Hi everyone, my sister may be hooking me up with an audition with the grand rapids youth symphony, does anyone know of a good audition piece that will just blow people away? ( i'm 13 and play bass clarinet ) I want the judges to say "Wow, a young teen can play that!" I'm not afraid to work and i'm open to all suggestions.
Just in case you want to check out the Grand Rapids Symphony (not youth) heres the site address ......
The best thing to do is call the director and ask him/her directly what they want to hear you play. I havent' heard of too many youth orchestras asking for orchestral excerpts, but they usually want to hear something with several contrasting styles. For example, play something fast and techincal, and something slow and lyrical. Some groups will have you sightread, too. I can't say though, because I don't live there. Be sure you can play all 12 major scales, with special emphasis on the ones with "sharps" because they are very, very common in orchestral music (not like your band). They may want you to transpose, or read a bassoon part. Just ask what exactly the audition requirements are.
Thanks, i don't really know much about it yet, i think i'll just have to play one piece (connections are awesome!)ill let you know if i get told. This whole thign may not even happen, but you know , i can't give my hopes up. ^_^
playing bass clarinet in a symphony orchestra... is interesting. a lot of the time, there won't be a part, particularly with older peices from before bass clarinet was in common use. then there's the awesome stuff like the nutcracker suite and pines of rome. i've been in orchestra for the first time this year, and so far i've played bass clarinet parts in three songs(one of which there wasn't actually a part for, sleigh ride, but as it was exactly the smae as our band version, same key and everything, i just played that part) doubled second clarinet in three songs, sat out two or three, and now i'm transposing an english horn part. it's pretty crazy.
for most auditions i've done, they provide etudes or excerpts for auditionees to play, you may want to see if they have one they want you to play.
anyway, good luck! have fun! and enjoy all teh evil sharps!
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