Practical Advice For College Auditions

Get Organized

Step One.

Let’s get organized so we can see all of the pertinent information in one concise location. 

My suggestion is to make a spreadsheet (I love Google Sheets because I can easily edit from any device, no matter where I’m from). Some suggestions for information to compile may include, but are not limited to:

• Name of Institution

• Location of Institution (City, State, Country)

• Degrees of Interest

• Application Opens / Closes

• Secondary Application Requirements (application deadlines for the university sometimes differ from the music college deadlines)

• Pre-Screening Requirements

• Live Audition Dates

• Audition Repertoire

• Professors/Instructors

• Distinguishable Programs/Courses/Student Organizations

• Off-Campus Perks

• Nearby Performance/Gig Opportunities

Here’s an example of what this may look like:

(NOTE: these dates are random and may not be accurate)

Step Two.

Be intentional with your repertoire selections. Your audition repertoire can make or break your audition! While first thought may lead you to want to attempt the most-difficult or most-flashy piece or excerpt, it may not be the wisest decision to make. 

Things I encourage students to ponder include:

• What is your current playing/experience level? Be honest with yourself, and maybe ask your private instructor or mentors for suggestions on pieces within your grasp.

• How practical are these pieces? Do you have the technique yet? Is it an attainable amount of technique that you can build in the time you have before your audition?

• How much time do you have to prepare? Are you in other extra-curricular activities that limit your practice time? Do you usually have a ton of homework? Be practical, and be honest with this part — you don’t want to get in a pickle with a piece that is too difficult to put together in time.

• Does this piece satisfy the requirements for more than one institution? Fewer pieces to learn means you have the opportunity to learn those tunes more-fully, and more opportunity to get the “perfect take” on a few pieces instead of worrying about recording a dozen pieces in a limited amount of time.

• Will you feel comfortable-enough performing this piece even when you’re most nervous/excited/anxious? What kind of preparation will it require to feel that amount of confidence with the piece? 

Step Three.

Once you’ve determined your prospective schools and have narrowed down your repertoire selections, my next suggestion is to map it out on a calendar and develop a practice routine and materials checklist that ensures you’re ahead of the game for each deadline. Here are the steps I suggest taking:

1. start by noting when each audition/prescreening is due, then add all of the application deadlines (if different from the audition dates) — be sure to include general university application due dates

2. make a checklist of these deadlines and put them in chronological order, starting with those needing attention first — once you’ve completed an item, you’ll get to cross it off the list!

3. develop a practice routine/schedule that will pace you towards learning all of your pieces in time for each respective audition — I like to aim for “100% learned” at least two weeks prior to an audition so I can continue to polish and tweak things while feeling like I’m more “safe” from my nerves drastically affecting my audition. Finishing learning a piece too close before a deadline can lead to an unpredictable performance when nerves are factored in!

Your practice routine may look different depending on your instrument, prospective schools, and prospective major(s). Below is my example of what a prospective jazz saxophonist interested in pursuing performance may focus on during their daily practice sessions:

• tone and breathing exercises (30 minutes)

• all major/minor scales with metronome (5 minutes)

• diatonic 7th chords in all keys (10 minutes)

• improvise to the changes of There Will Never Be Another You (3x through the form — approximately 5 minutes)

• dissect which parts of the tune could be more clear/more concise/more accurate and hone in on those points (20 minutes)

• apply a specific concept to the changes of the tune and aim to implement it 100% of the time (ie: if it’s a specific ii-V lick, play it for 100% of the ii-V’s in the tune before moving on) (20 minutes)

• improvise again and aim to incorporate the topics you worked on today (approximately 10 minutes or more — let it sink in completely!)

• repeat the last 4 steps on another tune

Of course, your practice may look quite different, and you might consider how much time you feasibly have per-day to practice. This is a rough guideline I might suggest to a high schooler who is comfortable with incorporating 1.5-2 hours of practice per night into their schedule. Adjust your schedule to suit your needs and your time, and don’t be afraid to ask a mentor or teacher for their suggestions on how you should manage your practice time!

Step Four.

When you’re charting out your deadlines, don’t forget to factor in the actual pre-screen recording and extra time it might take to get files back from a mixing engineer, or how long it might take you to trim the files so they are concise as possible when you submit them.

You don’t want to get in a bind, so be sure to air on the side of caution and give yourself some buffer in case the files take longer to prepare than you were anticipating.

If you’re planning to play with a live band, it’s never too early to start thinking about who you want to accompany you. It might require budgeting extra money to compensate the band/accompanist, so be sure to plan accordingly. When you reach out to your prospective accompanist(s), be sure to mention all the pertinent details: which piece(s) they’ll need to learn, what the compensation will be, what day you are trying to record, and anything else that might help them get a better idea of the commitment. Lock them in with a date and check in with them in the weeks leading up to the session so you can avoid last-minute conflicts and such.

If you’re concerned about preparing all the files correctly, exporting video/audio in the correct formats, or about trimming multiple files and making them into one long video, you might consider outsourcing with my File Preparation services so you can rest easy knowing I’ve got you covered! More on this later in this article…

---

Tips for recording with minimal equipment + backing trackS

Most prescreening requirements are somewhat lax with regards to the device/gear with which you record. What the institutions want to gather is a sense of your sound, your technique, and your musicality — be sure you record yourself in a way that highlights these things. Thankfully, in this day and age, you don’t necessarily need a fancy setup to make some great recordings!

In most cases, a modern smartphone or tablet will do the job pretty well. If nothing else, be sure to invest in a phone tripod (like this one HERE) to make sure your device is positioned well without blocking access to the its microphones. It’s important to not block the microphones so that your sound is as good as possible — this is a common issue I hear, and it’s usually from setting the phone microphone-down on a music stand.

If you’re wanting to make sure your audio is even better, I would highly recommend either of these Zoom phone microphone attachments, linked below:

iPhone (Lightning Connection) - Zoom iQ6

Android (USB-C) - Zoom AM7

If you are playing unaccompanied, it should be perfectly acceptable to submit a phone recording will nice-sounding audio — the phone + tripod + microphone attachment would be a great setup.

If you are playing with some kind of backing track or accompaniment, for this kind of recording setup I would recommend some loudspeakers to play the accompaniment audio while you perform in the same room. This eliminates the need to splice the video and audio together later, and will provide the simplest and most-accessible recording situation!

Tips for recording with minimal equipment + live band

Not sold on performing your prescreening with a backing track or unaccompanied? Using a live band or accompanist can make a world of difference in bringing more energy and life to your prescreening. The aforementioned suggestions would work equally as well if you’re recording a full band. You may consider a standalone recorder so you have more flexibility in microphone placement, making sure the video is focused on you but possibly placing the microphone more centrally-located in the performance space.

The tried-and-true Zoom H4N is a great standalone recording device, and you can even plug additional microphones directly into it (it acts as a portable audio interface, too). You might consider mic’ing yourself with a close-mic and then have the recorder’s microphones picking up the entire room and rest of the band. You will need to do a little work to make sure these are balanced well, but with a device like this, it’s about as easy as it’ll get!

Tips for recording in a professional studio setting

Are you planning a recording session in a studio for your prescreens? If so, be careful to pay very close attention to the requirements for your institutions. Many have very strict no-editing policies and you should communicate this to the recording/mixing engineers so they know to keep it true-to-performance. This means absolutely no overdubs, autotune, and other recording studio “magic!”

Another thing to consider when preparing and sending in a polished-sounding studio recording is that both strengths AND weaknesses tend to shine on professional recordings. It can also be a very different experience playing in-studio than playing on a stage. If it’s your first time using headphone monitors, for example, it can be a bit of a learning curve to feel comfortable hearing yourself and the band in headphones instead of in the same room.

While a more “polished” sounding final product may mean it will catch the ear of the listener, it can also really emphasize a less-than-perfect performance. Be mindful of this, and make sure you show up to your recording session over-prepared and ready to play it perfect in a take or two.

Some Important reminders…

• Dress to impress, but be comfortable! Depending on your prospective major, maybe you can get away with slacks and a shirt instead of a full suit or formal gown, but showing up at least a little bit dressed up, even for your prescreening videos, shows that you’re perhaps willing to go the extra mile for things you really care about.

• When you’re setting up to record, don’t forget to turn off all potential distractions, such as electronics and fans. Make sure the video is focused on you, the auditionee, and shows your entire body. Remove all visual distractions and make sure you are in a well-lit space so your playing is the center of the listener’s attention.

Preparing Your Pre-Screening RecordingS for Submission

Don’t forget to be very mindful of each institution’s submission requires for video/audio length, file type, and other specifications that might potentially disqualify your application if overlooked.

Be sure to trim out unnecessary footage, but be mindful of any applications that require a single uninterrupted performance with no cuts/splices between pieces.

Some applications specify a file-naming format that is important to follow closely. If the application does not specify how to name your files, be sure to name them in a way that is practical and informative so they can easily put the file to your name/application, and easily search for it if they need to come back to it later. Something like…

mesa_emilio_alto saxophone_autumn leaves.mp4

If you’re concerned about preparing your files correctly, or just looking to make your life a little easier so you can focus on prepping the rest of the application, I offer File Preparation services for a small fee — simply get your video/audio files all together, fill out the form below, and I’ll be in touch within 24-48 hours to make sure I’ve got all the details and collect payment. I’ll line up the audio with the video, trim the footage to be as concise as possible, add any required metadata to the file, and export in the format required by your application requirements. Turnaround time is 7-14 days, but 2-3 day rush File Preparation is available for an additional fee.

Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting My Private Lesson Studio

As I sat down this week to do my semi-annual studio cleanup and reorganization, I realized I’ve taught over 4000 lessons in the past 5 years or so. This doesn’t include the lessons I taught prior to discovering my favorite studio management software, MyMusicStaff (more on this below 😉), so chances are that I’ve actually taught closer to 10,000 lessons since I began teaching full-time.

One of the questions I’m oftentimes asked when I tell people about my studio is how I’m able to manage everything I do — I operate my own self-owned businesses in music and photography, as well as work part-time for a wonderful photography-adjacent company called Pic-Time. While it may appear that everything is operating smoothly now (trust me, there are still hiccups), it isn’t without considerable trial and error that I found a flow and system that worked for me.

Establish a Private Lesson Contract/Policy

One of the biggest pieces of advice I can lend is to have a clear and concise contract or policy that is shared with every student (and/or their responsible adult), ideally once a year. This allows you opportunity to continue polishing and revising your policies throughout the years, and keep things as clear as possible to avoid confusion and frustration — on your end, and on the student-end!

Below are some of the main topics I suggest mentioning in your private lesson policies:

Preparation & Practice Expectations

This is where you lay out your expectations for the student. Keep it simple and sweet — if you expect a minimum amount of practice per week, require a practice log to be kept, or require students acquire specific materials/equipment at home or brought to each lesson, this is where to summarize all of that — well-maintained instrument, reeds, pencil, tuner, etc. Something like the following is a great place to start:

I will be fully prepared for each lesson, having practiced the assigned material to my best ability.

I will have all the materials I need for my lesson, including method books, printed sheet music, metronome, tuner, pencil, and any other materials that are discussed as required in lessons.

Fees & Billing Information

As a freelancer, something I’m never shy about is laying out my payment expectations clear as day. It provides clarity for your customer, but also peace of mind that you will be paid in a timely manner. Due dates, payment methods, late fees, payment schedules, and information on where/when invoices can be expected are things I suggest outlining in your policy.

My biggest piece of advice on this front is to always bill in advance of the lessons you provide. You as the teacher have high-incentive to show up to a scheduled lesson — it’s your income and your business. By billing in advance, you can provide more incentive for students to not miss their scheduled lessons, thus avoiding lost income and the need to reschedule them last minute. I am usually lenient in cases of illness (keep those germs out of my studio, please!), but forgetting to let me know about your orthodontist appointment till the day of your lesson won’t fly — I require 24 hour notice at a minimum for all non-emergency cancellation requests.

One of the other things I’ve utilized in my policy to ensure prompt payments is a strict late fee policy. I usually don’t administer the late fee the first time a student misses the payment deadline — mistakes happen and sometimes things fall by the wayside. I also always reach out to the person responsible for payments directly to ensure they’re getting my emailed invoices, they didn’t make an error in trying to settle up, and to remind them that this is a primary income source for me, and delinquency in payments affects me being able to pay my own bills. Repeat offenders are re-invoiced with my late fee tacked onto their original billed amount, but usually it never comes to this because the communication and expectation is crystal clear!

Don’t forget to include information on how you wish to be paid. I discourage cash payments altogether, as it’s extremely difficult to keep organized for your book-keeping come tax time. I also do not accept any payments during student lessons — this is because it takes away from our instructional time, as well as because it’s easy to tuck a check from a student in you pocket and forget out it, then you wash those pants and wind up with a soggy (and likely void) check. Trust me — it’s better for everyone’s sanity to require electronic payments and/or mailed checks.

Attendance & Reschedule/Cancellation Policy

One of the biggest points of frustration most new private instructors face is dealing with rescheduled and cancelled lessons. I’ve found that explaining your policy upfront is the best way to keep everyone happy and on the same page. Again, you can make this more elaborate if you choose, but below you can find my generic attendance clause:

I take responsibility to know when my scheduled lessons take place and will give my instructor notice of any conflicts with ample notice. Minimum of 24 hours notice is required for any rescheduled lesson, unless it is due to illness in which case a morning-of notification will suffice.

Lessons can be rescheduled once with notice. Further reschedule requests for the same meeting are subject to instructor discretion. Frequent cancelled or rescheduled lessons may result in your removal from the studio per the instructor’s discretion.

Communication Expectations

How do you expect students to communicate with you? How do you expect the responsible adult party to communicate with you? Do you have set “office hours” when students can reach out with questions? What is your usual response time?

Personally, I require all business correspondence to be written, ideally by email — this is to avoid discrepancies in interpretation, and also so everyone can reference what was said more easily in case of question. There’s no record if it’s only stated via phone call, and I try to keep text messages as a strictly-personal line of communication (because work/life boundaries are important!!!).

It’s also important to let the students/adults know what will be the primary communication method. Some students are not accustomed to checking their emails yet for important messages and updates — I usually try to stress how important it is for both student and adult to regularly monitor their emails for important studio-related messages and lesson reminder notices.

TRACK YOUR MILES & EXPeNSES

If you travel to a music school or studio space, be sure to keep clear records detailing your mileage so you can write those off for your taxes!

Most private instructors have business expenses that can be deducted, too. Keep records and receipts for all of these items, as they usually add up quickly. When I first began teaching full-time, I realized I needed to have more repertoire on hand, as well as a small sampling of mouthpieces students could try before buying their own. These are some examples are easy expense deductions you can consider come tax season.

Please note: I am not a tax professional! Be sure to discuss these items with your accountant.

Simplify your life with MyMusicStaff

Alright, so you made it this far and you’re probably thinking… “oh my goodness, this is more than I expected. How am I going to manage all of this?!” Well, good news is that there are some amazing resources for simplifying life as a private instructor. My favorite tool is a web-based scheduling/billing management platform called MyMusicStaff

MyMusicStaff is an all-in-one solution meant for handling private studios’ billing, scheduling, record-keeping, and more!

Personally, this platform was a LIFE-CHANGER! It’s the best no-brainer expense I am happy to pay for on a monthly basis because of how much time it saves! Once you onboard new students, you can automate things like weekly scheduling, monthly invoices, reminder emails, and so much more. Invoicing used to take me HOURS — now it’s a matter of a few clicks to have it all automatically sent out at the top of each month! My students are setup to receive reminder emails 24 hours before every scheduled meeting time, which is a great reminder for them to double check their schedules and notify you about any conflict before their lesson date. Payments can be made directly through a button on their invoices, further streamlining the process and making your life easier! It’s really the best platform for anyone with a private lesson studio.

You can use my referral link below to sign up — it’ll gift us both 1 free month if you sign up!