Can you give me any advice you have for an all-county orchestra audition?

Question:I'm playing solo. My private violin teacher said that I'd pass and my pieces are fine but I need to work on my intonation on my scales. So yeah. I'm nervous. The only advice I received so far is to eat a banana 30 minutes beforehand. Anything else I should know?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I'm playing solo. My private violin teacher said that I'd pass and my pieces are fine but I need to work on my intonation on my scales. So yeah. I'm nervous. The only advice I received so far is to eat a banana 30 minutes beforehand. Anything else I should know?

Nutrition is definitely important. And, it is OK to feel nervous. Just take lots of deep breaths before going in.

Try to be as prepared as possible, but don't overpractice. I always practice a lot in the weeks leading up to an audition, but then stop completely for about 24 - 30 hours prior. I recommend this, because it's possible to have your best performance during your practice session, if you are practicing non-stop right before you go in.

The night before, make sure you have everything together you'll need. Your music, a music stand, your instrument and bow (of course), shoulder rest, rosin, dust cloth, and a tuner (if you have one). If you have extra strings, those are helpful too. You'll never know when a string will break. And, it's nice to have all of this stuff together and ready, so you aren't rushing around right when you need to be leaving.

If it would help your intunation (and if your teacher doesn't mind), you can use clear scotch tape to mark the correct location of the notes on your fingerboard, like the strips of colored tape you probably had when you were first learning. This way, you can feel more confident of your intunation, without it being visible to the judges.

When you're warming up, try to play something that you feel extremely confident with and that you really enjoy playing, even if it's not what you're playing for your audition. It helps to have a confident and positive attitude when going in.

Remember that the judges are just people, and that they're rooting for you to succeed.

Finally, when you're done auditioning, treat yourself to something special. After every audition I've ever had, even as an adult, I've always treated myself to ice cream.

Good luck!

Do your best, and you will have nothing to be ashamed about. If your violin teacher said that, it will happen. Just let it happen. Nerves are O.K.--anyone who says they aren't nervous either doesn't care or is lying. Just stay within yourself and play your best. That's all you gotta do. ;)

When you're inside the audition room, and they say you're ready to go.. Take a breathe, take a few seconds. Set the tempo of the piece or exercise, think of the style, kind of "replay it" in your head. Take a few deep breaths, they won't mind if you take another 10 seconds before you start.

This has helped me IMMENSELY since I started doing it.