Tips for the Artists in Limbo: Entry Five
Navigating the Application Season
It’s officially the end of the summer! Which also means…..it’s unofficially Audition Season.
Oddly, no matter how old you get, that adrenaline feeling like you have a lot to decide (and fairly quickly) never quite goes away.
Whether you are applying for college programs, competitions, or training orchestras, the majority of major artist applications do occur in the fall and in person requirements take place in the spring.
You should enter this season with a strategy in place to safe yourself a lot of scrambling and confusion later on and a more enjoyable process.
This entry is all about tips to help ensure that your strategy can present you with opportunity!
Most younger artists don’t realize that this is actually a super important part of the process; and in my opinion - is the most important part of deciding which applications you will move forward with. Don’t ignore this step, because at the end of day, if you can’t pay for the application at the time of submission then you have completed all of this work for nothing.
Application fees are notoriously EXPENSIVE. And depending on how prepared you are for that fact, you may have to shorten your wish list at the moment.
Definitely make sure you are paying attention to application fees as well as any fees related to utilizing rehearsal spaces and fees to pay your accompanist!
Once you have finalized how much you are looking to spend, you are able to prioritize which applications you want to submit this year based on your budget.
Now that you have your finalized list of applications - the next step should be marking ALL relevant deadlines in your personal calendar.
If you are applying for schools, it is pretty typical that the application process is broken down into a few stages. Each stage has a different deadline, plus, there are some perks to applying prior to an “early bird” date - such as a discount on the fee!
Ensure that you set digital reminders for these deadlines. I personally enjoy using a digital calendar in general for this reason, that way I can have a number of reminders pinging me throughout the process and stay on track.
Lastly, schedule your rehearsals in the space that you would like to record your materials in. I think it’s best to have at least one “dress rehearsal” in that exact space so that you become familiar with the acoustics and are not caught off guard the day you need to record. If you need to use accompaniment for the final product, get those rehearsals on the calendar as well.
Now, it’s time to make a list of all required materials for all applications. Typically there are a number of small excerpts or sections required that you do not want to forget about, so writing this down in a personal list is most productive.
Additionally, note where there is some cross-over. Lean into the instances where there is a commonality across all applications, like a piece that is required for all. These instances are especially convenient for you to save time in your preparation!
Next, organize your list in order of priority. What I mean by this is, not everything is going to need the same amount of dedicated practice. For example, in the flute industry, the Mozart Flute Concertos are asked 99% of the time in auditions. If you are actively auditioning, then you might not need to woodshed the Mozart as much as you may need to on an orchestral excerpt that is not commonly asked, or entire piece that you’ve never played before. This is where having a strategy really comes in handy. Don’t begin your work on the materials without some sort of plan in regards to what currently needs your most attention.
This next step is very important, as now you have to make sure that your communication is on point. When you are involving other artists in your applications, it’s key that they have all information as early as possible.
Ensure that they have been contacted in an appropriate amount of time prior to the deadline. If you are having trouble thinking of someone who would be a good fit, don’t be afraid to ask your colleagues for recommendations.
Once you have secured an accompanist, send them the materials right away! They are busy as well and might also be in preparation for their own applications, so having your materials earlier will establish great communication from the beginning.
Lastly, schedule your rehearsal and dress rehearsal dates with them EARLY, as well.
(As you’ve probably caught on by now, being early is the name of the game.)
Now that you have locked in your list of applications, secured an accompanist, and logged every important date on your calendar, you next must have an honest conversation with yourself - commit to the process!
Yes, planning is very important, but if you don’t mentally commit to this process then you may still be compromising how successful your applications turn out to be in the end.
This can be a very intense time of year, so along the way, make sure that you are also taking care of yourself. Don’t deprive yourself of rest or a little bit of fun periodically in order to get through it. But also make the promise to yourself that this is something that you want to achieve and, like any goal you set, commit to seeing it through!
~Bianca
