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Thread: An audition story from long ago...

  1. #1

    An audition story from long ago...

    Way back in 1962, when I was a high school oboist, my band director gathered up a few of us and took us to the auditions for the Southern California Honor Band. I had practiced the excerpts and prepared a movement from a Vivaldi oboe concerto, and was pretty sure I was ready. So, it finally got be be my turn to play for the panel. I introduced myself and said what band I was from, and a friendly looking man asked me to play a two octave major scale, slurred up and alternating two and two down. "What key?" I asked. He said, "Whatever you prefer." So, I very nicely played my two octave scale in C.

    What happened next was quite shocking: "Now play a two octave scale, just as before, but a half-step down." Whoops. Db major is a horror on the oboe, especially on a student instrument that lacks the nifty automatic features designed just for that horrid scale. Fortunately, I had recently added the scale to my practice list, but had hardly perfected it. I gulped, but managed to do it at about half the speed of the C major scale, but without any serious issues, although the slurred version is impossible without the automatic alternate keys.

    I played the excerpts they asked for and about half of the Vivaldi and heard, "That's enough. Thank you."

    As it turned out, I did manage to get the third oboe seat that year, which also came with the loan of an English horn, which I had never played, but was expected to play in the concerts. Woo-hoo! I loved it.

    That was an oboe audition, but the lesson I took from it applies to any instrument, I'm sure. If you are asked to choose your own key for a scale, choose the most difficult one you have down pat. Do not make the mistake of playing the easiest and most familiar scale. Your cruel audition panelist may ask you to do what mine did and give you the most difficult scale possible to play.
    Last edited by Garcky; 12-26-2014 at 09:39 AM.

  2. #2
    Good story. In my position (retired geezer) I'm not likely to be playing auditions any time soon, but scales in all keys are part of my regular warmup routine
    David Bjornstad

    1923 Conn New Wonder 86I, Bach 6 1/2 AL
    2018 Wessex EP100 Dolce, Denis Wick 4ABL
    2013 Jinbao JBEP-1111L, Denis Wick 4AM
    2015 Jinbao JBBR-1240, Denis Wick clone mouthpiece of unknown designation
    Cullman (AL) Community Band (Euph Section Leader)
    Brass Band of Huntsville (2nd Bari)

  3. #3
    Yes. After that audition, I got really obsessive about scales. Now that I'm starting learning the Euphonium, I'm doing the same with it. In fact, that's almost all I'm doing just a week into my initial practicing, alternating with long tones and sessions with the tuner to find the center for every note.

    One other story from that Honor Band thing. At our final concert, which was being recorded, we were playing the West Side Story Suite (can't remember the arranger, but it's the most popular of those). There's a completely exposed solo entrance for the oboe in the "Maria" section. Nobody else is playing for an entire bar. As the third oboist, it was not my solo, of course, but in that final concert, I glanced over at the principle oboist shortly before that entrance. He was daydreaming and the reed was nowhere near his mouth. I watched him as I prepared to play. He still wasn't ready, so I took the solo and saved the recording from being flawed by a missed entrance.

    The conductor noticed and thanked me after the concert. I still have the old LP from that performance. Still gives me a thrill to hear myself taking the solo. The moral: Always pay attention during performances if you're sitting in a lower chair. You never know when you might save the day.

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Garcky View Post
    Yes. After that audition, I got really obsessive about scales. Now that I'm starting learning the Euphonium, I'm doing the same with it. In fact, that's almost all I'm doing just a week into my initial practicing, alternating with long tones and sessions with the tuner to find the center for every note.

    One other story from that Honor Band thing. At our final concert, which was being recorded, we were playing the West Side Story Suite (can't remember the arranger, but it's the most popular of those). There's a completely exposed solo entrance for the oboe in the "Maria" section. Nobody else is playing for an entire bar. As the third oboist, it was not my solo, of course, but in that final concert, I glanced over at the principle oboist shortly before that entrance. He was daydreaming and the reed was nowhere near his mouth. I watched him as I prepared to play. He still wasn't ready, so I took the solo and saved the recording from being flawed by a missed entrance.

    The conductor noticed and thanked me after the concert. I still have the old LP from that performance. Still gives me a thrill to hear myself taking the solo. The moral: Always pay attention during performances if you're sitting in a lower chair. You never know when you might save the day.
    Well played. Seriously

    I've played 2nd euph in 3 concerts with the Brass Band of Huntsville. I've done the same thing, watching in case the principal ran into trouble, but I've never had to step in.
    David Bjornstad

    1923 Conn New Wonder 86I, Bach 6 1/2 AL
    2018 Wessex EP100 Dolce, Denis Wick 4ABL
    2013 Jinbao JBEP-1111L, Denis Wick 4AM
    2015 Jinbao JBBR-1240, Denis Wick clone mouthpiece of unknown designation
    Cullman (AL) Community Band (Euph Section Leader)
    Brass Band of Huntsville (2nd Bari)

  5. #5
    Similar story for me. I did not really care what chair I played. Being an obosit not many chairs.
    The other oboist always wanted to play the solos.
    But during the concert the other oboist would get nervous and nudge me saying you play it. So I always made sure I had the exposed solos down since the other oboist would simply not be able to even start eh solo in concert.
    Ah well. Also adding Euphonium now.
    Cheers.

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