So I have the Iowa All-State Auditions this weekend and I'm starting to get nervous! Overall this has been/will be a very busy and stressful week with lots of homework and probably the hardest week of the semester in anatomy, and was gone all last weekend for college visits and just been insanely busy..

And my flute still isn't perfect. I took it in for maintenance 2 weeks ago got it back last week.. a few notes don't sound right away, took it back today.. some notes are better but some are horrible (mostly middle D and Eb..) so i am NOT taking it back to her and going to call a music store tomorrow hopefully he can take a quick look at it. Otherwise my teacher said I can borrow her flute which is amazing but not sure how fast I can get used to it.. or I might be able to use my hj in my friends flute as it should fit.

This audition is also more stressful because I made All-State last year (Im a senior in HS this year) so I feel that its more pressuring to make it again. I want more than anything to get in again as that was one of the best experience I have EVER had. I know I am good enough (obviously) but it worries me that I have had almost no time to practice lately and my solo and excerpts were MUCH faster to prepare which i know if perfectly fine because they are prepared very well..

I know I am well prepared and am ready but am also having second thoughts about whether i will make it or not which I DO NOT need. Just any encouragement etc would be nice

How exiting, Arabians207! Well, I can tell you I wish I could play on your level. (Will come with time and practice, I know.)

One thing I use to say to myself that it's ok to be a little nervous before any performance, but when it's time to play - then it's time to play. Then it's too late to actually practice more or do changes, all you can do is to trust yourself and play.

If you think about it, it almost impossible to be perfectly prepared. There is always something that is not as we wish it would be. Just try really hard to get some extra practice time and hope for the best!

We will be waiting for a report.

I had a recording that I had to do for this program and my band didn't know about the recording until 2 rehearsals before it. My piccolo was at the repair place and the guy there didn't really want to fix it. Finally I got it fixed by the mechanic had broken one of my springs while he fixed another problem. Then I took it to a different place and they said it would take a week because of its condition(i had just had it fixed!!. My recording was in 2 days and I had a huge solo in it. I ended up using my teachers piccolo and it went great. When I got my own piccolo back it sounded better than when I had bought it! You just have to try different places until you find a place that does it well. Good Luck

Well, I'd say that you should practice in different locations with different people actively listening when you run through your audition etude. The more you are used to unfamiliar surroundings with unfamiliar people, the less nerves will be a factor when you perform it for real.

Wow I'm so jealous you got into All-State yet very happy for you!!!! I got a 100 but I still got alternate (booooo!!!)....ah well maybe next year.

As for nerves and playing. Don't stress too much about it, especially since you seem so well prepared. Once it's time, it's time to play. One thing I can tell you from experience. Try not to change anything last minute if you can help it! I remember I was in a theater company and at the last minute, on the day of the performance, my director moved a musical number to a different place in the play(I honestly don't know what she was thinking....). So yeah we're in the middle of the play and we get to the part where we're supposed to do the song....well we looked silly standing around waiting for the pianist to start playing. For an agonizing 5 minutes we're all making glaring looks at the pianist that pretty much say "play already dammit!!!!!" and finally we remembered we moved the song and one of my friends said the line that continued the play xD.
So yeah don't have silly mistakes like this happen on your performances by changing around things last minute.
In fact, don't even play your stuff on the day of your performances or auditions. Look it over the music if it makes you feel better but don't play it. Trust me you'll do a lot better then you expect :D.

Hi! I am a flutist who taught HS band in Iowa for 5 years. I had a great flutist who made all-state band her junior year and 1st chair orch her senior year. It was fantastic for her and me. A few tips.

Step 1, take a deep breath and remember how thrilled you were to make it last year! Just try to re-create that feeling rather than worry about the little stuff(as much as possible).

Step 2, remember this: YOU MADE ALL-STATE LAST YEAR. Because of that you know what it took. Try to get enough sleep and then TRUST that you have the skills and confidence to do it again. Don't second-guess any of your efforts, just give it your BEST SHOT.

Step 3, when it is over: take a minute to be proud that you did make it last year and were willing to put it all on the line this year, too. These are HUGE accomplishments!

Step 4, don't doubt any of your final choices, such as: What flute to play? Whether to have that last adjustment? Whether to play the C scale 2 octaves or 3? Make your best choice and leave it at that!

It will go beautifully, I am sure!

I didn't make it I didn't even get recalled..

But I think I did my best and I can't really ask for more than that. I admit that my sound wasn't quite up to where it usually is and I really kind of knew this would happen.. But last year I know i practiced A LOT more, but have just been WAY to busy with college visits, tough classes, work etc, this year so i guess thats my excuse :P And there were TONS of people that made it last year and not this year.. a few like me that didn't even get recalled so I know I am not alone

I am also just INCREDIBLY happy I got the experience once. My best friend and another very good flutist from my school (all three of us are seniors) both got recalled today (first time for them being recalled) but neither made it in, and never will.. I can't even imagine the disappointment of not making it in at all.. I KNOW I am good enough as I have made it before. I've gotten that AMAZING experience once and am so happy about that. Sure I would have loved to do it again but once is better than not at all I also learned last year that All-State is not as big of deal as the band directors sometimes make it out to be.. all year they are making remarks about having so many All-Staters etc etc but its not that big of deal.. its really just another honor band :P

My band director (and another person who recognized me and knows my private teacher.. but honestly i didn't know him at all) said I had an amazing attitude about the entire day and helping my friends with their recalls (i don't know how I helped them? I guess just because i did not go in the corner and sulk like many people did, lol and I did try real hard to be supportive of my friends) and both my band director and the other person made me feel a lot better. And i am very proud of myself for not have cried at all yet so far, lol.

So thats the update.. unfortunately :P Trying to have a good attitude about it though Its not the end of the world whatsoever and I am just SO glad I have made it in before. Its pretty satisfying knowing you are good enough. So I didn't have the best day ever, but thats okay

Oh, so sorry you didn't make it! I'm sure you'll miss it a little. However, it IS a good thing you focused on college arrangenements since they definitly are important for your future.

So what are your next goals for flute playing then? Do you have anything nice to look forward to? Somethinng fun that makes you run to the practise room?

I do agree that you have a great attitude, all kudoz to you for that!

I'm hoping to start looking for solos for solo ensemble soon I am not sure I want to keep the two songs I have (Burton Sonatina and Boshulav Martinu Sonata)

I do need to start getting stuff ready for college auditions so my teacher might suggest I keep working on one of those so I could play them at auditions.

Thanks, now you made me look up two new composers. Especially Martinu seems very interesting. I have a Polish background so I kind of got curious since he's Czech. But I have no idea about their music exept for the little I heard when googling around. The Burton sonatina seems difficult, but I should listen more later.

(I apologize for asking such a stupid question, but what is solo ensemble music? If I was to guess maybe ensemble music that features a solist, but if so I had no idea there actually is a specific category of such music.)

Sorry that you didn't make it, but look at it this way: It's VERY good experience! I know some professional musicians who audition for positions knowing full well that they have very little chance, but they do it for more audition experience. Think of it as practicing auditions.

I meant music for the spring solo and small ensemble contest we have every year. You play solos and/or in small groups (duets, quartets etc) and are given a division rating with 1 being the highest. I just shorten it to solo ensemble, or just contest.

Thanks. Of course!