The First Audition

June 4, 2009 at 3:20 PM

I have not posted in a long time since I cannot call myself the "Adult Beginner" any longer. I think that title is a little like calling someone an Adult Beginning Carpenter. You are or you are not doing carpentry and the degree by which you do it is up to the person who will live in the house that you are building. So having said that I will call myself a Violin Student and will not lean on the crutch of the Adult Beginner monkier.

Having said all that as a prelude to my really big news. The audition. I wrote to the "Week End" poll / discussion about being nervous. I posted that I was going on my first ever audition for a local orchestra group. I talked about being nervous playing before one person, my friends, my teacher, other violinists. Yes, all of that but this time I visited the place and space where I was going to audition one week prior to the audition to play for an hour or so and to walk myself physically through all the little problems of finding the place, finding the right person and the right door to go into, the bathrooms, water fountains--all the little stuff that becomes a BIG problem if you have to concentrate on your performance. Bottom line: It did payoff for me.I did not feel so nervous as to impact my playing. I had a little anxiety but I was much more at ease going through my piece.

I got my letter in the mail yesterday and I was accepted.

From Bev Saunders
Posted on June 4, 2009 at 4:12 PM

Congratulations! You must be so excited. When do you start to play with your new orchestra? September?

From Stephen Brivati
Posted on June 4, 2009 at 8:22 PM

Fantastic. You`ll be ready for the Berlin Phil about the time their fire damaged ceiling is replaced.

Cheers,

Buri

From Pauline Lerner
Posted on June 4, 2009 at 9:04 PM

Congratulations! That's quite an achievement. I look forward to reading about your experiences in the orchestra.

From Anne-Marie Proulx
Posted on June 4, 2009 at 10:01 PM

Hi congratulations! I'm very happy for you and by the way, their is nothing bad with being a teen or adult starter since some succed very well. So don't listen to those who say it in a negative way! One should never be ashamed of this. You are the proof that one can go a big way passed twinkle :) !!!

Anne-Marie

From Jasmine Reese
Posted on June 5, 2009 at 1:08 AM

Congrats!!

I am so happy for you since nerves is also something that effects my playing in a very negative way.

I agree wholeheartedly with Anne-Marie. But I understand also that you now have graduated from "beginner" status and have gone on to a new level in your musical journey! You are now an "intermediate" or "advanced" adult violin student. Great job!

Jazzy

From Anne-Marie Proulx
Posted on June 5, 2009 at 11:05 AM

Hi, I didn't mean adult beginner. By adult starter, I meant someone who started as an adult and always keep progressing. In my head, an adult starter can very well be at the moment an advanced player :) In my definition, I could say Hilary Hahn is a "kid" starter meaning that she started as a kid not at all that she plays like one !!!

Anne-Marie

From Royce Faina
Posted on June 5, 2009 at 4:57 PM

Way To Go!!!!!!!!!! :^)

From Kim Vawter
Posted on June 7, 2009 at 1:57 AM

Thank you all for your kind responses.

First thing I did after reading the "Orchestra Handbook" was to find a out a flashlight, squeezed into the far reaches of my closet to find my long black knife-pleated chiffon skirt and dressy white blouse and to try it on in front of a full length mirror. I think that I look like a violinist.

I am so excited and pleased. Hopefully I will be able to continue my blog with bits of information about our program, our rehearsals and the up-coming 2 day "retreat."

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The First Audition

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