The key to my successful auditions

[@JariSatta]

" Every master was once a disaster. " - H. Eker

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

+Jari Satta SO TRUE

[@mashmore1023]

wow, you make it sound so easy

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

Only because these are the auditions I didn't care about. The ones I failed were miserable!

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

Also, to be clear, getting to the point of not caring wasn't an easy road. I didn't have the perspective on my past auditions that I do now. I didn't realize that all my successful auditions involved me not caring very much about the outcome and being okay with all my current strengths _and_ weaknesses until my Ensign Symphony audition. So that's really why I'm sharing this video with you guys--I don't want you guys to take as long as I did to realize this. :)

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

Heyo! I'll be out and about today, but please leave your comments here, and I'll try to get back to you guys as soon as I can! I hope that sharing my experience can help you guys out :)

[@leniyabrown9199]

JustAnotherFlutist what is your pio box

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

+Leniya Brown Aw, I actually closed my PO Box a few years ago because I was only getting junk mail (ads and stuff). If there's more interest, I'll reopen one again! 😊

[@leniyabrown9199]

Ok

[@zanderjein]

I know that this is a very old video, but now I’m in TYO (Thai Youth Orchestra). Thx to you with only two years of experience, I’m now in one of the best Youth Orchestras in the world. They went to win at Spain last year. It’s gonna be tough. I’m a 12 year old, but the the rest of the section (7 in total including me) are wayyy older than me.(16-20 yrs old)

[@DarkforcesII]

This is kind of similar to my sitution. I knew I wanted to pursue music but I didn't know where lol. Didn't have a repertoire prepared and realized that most students had started preparing way before I did. My mom found the perfect program though so I actually got in. Didn't really care by the end of the process which probably helped a lot. Moral of the story, don't stress because you're your own worse critic.

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

+DarkforcesII Yup!!! It's amazing how much we can achieve when we don't care so much about being perfect 😆

[@amy_louise5375]

I have to agree! I auditioned for 2 music colleges and didn't get in, because I cared too much. when it came for me to audition for university, I didn't care about the place of my audition and I got in with an unconditional offer!

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

+Amy_Louise Oh man!! Crazy, right? And I'm probably super late, but congrats!!

[@haleyanderson2258]

I have district band auditions coming up and most people started to prepare before me so I'll try to take your advice :)

[@autumnmclaughlin4471]

I had a local competition a few months back where basically the 4 highschools in the area compete against eachother in math,english,science,history, and music and each school goes through a series of testing and competition to determine their student to represent them in each category. Long story short I became the music competitor for my highschool. We all had to take tests against our competitors and then a few weeks later would be the real competition where we all perform in front of the judges and an audience. Ive been playing my piece for months, my band director is my accompanist and Ive performed this piece 3 times prior to this. In this competition you also will get a cash prize, the amount depending on what place you get. So going into this I was trying to just be chill I mean heck even if I got 4th I would still get a prize so it doesnt really matter how well I perform I just want to do my best and be happy with my playing. And thats exactly what I did and that is my only performance experience where I wasnt nervous whatsoever I just made music. Before I went on my accompanist told me that I need to get out of my critical practice mindset and just go on stage and enjoy myself. So yeah thats my experience with "not caring" (:

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

+Autumn McLaughlin That's super awesome (and what a cool program!)! It's crazy how much not caring helps us loosen up! 😊

[@RVJSTUDIO2]

You are a pleasure to perform with! 😉.

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

+Rose Johnson ROOOOOSEEEEEEE 😍😍😍💞💞💞

[@Krisstofers]

Jo! You brought up a very good point. The more relaxed someone is, the less they're going to be nervous, the better they will perform. Think about typing tests... When you think about it, you start to over think the key strokes, that you start making more mistakes to make in a specific outlined time frame. My mom went to go with a friend to try out for a "Broadway" play. Just to give the friend some moral support. So, she went along and they didn't just call her friend up to do a bit part, they called my mother up on stage too. My mom had done acting way back in her college years. But, like you, she didn't care about what she was doing, because she wasn't even interested in being placed. Long story short, the friend didn't get the part that she was hoping for. Instead, they were looking for my mom to play Bloody Mary in South Pacific. She started to weigh her options after getting a part offered to her (that she didn't want a part in at all) The cost of travel and costume fitting, was more that she cared to put out. So, to back your theory... Yes, the more relaxed you are the better you will perform!!!

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

Oh my gosh!!! Hahahaha, what an amazing experience!!! It's so true, we often end up overthinking our every move, including the ones that are already second nature to us!

[@sunn7045]

I needed this, got an audition in a week or so :/

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

Yooooooo, you got this! :D

[@yudisanchez8517]

I actually took this advice and made wind ensemble 2nd chair and I start in symphonic 5th chair a year ago, I- thank you😌

[@ThomasMulliganFlute]

So true, Joanna!

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

+Thomas Mulligan 😝

[@kylejonathan8247]

Joanna I feel you, I used to be in IB.

[@quinnno.5914]

Thanks for the helpful video! I'm actually prepping for an audition tomorrow for a pit orchestra. I've had the same experience with caring less! At district solo and ensemble, I was so nervous that I almost got a 2 (I was one B away, my tone was awful, I rushed) but at States, I was just proud that I had made it that far, and I didn't really care what I got. I ended up getting a 1!

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

+Quinn No. I knew it wasn't just me and my close friends! Took a while for us to open up to each other about what really goes down in our minds when it comes to auditions. We all discovered that our best auditions were the ones we cared the least about! 😆 So I just wanted to put my real experiences out there for everyone here, just in case it really was true for more people than just me and my friends!

[@lisasavagewellness]

Me again! can you make a video about recording a flute with microphones? Best room setup? Making a KZbin cover?

[@ttm894]

What do you call a musical stomach? an ORGAN- stra

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

YASSSS XD XD XD Also, your profile pic is on point!!

[@ttm894]

JustAnotherFlutist Thanks! but unfortunately I plan on changing it :P

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

Awww! :P

[@ttm894]

JustAnotherFlutist Also, i auditioned for my high school and made 2nd band! Thats like, almost impossible for freshman!

[@ttm894]

JustAnotherFlutist And i did another solo, and got Outstanding Soloist!!

[@Krisstofers]

No this is soooo true on so many levels.... think of a typing test. The more relaxed you are, the faster you'll type. If your trying to purposefully beat the timer, the slower you'll type. My mom went to an audition with a friend, as a peer support, for a touring musical company that played on Broadway. Anyway, the person she went with was so nervous, She joked around with my mom and ask if she wouldn't mind playing a part B person. I don't remember the exact song. But I recall she said it was for South Pacific... my mom has a very deep voice, she's often mistaken for a male, when she orders at a drive thru.... anyway... she was all, sure, why not. At least it'll help my friend to stay calm... needless to say, they wanted my mom to join. In the end, my mom chose to turn them down, because she wasn't wanting to do it in the first place. But that was when she also figured out that you are more likely to get a part, when you aren't overly trying to impress the judges.

[@DarkKing5952]

Thank you!

[@anhhuydo7147]

Your videos give me a whole new perspective of thinking in the music world! It's so awesome that you are giving us this insight! Thank you, Joanna! I love your videos. :)

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

+Anhhuy Do I'm so glad I can give a new perspective! Most of all, I just want to share my real experiences so I can help as many people as I can 😊

[@jessicadayla]

I guess that's the opposite end of "anxiety is a killer" xD In some ways I'm glad I play entirely for myself now, no more pressure and I can just get lost in the moment within what I'm playing. Still pretty bad, still self conscious, but my theory course putting a little pressure on me has helped me overcome some of that.

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

+JDDBeyondTheSky Yup, hahaha! And you know what, give yourself some credit for overcoming some of your self-consciousness! 😉 You deserve it!!

[@michaelar2188]

I'm the same way! I have to end up making myself not care to not die of nerves

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

+Star Kids Are Super Friends I kind of relate it to how people say that love and hate are neighbours, but the real opposite of love is _indifference_. The opposite of being anxious is not to "just relax" because being anxious means you care about the thing you're anxious about! So the opposite of being anxious is simply not caring 😆

[@raniabouzekraoui5816]

Wow, good timing. haha. I have an audition next week sunday. I told my dad I was actually planning to maybe not do it as the open day was so overwhelming and honestly I felt EXTREEMLY not good enough but he told me to think about it. It's just that everyone was perfect and my age. I feel like I should be as good as them. Their sight reading is perfect and they perform in amazing venues.

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

Oh man, I get you, I really get you. I had so many of these experiences that one day, I just said to myself, "F--- it. This is how I play _now_. I'll get better as I continue practicing, but right _now_, this is how I am. And it's okay. I'll go in there and play how I am _now_ and not try to pretend I'm better than I am. Then I'll learn from whatever I _do_ mess up during the audition and get better from _there_." I guess that's what I really mean by "desensitize" yourself from auditions/juries/the like. You got this. :) Go in there and show them what you've got--strengths, weakness, and all

[@raniabouzekraoui5816]

JustAnotherFlutist Thank you. I'll do my best. Thank you so much for the advice. You're the best! Love your videos. 😊

[@kiaraeijo]

My first successful audition was when I was in eighth grade, I was placed in 6th chair out of 9 flutes but during the year I kept moving because the other flutists did not practice. Then, my senior year of High school I had two successful auditions: One was for the Honor Band Festival at the University of Miami and the other was for the honor band at Miami Dade College ( That year I was part of premiering two band pieces: One was by Frank Ticheli and the other was by Brian Balmages( Who was the guest conductor for MDC Honor Band). Then, my last successful audition was my audition for New World School of the Arts ( Which is where I finished my undergrad) and to tell you the truth, I didn't think that I was gonna get in but then about a week after my audition the Dean of Music at the time ( who was a pretty well-known pianist) called me personally to tell me that I had been accepted and I was offered a scholarship.😃❤️

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

Oh my gosh, that's so great!! It's funny how we have a vastly different perspective of our playing abilities than our panelists do! ;)

[@kiaraeijo]

JustAnotherFlutist I know it's crazy! In my career, I've noticed that the people that I thought would like me/ want to work with me ended up not liking me ( My college band director was one of those people) and the people that I didn't expect to like me/want to work with me actually liked me ( my piano teacher was one of those people along with my orchestra director) 😃❤️🎼🎹

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

+Kiara Eijo Gah!! So true!!!

[@jocelynmarshall5032]

I needed to hear this

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

And I hope it helps you!! You got this

[@christopherwilliams2092]

Life still goes on, yay!!!🏃

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

It really does! :D

[@Ilheo1]

this means a lot! thank you very much for this video

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

You're absolutely welcome!! ^_^

[@justanotherpiccplayer3511]

Lel I cry through auditions, it's great fun 👍

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

LOL! But you know what? Don't hide any part of you, especially during auditions. Be yourself--strengths, weaknesses, and all! Only you can be you! And if it means crying through the audition, so be it!! XD

[@justanotherpiccplayer3511]

+JustAnotherFlutist piccolo normally calms me down I like playing picc in auditions! But my flute teacher is helping me with anxiety so it's getting better :D bring on next septembers auditions!!

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

+aOIFe scully YOU GET IN THERE AND SHOW THEM WHAT YOU'RE MADE OF!! 🔥🔥🔥

[@justanotherpiccplayer3511]

+JustAnotherFlutist THANK YOU

[@lisasavagewellness]

I'm joining a band! I don't have to audition, but when I play something new for the first time in front of strangers, my eyes get itchy and start watering! so it looks like I'm crying when really I just need to rub my eyes. it's kinda embarrassing, it sometimes happens in the middle of songs that I know really well, and I can usually get through the song but I end up with tears running down my face.... has that ever happened to you or someone you know??

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

+Coach Lisa Oh man! I haven't heard of that, but I'm really sure someone out there shares your experience. (if you're reading this and this happens to you, let us know!). For me, my fingers get unbelievably sweaty and slippery, hahaha! I've also watched my poor friend play a whole masterclass with his nose leaking! 😛

[@BeutifulBeholder]

😲😲😲 Joanna! You're from the bay area?!?!?! Goodness gracious, I am from Vacaville/Fairfield 😂😂😂 hugs!

[@cytas1976]

Nice timing! I have my ARCT RCM exam in a few days, any extra last minute tips for exams? I tend to get extremely nervous as long as people are watching...😥

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

There comes a point when you realize it doesn't actually matter whether people are watching or not. You realize that you, in all your strengths and weaknesses, are all you've got, so put it _all_ out there! They're going to see your weaknesses anyway, regardless of how you approach the situation, but if you're only thinking about what you're _not_ good at, you won't at all be thinking about what you _are_ good at during the actual exam! That's what I mean by "there isn't that extra layer of self-doubt". :) You got this!

[@cytas1976]

JustAnotherFlutist Haha you're absolutely right I tend to get negative with my playing. Thank you so much! Also I absolutely LOVE your videos and a lot of them actually apply to non flute players too. I sort of got all of my music friends to watch you as well and they love it. Keep it up!

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

That is super awesome!!! I love hearing that our little KZbin family is expanding outside of the fluties!! :D

[@NoodleyBits]

I take the same approach to exams. I never study the day before an exam and I pass. When I have crammed at the last minute, I've failed. :) My band doesn't do auditions, we're here for fun, we know we're not professional in the slightest (we just got a clarinet player who has only been playing clarinet for 3 years). I haven't had to do an audition since high school. I did a lot of "chair auditions" (we called them challenges) during my Junior and Senior year. I was 2nd chair symphonic band both years. I was bullied in high school because I wasn't rich and didn't wear the latest fad clothes, so while the other girls were flaunting and primping in front of the football team, I was practicing. I won every chair audition/challenge for two years. I moved to first chair the last half of my senior year when the girl who was first chair moved to another district (and the director declared no more seat challenges for first chair unless they could also play piccolo....I kept my chair and no more challenge auditions).

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

Man, hearing your experience about the challenges made me feel so good, haha! Hard work really pays off, and I love that that is what triumphed over the bullying!!!

[@NoodleyBits]

I had a rough childhood. Not a terrible one, but it wasn't easy. When I was in third or fourth grade and first saw a piccolo I fell in love and said "That will be my instrument". When time came to join band I told them I wanted piccolo and was told (of course) that I had to learn flute first so I said "Ok, give me a flute" we had to give a second choice, so I said "piccolo" lol. They said "here, try a clarinet" and I did bad on purpose so I could get my first choice :D 39 years later I have two flutes and two piccolos and playing both in my band (not so much piccolo since there are just two flutists, I use piccolo mainly for patriotic music and recently for a Sousa medley for the Stars and Strips Forever section---life goal, play piccolo part for Stars and Stripes lol) . But....playing music was the bright spot in everything, even now--no matter how stressful and hectic life gets, I have Tuesday night band rehearsal to get away from it all...like a booster shot to get through the week LOL

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

+FarfalleAlfredo Oh gosh, reading that just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. You rock!!

[@alexkodak8524]

hey jo, would you consider doing a review of cheap below 100 dollar flute review. I really dont want to pay a lot and i just want to play for fun. Try reviewing the Mendini Closed Hole C Flute its about 40 bucks

[@liz2128]

Hey! love your videos! just wondering, what are some good audition pieces for flute? I'm having a hard time finding any good tunes ^_^

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

The Mozart Concertos (G and D) are CLASSIC for auditions! You'll typically be asked for contrasting pieces too, so a slow movement from one piece and a fast movement from another would work well :)

[@liz2128]

Thanks! I appreciate it :D

[@vaporlav]

I just had an audition last Sunday and I think it went pretty well. I'm trying not to think about it though since I have to wait a really long time before I get the results.

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

+Sam Andy Oh man, I feel you on this one. I usually took the time between the audition and the results to just congratulate myself on the fact that I did the audition and didn't chicken out. 😉 The results will be what they will be. If you didn't end up doing as well as you thought, well, you're still alive and you have some cool new stuff to think about and learn! If you did end up doing well, then wahoo!! You're awesome either way! 😊

[@maysault5754]

hey! I also play the flute and I live in BC, for a while I have been wanting to go to UBC so I can get a teaching degree in music. Can you make a video about your experience there?

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

It's a great school!! I know SO MANY people who got excellent music education degrees there! :D

[@maysault5754]

Yay! I hope I can get in! :)

[@trippy2239]

Hey can you do a piccolo LefreQue video, I've been looking into it but I'm not sure if I want to get one yet. If you could that would be fantastic! :)

[@jprheinfrank9760]

When she said that the girl looked at her in a mean way I imagined little Joana getting bullied and it made me so sad😂😂😭

[@ccr.4767]

Have you done a video on your own finaces as a musician? Do you struggle in that department as a musician or...?

[@ACastillo2020]

I have never cared for any audition in my life except for the one youth symphony in my area.

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

THAT IS AWESOME!! That means you've got some great perspective on your music life! :)

[@tubstnk]

I’m having my first ever all-district honor band audition next month on bass clarinet. I’m terrified :\ I only need to memorize five scales that I’ve already memorized. Any tips?

[@ArjunSharma-wi3jp]

Miss i am sorry to disturb u again ...i just wanted to ask ...i have a full set of indian bamboo high quality flutes ....i am going to buy a metal flute of yamha ...pleas can u help me with the scale

[@candyc3314]

I have had the same experiences sort of when it comes to auditions. Even the ones that I really want to do good in. I find that I'm super competitive and wanna beat other people, but I know my nerves can really screw me up if I let them so I learned to just go into auditions carefree with a good attitude and that was when I was most successful. If you don't care as much it helps calm your nerves, and for most people being nervous is what gets them.

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

"Carefree" is probably a better word for it than the way I put it XD But yes! Nerves usually stem from caring too much about beating other people, being perfect, etc. ^_^

[@candyc3314]

Or also having to meet high expectations. Either way, I think overcoming your nerves or learning to embrace them is the key. Usually I try to get nervous-excited rather than nervous-scared. ^_^

[@leniyabrown9199]

how long did it take you to learn the flute

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

+Leniya Brown Still learning... You never stop learning. 😊

[@leniyabrown9199]

ok I'm going into middle school and am going to play the flute

[@symphoniia9882]

I'm starting the alto flute soon, any tips?

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

Everything is bigger! Bigger embouchure, wider air stream, more air in general! :D

[@symphoniia9882]

JustAnotherFlutist thanks...now I have to become mentally prepared :/

[@jaxw2628]

If only I watched this before my jazz band audition... ;-;

[@oreomerlin7487]

I'm in IB right now, basically dying. The learner profile is the cause of everything that is wrong in my life. I'm from Quebec so not only we have extra work in French but more work in English (Enriched). SMH. Luckilly, next year, I'm switching schools to a school where there is no IB and where there is an awesome music program!!

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

Oh nooo! Yeah, I completely understand, it was CRAZY! I certainly felt like university was _easier_ compared to the workload in IB! D: I'm glad you'll be getting into an awesome music program!

[@oreomerlin7487]

Thanks!

[@Emperatriz_Valentina]

Lucky for me, I'm really good at not caring. I"m the type of person that is like, whatever happens happens and I can't change the past, so get over it, an I do. There is a Japanese word I love and it;s Shouganai. It's kinda like, oh well, it's how it works so deal with it or whatever happened happened so get over it. I use that word when necessary and it always helps

[@MrMark28]

Eww I B Girl, I get you ... I hated those classes. For me, they did no benefit for me. So it was second year of college.::. I had to audition on trumpet to be upper devision on my instrument... long story short I arrived an hour late to my audition... You could feel the professors were.... not happy.... I arrived and forgot my jury forms ... so I still had to fill those out... didn't make things better... So then it was time to play... I played cold, no warm up or nothing... I got in there and just thought ... " oh, I don't care anymore... I know I'm lot going to pass for being late..." next thing you know... I made it... I played the Haydn Trumpet concerto Mvmnt I II OH MAN....was that a day I don't want to repeat....

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

+MrMak2121 HAHAHAHA, oh gosh!!! I have a few similar memories too (professors were grimacing, shifting uncomfortably in their seats while I pretty much violently crashed and burned on a super technical passage that was assigned to everyone, among other cringe-tastic auditions...). We're still alive after all that so eh! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Plus we learned from our mistakes. So we good 😆

[@MrMark28]

JustAnotherFlutist yeah, very true. Surprisingly I ended up making it. It was kinda funny... complete turn around of the professors after my audition... to this day I still winder if it was that good... That reminds me of my first jury... I was so nervous the best thing they could tell me was "well, you kept up with the piano..." Uyyy 😂😂

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

+MrMak2121 oh gosh, I was QUAKING at my first ever festival!! It was the first time I ever played with a pianist 😆 The judge said that I was rushing way too much, but the look on his face was more of pity than judgement 😂

[@MrMark28]

JustAnotherFlutist oh man !! Yep... I know that feel... then it makes it worse when they expected you to actually play it pretty good.... and you just crash and burn.... uyyyy🤕🙃

[@liam3779]

Do you get paid for being 3rd Flute in the Ensign Symphony?

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

+Junoichi Masuda Nope! But I get to meet other local musicians and perform at the Benaroya Hall, and we only meet for 4 rehearsals before the concert, so I think it's a good trade 😊 To be fair, I have never intended to participate in a paid orchestra. I wanted to teach privately and make videos for my living and then join a local orchestra for fun, so this arrangement is a dream come true for me!

[@andrewwjs]

I have an audition in 16 hours...

[@Sophia-ht9ng]

I'm in an IB school but I'm in middle school 😆

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

+Sophia Are ya gonna try? It's not _all_ bad. I learned time management and anxiety management skills that ended up helping me so much in university. Doesn't hurt that churning out essays became a breeze by the time I got into my music history and English courses! 😊

[@zengier9191]

Lesson of the story. If you dont care about the results the results will surprise you. You get in. Ahahha.

[@OlgaLight13]

Yeah, IB really is not fun.....

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

Yup D:

[@Eunhon93]

Lol, seems like the advice is go in with a f*** it attitude and you'll win in life :D hehe :P

[@JustAnotherFlutist]

+Eunhon93 Yup! Just didn't want to use such strong language in this video because I know I have some young and/or sensitive viewers 😉

[@tmdsb2655]

Eunhon93 well...it depends on who you're competing against...come to my area unless you've been playing since you're 5 you're not gonna make it into All Southern Honor Band