Acadiana Symphony

Each audition will begin with a short solo of your choice which demonstrates your playing ability. Solos should be a 2-3 minute selection performed without an accompanist, so be sure to play the part of the solo which puts your best foot forward. Solos may come from Suzuki books, etudes, concertos, solo repertoire, or any other source. Be sure to consult with your private music teacher or school music teacher for help selecting an appropriate solo. Practice, practice, practice! When preparing play your solo for others and get feedback. Video record yourself and listen with a critical ear. Look at your posture, body language, and technique. It's required to bring one copy of your solo for the judges. Before you begin, state the title, composer, and movement you will be performing. Play confidently and have fun! Everyone there, including the judges, want you to play well.

(Two - posted to website) After performing your solo, the audition will proceed to scales. Scales are an important component of a musician's development and preparing them teaches us intonation, dexterity, ear-training, and music theory. Practicing scales helps with sight-reading, too! You will be asked

(Posted to website) In the third phase of the audition, you will be expected to play your required excerpts assigned to your instrument. These excerpts are designed to provide the judges with a basis for adjudicating students on the same materials with the same length of preparation. Excerpts may change from year to year. Count through all rests in excerpts, unless they are cut out via brackets or X. The rests are part of the music! If possible, obtain or look up a recording of each work so you can learn the context of the excerpts. Most can be found with a quick search of YouTube or Google.

(Will be provided) The fourth, and final, part of the audition is sight reading. Many students struggle with sight reading, as it can be an intimidating task. There is one secret to learning how to sight read well. In addition, practicing scales is very useful, as you will be able to quickly identify the key of the sight reading and use muscle memory from playing scales in that key. Take 30-60 seconds to look at the sight reading excerpt before you begin to play. Determine the key of the piece and quickly scan for any accidentals. Think about the meter and choose a slower tempo for improved accuracy rather than one that is too fast. If you make a mistake, keep going!