The BMus auditions are almost here, and we’ve got more sage advice from our faculty. This will be of particular interest to prospective students of voice and of wind, brass, and percussion.
Dr. Robert Taylor
From Dr. Robert Taylor, Chair of the Wind, Brass and Percussion Division:
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Prepare diligently! Your audition is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate your musical strengths.
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Read the audition requirements carefully and prepare all of the required selections. Whenever possible, listen to multiple recordings of the required pieces so that you understand the context of each passage.
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Be professional and make a good first impression. Dress appropriately. The faculty panel may ask you some informal interview questions.
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Warm-up and arrive early with your instrument tuned and ready to go. Bring your assembled instrument and sheet music. It’s not possible to leave your instrument in the practice room unattended, so please bring your cases and materials. It’s possible that you could leave some things in the hall with the audition assistant, or bring them into the audition room with you if you like.
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If sightreading is asked: scan the music silently before you begin. Choose an appropriate tempo so that you can perform at your best without stopping. Play as musically as possible, paying close attention to all expressive markings (and adding interpretive decisions of your own!).
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Take some risks, communicate your interpretive intent, and remember that auditions are an important educational experience. Everybody in the room wants you to do well. Break a leg!
From Prof. Nancy Hermiston, Chair of the Voice/Opera Program:
Prof. Nancy Hermiston
For the singers, we want you to know that we are very happy that you have decided to audition for us and we are looking forward to hearing you sing! Please don’t be nervous — we are singers too and we are a positive, friendly audience! You should sing whatever pieces that show your own individual voice at its best.
We are looking for singers who can communicate the song to the audience, no matter what language it is in, and move the audience with their performance. We are looking for students who have good potential for future development; who love performing and love being part of a program that challenges them musically, intellectually and encourages them to be socially responsible individuals who give back to their community and will become global citizens.
Our program is diverse, interesting and large enough to challenge our students but small enough so that the student will not feel lost. Students receive the individual attention required to help them be the best that they can be and to achieve their goals. We offer our students a very high standard in their performance and academic subjects and give them many opportunities for international performance experience during their undergraduate degrees!
From Dr. Terence Dawson, Associate Professor of Piano, Keyboard Division:
Prof. Terence Dawson
“What will those who listen to me look for in my audition?” This is a common concern amongst all applicants who audition for anything!
The answer could be a lengthy one. However, perhaps the best answer starts with what we are not looking for. We do not necessarily base our decisions solely on the number of right notes you play, and something you might think of as being “note perfect.”
We are looking for students who are enthusiastic! Enthusiasm that we can hear in your performances. Enthusiasm in the brief interview that follows the playing part of the audition. Each student brings their own unique set of personal qualities and performance levels to their instrument. It is often the students that demonstrate potential that excite us the most. Preparation is key to a confident audition. If you have practiced thoughtfully and carefully, you have every right to play well, and enjoy your audition. You will present a confidence that shows that you are involved and committed to the music, and to the audition process.
We want to know what excites you about the possibilities of being a student in a university music program. We offer you the chance to take your ears to places they have never been – exploring new repertoire, challenging your technique, collaborating with other musicians in both small and large ensembles; two up to two hundred musicians singing and playing together!
We look forward very much to hearing you play, and to hearing some of the story that has led you to apply for a music degree at the UBC School of Music.
From Marina Thibeault, Assistant Professor of Viola, Strings Division:
Prof. Marina Thibeault
Auditions are around the corner and you have been practicing for months. Your priority should be to recharge your energy levels so you can perform at your full potential on audition day. Most students overlook this step and will get sick a couple of days prior to the audition, or feel physically fatigued the day of, due to over practicing at the last minute. What are some concrete steps to bring your preparation to the next level?
Imagining your best performance
Now is a good time to start visualizing your dream performance in front of the String Division committee. Did you ever experience a performance where things just fell all in the right places? You felt calm yet energized, relaxed and powerful and overall played at your best. Perhaps there is a bit of concert magic for these special moments, but most likely, you set yourself up for experiencing such a great performance. In your practice breaks, turn off the light, sit down and revive these happy performance memories. Use this as a template to visualise your upcoming audition.
As most of our performances don’t exactly go according to plan (because we are human!), strive for excellence, versus perfection. If something happens, here are a few acronyms which you can use to recover:
What’s
Important
Now
Come
Back
Strong
These acronyms will help you get back into the zone and continue according to your initial plan!
Sweet dreams
Two nights prior to the event is when you should go to bed a little earlier than you normally do. It takes that much time for your body to process sleep! You can go to a normal bedtime the night before. Swap screen time for any Don Greene’s book on Sports Psychology applied to musicians. You can practice meditation by simply bringing awareness to each inhale and exhale, and use body scanning techniques to mentally relax every part of your body, from the toes and up. Sweet dreams guaranteed!
Mood check
In the week leading up to the audition, you might feel under more pressure than usual. You might feel more sensitive to criticism, experience ups and downs, and even take yourself a bit too seriously. My biggest wish for you at this stage is that you do everything that you can so you are in a good mood! Watch inspirational movies (I recommend Jiro Dreams of Sushi), or TV shows who make you laugh (always “The Office” for me personally). Get some light exercises to release endorphins and to get your blood flow moving. I practice yoga, and walk or bike to work. I would recommend any physical activity that your body is used to. Now is not the time to start CrossFit if this is not already part of your routine. Starting the day with a walk outside is an amazing tool to uplift your mood while getting some fresh air and exercise.
It’s all about character
My last tip for you is to write on a post-it note three keywords for each work (and movements) that you are playing at your audition.
Here are the three questions you will need to answer:
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What is the character (e.g festive)
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What kind of sound do you need to achieve this character? (e.g resonant)
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How do you make that sound? (e.g bow contact + speed)
Leading to the audition, you should do a few mock auditions in front of friends and family, and practice taking the time before each piece or movement to read these keywords. This will make your music making clear and convincing.
You are now genuinely and wholeheartedly ready! We are very much looking forward to hearing you soon and potentially working together next year!
As always, please direct any questions to Katherine Evans, Admissions Manager, at katherine.evans@ubc.ca.
Updated from Feb. 27th, 2019
