For two years, I have taken a break from viola auditions. I was starting to get worn out, not to mention running out of money from travelling all over! I have just started reading these forums, and am now concerned about suffering burn out again. It seems no one is hiring, although there are openings everywhere. Does anyone have any advice as to how to handle the constant audition process better? Thanks to those who respond!

These boards are most emphatically not the place to get an overall sense of the audition circuit, Nora, so don't worry that the whole orchestra world has come down with a plague of refusing to hire anyone. Like most message boards, this one tends to get weighed down with complaints about specific orchestras and auditions, some of which are legit and some of which aren't. There are plenty of people winning jobs out there. (By an off the top of my head count, my orchestra's hired nearly ten, including a violist, in the last two years alone.) Don't let the vitriol that sometimes issues forth on this site deter you if you have reason to believe you're good enough to compete in this business...

Hey NoraG,

I don't think anything is really different now, from when you were taking auditions. Perhaps more people are taking notice of the audition process now, which is why you read more about them.

Yes, people complain here. It would be kind of boring if they didn't. At least I want to know what kinds of experiences people have had at their auditions. I don't always base my decision to take an audition based on what I've read here, but it does help to know what you're getting into.

Don't let it deter you. If you have the money and the time and it's somewhere you want to live, then by all means...go ahead. I've made a lot of my decisions based on my own past experiences. So maybe it'll take you a few auditions to realize where you really want to audition...

violas

Hi NoraG, I've been in the same position as you because I've taken a bunch of auditions. I've taken on & off breaks from time to time (currently in a break right now). I was getting worn out too, mostly financially. Although I have been involved in a couple auditions where they didn't hire anyone (& even advanced in those), the majority of the auditions I've taken did result in winners that, for the most part, are still playing in these groups. Even the ones that didn't have winners, the experience was really good for me, & it did help my preparation for other auditions. It also helped get things on my resume that I didn't have before that I needed, which also helped me get invited to auditions I probably wouldn't have been invited to if I hadn't taken the other ones. Sometimes ignorance about the audition process is bliss though because you're not worried about who's there or who's advanced/invited to finals or who's been playing with them or whatever. Most of the "gossip" I've heard about some orchestras I've auditioned for wasn't even on here or other online sources, but just simple word of mouth (someone that knows someone, someone that "heard" from someone, etc), & I just had to ignore it for the most part because in the end, it just doesn't really help you. As far as how to handle the process better, just focus on YOU & nothing else. Even if you try comparing yourself to other players that are currently playing in good groups, it doesn't matter. Nothing matters but how YOU play!

About my own personal burnout story--I definitely burnt out after a while of auditioning, and had to take a break. I'll tell you some rules that I set for myself that so far have kept me gunning strong.

1. Only one audition at a time, unless they are very similar lists, and at least one is driveable (ie extremely cheap).

2. Only auditions that I want very much to win, and am happy to move far away for

3. I have to pay my credit card balance every month no matter what it takes. (First I had to get out of debt by taking on an extra part-time job)

4. I have to be super-prepared, I mean lots of taping sessions, running down the block before I play each excerpt, waking up at 4 am to run some excerpts, to make sure I can do them in my sleep, at least one mock audition, sleeping eight hours a night, counting ounces of water I drink, I mean the works. If I am as prepared as I possibly can be, both technically and physically, there's no way I'll be spinning my wheels, because before I even step on the plane, I've already climbed half a mile up the ladder from last time.

4. I took June off from excerpts altogether (this isn't a rule, I just thought it'd be a good idea)

5. I have GOT to have a positive attitude. I have to because it's a rule I set for myself. Every time I realize that I'm thinking negatively about my playing or about the upcoming audition, I just flip-flop asap. I am very strict about this rule.

6. I pack two days early , because for some reason, packing stresses me out majorly, and wastes a lot of energy and I think some long-term stamina as well. I guess it's just a culmination of anxiety. But overall, in the weeks before an audition I make a tremendous effort to stay calm, even if I keep bumping my head and the kitchen cabinets won't stay shut, and everything else that seems to happen right before an audition. I just say, "it's ok that the tuna fish fell out all over the floor, I have enough time to pick it up calmly." etc. In general, I keep saying to myself, I am calm.

7. the biggest one of all--if I advance, I am thrilled. If I don't, I don't let it define me, or define my playing, or let it define my next audition. (In the short-term, yes, I let myself grieve a little, but in the long-term, I do whatever it takes to see the experience as a positive thrust forward (into the next project.)

I wholeheartedly recommend Don Greene's books, they were a tremendous part of my 'burn-out-recovery'...and now they are so much more.

Another tip:
Arrive early and don't take last flight of the day. Direct flights are also highly preferred.
My daughter had a connection in Atlanta which was the last flight of the day and it was cancelled. The only flight she could get was first class on Deltanearly 4 hours later and she didn't have enough money on her credit card to pay for it. I paid for the ticket but she was a mess. She got into the hotel after 2 in the morning and had to get up at 7 for a 9 AM audition. Needless to say it didn't go very well. I also think she wasn't as prepared as she could have been which didn't help.

I'm new here. What are Don Green's books about?
Thanks.

Don Greene's books are about audition preparation. He is a psychologist who has worked with athletes and musicians to improve their performance. Audition preparation involves a lot of focus and mental preparation. He helps you do that. You can get his books at Amazon and also he has a web site.

Excellent tips here... I would add that it is worth seeking out a local professional if you are struggling with any aspect of the audition process. I found a licensed counselor who is also a performing musician. In only three sessions he helped me tremendously by pinpointing some negative habits that were sabotaging my efforts.

Wow - I agree with so much of this - and its wonderful to see a positive thread!

rlfute has it right - its all about you, no one else!

I also agree that professional help is great too (if you can afford it). If $ is an issue - find a musician who is possitive to speak with about music and performing and even play for that person - regardless of their instrument - after all the committ will not be just violist.

Good Luck
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