How Venues Influence Auditions
I've got some students taking the San Diego symphony audition in a few weeks, and they're thinking a lot about the acoustics of the hall. The Balboa Theatre is medium/large in size, with fairly dry acoustics. What does this mean for my students? What would it mean for you?
If we can understand the degree of reverb, the clarity of projection etc., it will greatly affect our musical choices, such as our choices of articulation for excerpts like the Mendelssohn Scherzo or Mozart's Haffner Symphony. Short, long, melodic, horizontal...all of these things depend a lot on the hall.
Do you have any idea of the acoustical environment of your next audition or performance? It is worth some investigation. Bring a friend to give feedback on how it sounds or bring a recording device. Can you find a similar space in terms of size and acoustics for you mock auditions? This effort will prove to be very productive in many ways as you strive to have accurate dynamic range, proper articulations and interesting colors. Remember, we are like painters and the hall is our canvas. Different halls require different paint strokes.
I have heard many auditions in Walt Disney Concert Hall. It has been the “boneyard” of shipwrecks for players who succumb to the temptation of overplaying and forcing their sound. I have taken auditions in this hall and played many chamber music concerts here over the years. I would say it's a very honest hall. If you play well, you sound great. (The reverse is also true.)
But here is the challenge with a hall like Disney: when you are performing on our stage, you get very little back. Because of this, there is a tendency (subconscious or conscious) to press. This can be the kiss of death in an audition. The answer to this challenge is to play with as much resonance as you can muster. You can embrace the lower dynamics. There is almost no limit to how softly you can play and still be heard. Also, you don’t need to “muscle” the upper range of dynamics. Just let them “blossom”.
Each hall has its own idiosyncratic acoustical challenges. In a nutshell, think of your performance space like a blank canvas. There are many shapes, sizes and textures of canvases. Operate with that canvas by “painting” within the shape and the size while using the texture of the canvas to your best advantage. How do you learn the specifics of each type of canvas? Practice and experience. You won't know how the canvas responds until you've experienced it for yourself.
If you're getting ready to play for San Diego, try and get a chance to play in the hall before your audition. If that isn't possible, try and find some other dry halls in which to play so that the dry response doesn't surprise you.
If you don't have a chance to prepare for the acoustics, don't panic. During your audition, focus on the music coming from your instrument, and just enjoy your own artistry. Many an audition has been won by a candidate who never set foot in the hall before their first round.
Need a pep talk? Remember that I'm available for short chats to talk about audition preparation. Click on my schedule to find a time that works for you.