Audition Wrap-Up

I am now back in (not-so) beautiful Little Rock, AR...I think it was 80+ everyday I was gone. Now it is supposed to be cold and rainy all week. So far, the weather guys have been right...it cold and rainy right now. The drive was uneventful as always...was great to catch up with some people and nice of them to help me pass the time!

The audition went pretty well...as usual I got there waaaaay too early. They auditioners were at lunch, but the whole thing was "self-serve" anyways...no check in or anything. So I warmed up/practiced for and hour and a half or so...I was the only cellist there, and one of three string players that I saw. There were three tubas though, and a whole bunch of woodwinds. That made the warm up room a little bit on the loud side. But I just sat in the corner with my Dr. Beat and freaked out about playing Mendelssohn Scherzo. That excerpt is just beyond me...there have been times when I've nailed it...but I can count them on one hand. Not the kind of odds you want going into an audition.

They started me off with Bach...I played the "old standard" as Heather calls it...Prelude to the 2nd Suite...I have been playing this piece since my first round of college auditions so I'm pretty comfortable and confident with it now ;-) They hear almost the whole thing, then we moved onto Dvorak Concert...they just hear the first page...I've also been playing this one for years and years (along with every other cellist on the planet).

Excerpts went well...Beethoven 5 was in tune and tempo appropriate (and steady)...I hit all the shifts in Heldenleben and didn't rush...Mozart 35 was clean and I didn't rush (thank you Dr. Beat for the help practicing) and La Mer was in tune! And they didn't ask for Mendelssohn Scherzo...2nd audition in a row that I have lucked out with that one. I truly believe that if they had asked for it in Arkansas, I would not be living here right now.

So now I have to sit and wait and wait and wait...they will let us know no later than April 15th...which is a little over a month away. Gah...I hate waiting. Any second I could get a letter or a call or an email from either New World or Norfolk...and I don't like the suspense!