The Audition: experience, advice, stories, etc...
Posted: Sun Jun 24, 2012 3:29 pm
This is a topic that I'm not sure gets discussed enough. Perhaps because not everyone hanging HOD is actively seeking auditions, or maybe because auditioning is a lost concept in itself...
When I was a kid and went through high school, I was always in a tiny pond- Tecumseh, Michigan, about 45 minutes away from Ann Arbor. Any of the original bands I played in never really auditioned me- perhaps because it was the primitive form of such things in such a tiny string of towns. They knew how I played and what I liked to play, and when you're that young and all your friends are into the exact same thing it's not hard to relate. My mother was a costumer in a theater nearby and eventually my entire family was involved in various combination of acting, teching, designing or playing in the orchestra pits. From the acting side of things, there was always that traditional and slightly professional routine of the "audition". A table would be set up maybe five rows from the stage- you go fill out your paperwork, attach your theater resume and your head shot, get called up, sing your sixteen bars, do the dance portion and then maybe you get called back for the next round, sing or read something specific and serve whatever the warranted criteria was for that show.
The first professional gig I got was playing a production of Little Shop of Horrors for the high school one town over. I was 15. A family friend and musical director in the area came by and hired me for a show he was MD'ing for, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. For the next three years until I left town I stopped all the other stuff and was getting paid to do these two/three week productions and from then on I got the gigs only from word of mouth. Though I was still in high school and had a part time job, playing the pits was my first professional experience that paid and let to other things in a natural sort of way. That first show WAS my audition.
My first cattle call was when I first started at LAMA. The Police reunion tour was approaching and there was some contest to be the drummer in a regional Police cover band. Miles Copeland was one of the guys at the table and a bunch of my friends from LAMA were also auditioning so naturally... I choked. A while later I started "auditioning" for local bands and would eventually get fired because I wasn't 21 yet. Once I figured that out I kept my focus to school.
Since coming to Austin I've had several more auditions, not cattle call, not professional per say, but... auditions for a band or to play for an artist. Some have gone great and worked out really well, and others a total disaster. One thing that I will say though, is despite the rarity, the best gigs both in terms of money and things musically have been the gigs I've gotten simply through word of mouth and networking. Those gigs I never really had to "audition" for- the expectations were set before I showed up for the rehearsal and it worked. I have a hard time now auditioning for singer songwriters in town now because it's become the same general sort of thing- and maybe this is typical for small cities/circuits but here are some of the things I've experienced frequently, learned, or noticed: (again, some of this could only be due the town/scene I'm currently in- I hope none of this sounds bitter):
-Listen to the music sent to you as much as possible. Chart it out. Play like the record. Know the forms and do your best to understand the song(s). Figure that this would be a great no-brainier and a perfect move to...
-Never expect the line up or band to be like the record. Nine times of of ten that I go to audition for a local singer/songwriter type they're either trying to replace someone in a band or put together a new band- and you will be playing with only the guitarist/singer. This is annoying because you've got no bass there, and the singer/guitarist will play the songs the exact same way (electric, usually), without a bass player and leaving you really only to maintain the time and the feel. At this point it's hard to focus on anything other than the feel and the groove itself. This frustrates me to much degree- if I was to be auditioning, why wasn't I sent the acoustic version of the tunes?
-Never assume that you're auditioning with someone "better" than you. I think many people have said that playing with players that are "above" you makes you a better player- I agree with this. Some guys have no formal study and have no interest in music other than their songs- there are (seemingly) few that understand that switching between sticks and brushes is a musical and dynamic choice based on the song and what it requires, not to make the drummer play "quieter".
-You'll always be asked, "what were you able to listen to?" or "what do you want to start with?". It's rare that that the guy running the show will say definitely "Let's start with this" and then count you in.
-Your formal back round will hurt you and be a benefit to you. People are able to tell when one is well schooled or practiced- sometimes that turns guys off.
-Be polite, be thankful, be honest in regards to your ambitions and goals (with tact), and be glad you were even asked to show up and play.
-Never forget that there was always someone before you and will be someone after you for whatever reason. Sometimes you don't get the gig for just your playing. Sometimes you get fired for reasons that have nothing to do with your playing. Keep your chin up and your head level.
Anyway, I think this is a topic that doesn't get spoken about enough round these parts. Perhaps for various social reasons or because not everyone does audition for stuff, or maybe the practice of the "audition" is dying with the amount of record sales/current state of the arts in popular culture. I'd love to what hear everybody else has to say on the matter, their experience, horror stories, or advice. This could be something really thought provoking and educational for us all...
Cheers.
When I was a kid and went through high school, I was always in a tiny pond- Tecumseh, Michigan, about 45 minutes away from Ann Arbor. Any of the original bands I played in never really auditioned me- perhaps because it was the primitive form of such things in such a tiny string of towns. They knew how I played and what I liked to play, and when you're that young and all your friends are into the exact same thing it's not hard to relate. My mother was a costumer in a theater nearby and eventually my entire family was involved in various combination of acting, teching, designing or playing in the orchestra pits. From the acting side of things, there was always that traditional and slightly professional routine of the "audition". A table would be set up maybe five rows from the stage- you go fill out your paperwork, attach your theater resume and your head shot, get called up, sing your sixteen bars, do the dance portion and then maybe you get called back for the next round, sing or read something specific and serve whatever the warranted criteria was for that show.
The first professional gig I got was playing a production of Little Shop of Horrors for the high school one town over. I was 15. A family friend and musical director in the area came by and hired me for a show he was MD'ing for, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. For the next three years until I left town I stopped all the other stuff and was getting paid to do these two/three week productions and from then on I got the gigs only from word of mouth. Though I was still in high school and had a part time job, playing the pits was my first professional experience that paid and let to other things in a natural sort of way. That first show WAS my audition.
My first cattle call was when I first started at LAMA. The Police reunion tour was approaching and there was some contest to be the drummer in a regional Police cover band. Miles Copeland was one of the guys at the table and a bunch of my friends from LAMA were also auditioning so naturally... I choked. A while later I started "auditioning" for local bands and would eventually get fired because I wasn't 21 yet. Once I figured that out I kept my focus to school.
Since coming to Austin I've had several more auditions, not cattle call, not professional per say, but... auditions for a band or to play for an artist. Some have gone great and worked out really well, and others a total disaster. One thing that I will say though, is despite the rarity, the best gigs both in terms of money and things musically have been the gigs I've gotten simply through word of mouth and networking. Those gigs I never really had to "audition" for- the expectations were set before I showed up for the rehearsal and it worked. I have a hard time now auditioning for singer songwriters in town now because it's become the same general sort of thing- and maybe this is typical for small cities/circuits but here are some of the things I've experienced frequently, learned, or noticed: (again, some of this could only be due the town/scene I'm currently in- I hope none of this sounds bitter):
-Listen to the music sent to you as much as possible. Chart it out. Play like the record. Know the forms and do your best to understand the song(s). Figure that this would be a great no-brainier and a perfect move to...
-Never expect the line up or band to be like the record. Nine times of of ten that I go to audition for a local singer/songwriter type they're either trying to replace someone in a band or put together a new band- and you will be playing with only the guitarist/singer. This is annoying because you've got no bass there, and the singer/guitarist will play the songs the exact same way (electric, usually), without a bass player and leaving you really only to maintain the time and the feel. At this point it's hard to focus on anything other than the feel and the groove itself. This frustrates me to much degree- if I was to be auditioning, why wasn't I sent the acoustic version of the tunes?
-Never assume that you're auditioning with someone "better" than you. I think many people have said that playing with players that are "above" you makes you a better player- I agree with this. Some guys have no formal study and have no interest in music other than their songs- there are (seemingly) few that understand that switching between sticks and brushes is a musical and dynamic choice based on the song and what it requires, not to make the drummer play "quieter".
-You'll always be asked, "what were you able to listen to?" or "what do you want to start with?". It's rare that that the guy running the show will say definitely "Let's start with this" and then count you in.
-Your formal back round will hurt you and be a benefit to you. People are able to tell when one is well schooled or practiced- sometimes that turns guys off.
-Be polite, be thankful, be honest in regards to your ambitions and goals (with tact), and be glad you were even asked to show up and play.
-Never forget that there was always someone before you and will be someone after you for whatever reason. Sometimes you don't get the gig for just your playing. Sometimes you get fired for reasons that have nothing to do with your playing. Keep your chin up and your head level.
Anyway, I think this is a topic that doesn't get spoken about enough round these parts. Perhaps for various social reasons or because not everyone does audition for stuff, or maybe the practice of the "audition" is dying with the amount of record sales/current state of the arts in popular culture. I'd love to what hear everybody else has to say on the matter, their experience, horror stories, or advice. This could be something really thought provoking and educational for us all...
Cheers.