Auditions?

[Megalomania]

For Area Band next year? Basically it's students from 38 north NJ high schools. It's super competitive. I'm definitely trying out for County Band, which is the lowest level of advanced bands. Area comes after that, then regional then state band.

 

My band director and my clarinet teacher both think I should, but I just don't know. . .

 

I feel pretty confident that I could make it if it was a different sort of evaluation, but I always get super nervous and shaky and stuff when I audition. D:

 

I NEED OPINIONS NAO PLZ :bigcry:

 

:lips:

[66]

You will never know if you don't try. The worst case scenario? You don't make it, but at least you'll never regret not trying! Go for it!

[taameen**sparks**]

You should try out! Both of your teachers think you're good so why not give it a shot?

[hotdensestate]

Worst that can happen is you humiliate yourself a bit in front of the judges and get a polite rejection. Eh, that isn't very bad. Do it.

[the_gloaming09]

^I agree. Go for it!

[NumbersGirl]

You will never know if you don't try. The worst case scenario? You don't make it, but at least you'll never regret not trying! Go for it!

THIS.

 

Maybe you can tape yourself at home of what you would do at your audition so you can let us see it. :awesome:

[Megalomania]

You will never know if you don't try. The worst case scenario? You don't make it, but at least you'll never regret not trying! Go for it!

 

That's true. . . I mean a lot of people don't make it, so it wouldn't be like I'd be the only one if I didn't get in. :thinking:

 

You should try out! Both of your teachers think you're good so why not give it a shot?

 

I know I'm just so bad with my nerves. :freak: And my band director understands that so when I go for chair auditions, he actually tells me to breath. :lol:

 

Worst that can happen is you humiliate yourself a bit in front of the judges and get a polite rejection. Eh, that isn't very bad. Do it.

 

Well, the kind of scary/odd thing about this audition is that the judges are sitting with their backs to the auditioning person, so you don't see any reactions. :uhoh:

 

^I agree. Go for it!

 

:freak:

 

THIS.

 

Maybe you can tape yourself at home of what you would do at your audition so you can let us see it. :awesome:

 

I usually do that (do a few run-throughs of audition piece and record them, then listen to what I need to fix). I'm too shy to let you hear it though. :P :shy:

[djibou]

doooo it

[Christa42]

you must! you'll kick yourself in the arse if you don't

[Megalomania]

doooo it

 

:wacky:

 

you must! you'll kick yourself in the arse if you don't

 

Well while half of me agrees with you, the other half of me says that I still have 3 more years (I'm a freshman). . . :\

[djibou]

yeah well you can try those three years too! dooooo it, the worse that happens is that you don't win it and it's not so bad anyway. You have nothing to lose, really, and all to win.It'll also be experience that you gain.

[Christa42]

for me the best way to gain confidence and knowledge is through experience, so lets say you dont make it this year, you have to keep trying and when you go to try again you will have learned a lot from trying out the first time, but Im sure you will make it!

[hotdensestate]

You have three more years to also be in it. Why are you waiting now?? You could be dead then. Not to be overly pessimistic but you really could be. If you want to do it you should always do what you love (bar preventing circumstances, which you don't appear to have besides your nerves).

 

Also, performers need to deal with nerves anyway. :hug: Sad, but it's true.

[taameen**sparks**]

:lol: Then breath!!

[Christa42]

off topic - am i the only one watching American Idol? guilty pleasure

[Megalomania]

yeah well you can try those three years too! dooooo it, the worse that happens is that you don't win it and it's not so bad anyway. You have nothing to lose, really, and all to win.It'll also be experience that you gain.

 

True. :wacko:

 

for me the best way to gain confidence and knowledge is through experience, so lets say you dont make it this year, you have to keep trying and when you go to try again you will have learned a lot from trying out the first time, but Im sure you will make it!

 

Good point. . . at least then I'd know what it would be like.

 

I'm kind of thinking that I'll try out for County Band this year, so I'm used to auditioning with judges, then after that Area Band (with marching band and quiz bowl I really don't have time to do both :\)

 

You have three more years to also be in it. Why are you waiting now?? You could be dead then. Not to be overly pessimistic but you really could be. If you want to do it you should always do what you love (bar preventing circumstances, which you don't appear to have besides your nerves).

 

Also, performers need to deal with nerves anyway. :hug: Sad, but it's true.

 

Another good point. That's why I don't want to wait until I'm a senior to try out for something.

 

And tbh, I'm rarely nervous for concerts. For an audition in front of one person, that I know my grade is based on and everyone can see the results of later, I get quite a bit more nervous. :P

 

:lol: Then breath!!

 

Breathing's always helpful. :P :lol:

 

off topic - am i the only one watching American Idol? guilty pleasure

 

Yes, I hate that show. :P

[Megalomania]

Well Christa, I'm eating my words right now. :P

Apparently my mom's coworker's daughter is in the finals, so now we're watching it. :|

[Christa42]

holy crap really? listen i stopped watching years ago but jlo is an awesome judge, steven is hysterical, the group this year was good but jesus, this tom jones stuff is a little much

 

edit oh and U2 is supposed to be on

[Megalomania]

holy crap really? listen i stopped watching years ago but jlo is an awesome judge, steven is hysterical, the group this year was good but jesus, this tom jones stuff is a little much

 

edit oh and U2 is supposed to be on

 

Really, I love Tom Jones. :wacky:

 

Oooh, then maybe I'll keep watching. :awesome:

[Christa42]

he is awesome , my mom used to play his records, just the group of boys sing along was pretty lame as was the girls trying to sing next to the Queen B, nobody does it like the original

[Lore]

do it!!

[Technicolor Sparks]

Go for it! There is nothing to lose; the worst that could happen is that you don't get accepted.

 

Good luck!

[Violet]

Wow. The band stuff in New Jersey is vastly different than what we do here in Texas. But then again, Texas is a helluva bigger state, so things are bound to be different just for that reason alone.

 

How it works here is that you have All-Region band tryouts, where the states is divided into regions, and you tryout that way. You have a certain amount of people in each section who make it, and out fo those people, a certain portion qualify for Area. What this means is that these people get a chance to try out for the All-State band, which is how they gather all the best players of the state for each school qualification (1A, 2A, 3A, 4A, and 5A), which is based on the size of the schools. I made high on All-Region tryouts and made Area every year, but I never did make All-State because I was in the 4A/5A division, and I was competing with people from the Dallas and Houston area who I had no chance of beating because their school was so much more prepared than mine. I didn't make it, but I did it, anyway. Why? It gives you experience as a performer, and you can learn a lot from it.

 

As far as your nervousness goes, that happens to everyone. I've played instruments in front of people for half my life now, and I still get nervous. I've learned to handle it much better, though. You have to find something that works for you that helps you calm down. For me, I stretch before I perform. It helps me release the tension and pent-up energy in my body that I get when I'm nervous. Some say it's a psychological thing, but it works for me, so it doesn't really matter how it works. Eating bananas helps, too, as they have potassium, which helps calm nerves. (I've never actually tried this, but I've had many people tell me this very thing, so I'm assuming it's true.) Some people take beta blockers, but I really wouldn't suggest that.

 

Anyway, I think you should do it. Your teachers seem to have faith in you, and even if you don't do so well, it shows you what you need to improve on, and it can help you become a much better clarinet player as a result. You're a young player, too, and you have a few more years ahead of you, so it can't hurt.

 

I hope this helps. Whatever you decide to do, I wish you the best of luck. :hug:

[Electric.Candy]

you'll not gonna lose anything (well except your dignity) if you try. so FUCKING DO IT.

[hotdensestate]

If you don't try out after literally everyone in this thread has said you should you're a terrible person, btw. :P