Speaker 1:We have three things to remember when you start youth orchestra or maybe, if you're already doing it, how to continue as well. The first thing is to come prepared. Now, this might seem a bit obvious or simple, um, but honestly, like, just make sure you have any, everything. There is nothing as embarrassing as like forgetting a pencil and we all do it. But grab a pencil, have your music. Or maybe, if you're getting your music there, like make sure that you know how you're getting your music, or you know how you have your music. You know how you're getting your music or you know how you have your music. It's also interesting if you already know what you're playing, and this is kind of more of like a first rehearsal impression.
Speaker 1:If you already know what you're going to be playing, try and like, and maybe you don't have the music yet, maybe you're going to get the music when you get there. Try and already have the music like printed somewhere else. You can like go on imslp or maybe ask the youth orchestra to send you like copies of it. Um, maybe they might not be able to, but it is honestly worth the ask to be able to do this. Um, and it's just kind of a way to, once you're already there, you already know the part. Like, honestly, calm, prepare, not just with the things that you bring, but also with your mindset and kind of how you um know the music. You know, kind of already know the music. That's kind of how that works and that might seem obvious, but I feel, especially in youth orchestra, it can be so easy to just kind of roll up, you know and be like, hey, but you, it is so important to already understand what you're going to be playing, how your thing, how your part fits in um to the rest of the orchestra, so that you can be as prepared as possible. So listen to the pieces beforehand, make sure you're familiar with the repertoire that you're going to be playing, come ready to focus and work and to have a good time. Like honestly, it is really a great way to to do that and to to like create connections. It's really good.
Speaker 1:The next thing is to say hello to the conductor and the other adults there, make a good first impression. This is a really interesting one because I think for me as a student at a conservatoire now, honestly making connections with people professionally is really important and to literally just go up and say hi is such an important thing to do, like for me. Like this doesn't have to do with youth orchestra, but it kind of does. But since I've been in youth orchestra, you know, I'm currently in a conservatoire and there's a lot of lectures that I go to, that there are like guest lectures, and I always make a point of, after the lecture, going up introducing myself and saying just like what I thought of it, you know, maybe something that I found particularly interesting, just to really like make that difference and honestly, they, it does make a difference because they, they remember you then, and it's just good to make connections like that, I think as well. Um, I recently made a really good connection. I was in a, in a festival um, and there was this person that um I wanted to network with and so I introduced myself and it turned into a really amazing opportunity that I was able to do professionally. It was like so good. I'm really grateful for that.
Speaker 1:But I think it is important to say hello and I honestly, like I make it a thing to say hello, but to this day, I am often like needing to hype myself up before actually saying hello because I'm like, oh my gosh, you know I'm nervous. You know what if I say something wrong, or what if you know it doesn't go well, or all of these things. And I think the more I do it, the more I realize that you know it is. It is like it's fine, just go say hello, introduce yourself. If you, you know, say something a bit silly or something that you didn't mean to, or maybe you, like I don't know, slipped up your words or something like it doesn't matter, like it, it is important to just go and make connections.
Speaker 1:So, um, especially for youth orchestra on the first day, the conductor and the other adults are getting to know everyone there, um, and honestly it must seem a bit overwhelming to them, like, if we think about their perspective, like there's honestly like 80 people, or however big the youth orchestra might be, like there's a lot of people to get to know, and if you kind of go up and introduce yourself, it can make such a really good impression. Really, be respectful and kind, you know, be respectful to their position, especially if they are, you know, senior to you. It is important to be respectful, but just introduce yourself and say how happy you are to be there. This can make a really big difference, because then your face is recognizable more in a sea of faces that they are getting to know. So go and say hello and then the last thing is know when to focus and when to relax. This is a big one. This is honestly a big one because I think, especially as teenagers and I'm not a teenager anymore, which is crazy, I'm like that's crazy but especially as teenagers I was a teenager when I was in youth orchestra but as teenagers I think it can be really easy to kind of struggle to know the difference between professionalism and also just like being there because you enjoy being there.
Speaker 1:I think, especially teenagers who are in the music world and the classical music world, I think we are taught to kind of grow up quite fast because that's where your career starts. You're making professional connections. I mean I was making professional connections at like 16, you know that is quite the young age to be starting kind of your networking for your career. And so I think as a teenager you know when you are a teenager it can be kind of difficult because you know you're in youth orchestra with a bunch of your friends but you also want to make a good impression and show that you are focused and diligent and disciplined, um, when it turned when you know, in terms of actually performing and being professional. And so I think it is quite interesting, um, to see that difference.
Speaker 1:When I did my three years in youth orchestra, you could kind of sometimes tell the newcomers from how they acted. It was interesting At the beginning of the years when I was in the youth orchestra, like I just like there would be new faces and it would be so exciting. And I mean, some of them were really professional and really focused and then other ones just kind of showed up and like chit-chatted and maybe they knew some other people there and so they just like kind of were distracted and it did show and it was kind of like, um, this person is maybe not as focused as as this other person, um, and it does, it did kind of show. So it is something that that to be, you know, it's something to be aware of, um, especially if you want to make a good first impression in youth orchestra. Yeah, especially if you're coming from a school band experience, because the school band experience can be a very different experience than youth orchestra, because school bands I feel like there is a lot of a lot more leeway for kind of kids being kids. And then I think for youth orchestra there is a lot more professionalism and I think you know it's important to kind of focus on that and kind of maybe make sure that you are quite professional. Yeah, yeah, so, but the I mean the thing is, it's interesting because in that situation, you know people are learning, you know they.
Speaker 1:I think at the beginning for me, like I did try to be professional, but you know there were some times where I did kind of kind of fudge the line a bit and and and was a bit kind of confused as to how professional I needed to be in a specific moment and maybe how, how chill I could be. Um, but I think it's it. It is, oh, definitely a learning curve. So don't stress too much, don't be like, oh my gosh, you know I'm not gonna be professional enough and then people won't like me. It's not gonna be like that, it's gonna be fine. But it is important to kind of be aware of that.
Speaker 1:Youth orchestra, at least in my experience, is kind of a precursor or like a like, a kind of like a beginning part of your professional career, and it is a way of making good connections. So in my experience it's about being focused way more than a high school ensemble so kind of something that I lived by was the idea of when the rehearsal is happening, stay focused and attentive, and then when there's a break, I found myself, you know, more chilled to talk to people and to to kind of be a little more chill, and it is important to know that difference. I think, at least in my orchestra when it, when it was time for rehearsal, you know you didn't chit chat or you didn't kind of faff about a bit like you were quite focused with that. But then, you know, before and after rehearsal and during the break, you know, kids can be kids and and it can just be a bit more laid back. But that is also important to note as well.
Speaker 1:I think youth orchestra can be really, really fun and there are a lot of exciting pieces that are played in youth orchestra and I think, especially when we are preparing for youth orchestra, one of the things that is so important is understanding how much time we are allocating to each piece that we are practicing for youth orchestra, and something that I have found really helpful in my practice is planning. My practice and the tool that I use for that is a notable practice journal. This journal has been really helpful for me in my planning of my practice and in my practice to make sure that I have a more effective and focused session. I think when I don't plan my practice, a lot of the times it can be really not focused and kind of aimless, honestly, and then after you know my sessions, I'm like, what did I actually do? But with a notable practice journal I am able to not only plan my practice but also check off the things that I have done, which really gives me a sense of gratification yeah, kind of a sense of productivity that's the word. And then also there's a part in the notebook that you can reflect on your session and your week of practice sessions, and that has been really helpful for me as well to make sure that I kind of am able to grow in every single session. So as soon as I found out that I'm you know that this was helping, I knew that I needed to tell you about it and I knew that I needed to give you a code. So use code Eleanor15 for 15% off your journal. That is E-L-E-A-N-O-R 15 for 15% off your journal. I will link the link in the description to get your journal, but make sure to use the code so you get 15% off. You know me, I do not recommend anything that I don't absolutely love. This code is an affiliate code and so I do receive a commission from it with no extra cost to you.
Speaker 1:All right, let's do a bit of a recap. So the first thing is coming prepared to the rehearsals, not only physically in terms of like having a pencil and having your music, but also mentally, you know, having no like kind of already knowing the part and knowing the repertoire and having listened to the music, you know, kind of being able to already play it a little bit. That is that is really helpful as well. The next thing is kind of connection, saying hello to the conductor and the other adults that are making a good first impression. This is a really important thing to kind of distinguish yourself out of a sea of faces and also just to make connections. I mean, when you know the conductor and you know the adults there, that's really good to be able to do that and to have those connections, because then they're looking out for you, you know, and it's just a more supportive environment when you know the people around you, you know, and it's just a more supportive environment when you know the people around you.
Speaker 1:And then the last thing is know when to focus and when to relax. This can be really tricky, especially if you're a teenager in youth orchestra, because I feel like the professionalism hits hard early At least it did for me. So for me I kind of focus on the idea of during rehearsal, I am focused. Focus on the idea of during rehearsal, I am focused, I am, you know, really kind of it's. I'm all there and I'm really focused and I'm not chit-chatting or I'm not distracted or anything. But then when it's time for the break, or before and after rehearsal, I can, you know, talk to my neighbor a bit more or, you know, be less kind of focused because we're not rehearsing. So those are kind of the top three things that I have found helpful when I was in youth orchestra and I hope that they were helpful to you.
Speaker 1:So that is about it for this episode. Thank you so much for hanging out with me. If you did enjoy this episode, please do show the love, like, subscribe, comment, share, share with all your musician friends, especially if you know someone going into orchestra or youth orchestra. Yeah, and thank you so much for hanging out with me. As always, the links to do with the episode will be in the show notes from the blog post that goes with this episode to the link to get your notable practice journal. Make sure to use the code Eleanor15 for 15% off your order. And yeah, I will see you in the next episode. All right, take care. Bye.
