Audition Stories

Back in 1980, I auditioned for the USAF band in Washington D.C. That day, there were 26 applicants for one percussion slot. Most of those persons held Masters level degrees from prestigious institutions like Julliard. It was an eye-opening experience for me although I was not selected. Air Force band auditions remain extremely competitive and it is not unusual for an entire room full of applicants to be rejected. It's not about choosing the best of the bunch, but rather to find that elusive one of exceptional caliber that they are searching for. It's crazy, like orchestral auditions, as @Push pull stroke previously alluded.
 
Tamboreter said:
Back in 1980, I auditioned for the USAF band in Washington D.C. That day, there were 26 applicants for one percussion slot. Most of those persons held Masters level degrees from prestigious institutions like Julliard. It was an eye-opening experience for me although I was not selected. Air Force band auditions remain extremely competitive and it is not unusual for an entire room full of applicants to be rejected. It's not about choosing the best of the bunch, but rather to find that elusive one of exceptional caliber that they are searching for. It's crazy, like orchestral auditions, as @Push pull stroke previously alluded.
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www.nytimes.com

She Landed One of Music’s Great Gigs, but First Came Boot Camp

Premier military bands offer rare stability for classical musicians, who consider them a strong alternative to traditional orchestras. But signing up means shipping out.
www.nytimes.com www.nytimes.com
 
BobC said:
Two years ago, I was contacted by a "band" in Sparta, NJ, consisting of guitar, bass and keys. I dragged some drums to the keyboard player's house and set up. I had met the bass player before. The guitarist was playing an electrified acoustic guitar, and was little more than an "inspired beginner." There was no lead guitarist. The bassist was doing all the singing...with no PA system. Just trying to yell over the music. The song selection was OK; pretty well known classic rock stuff, but it became immediately clear that these guys were a basement band of older guys with little hope of gigs. After an hour, I packed up and left. I wanted to split right away.

Now, I specify, "no basement jammers" at all times.
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My luck is that no one thinks they really ARE basement jammers, weekenders, time wasters, pretenders, etc. I've said my piece before about the control freaks with the "plan to take over the world" a la Pinky and the Brain. Those plans invariably work out just as well as theirs.

Time just crawls when you're in one of the situations you describe. It's at those times I wish I had a guitar and amp and could just say, "Hey, look at that time!" and walk out. But the songs keep coming and the sound sucks and the band sucks and you wish you could be anywhere, anywhere else, even the trash compactor scene from Star Wars.

I've had hours-long conversations about music with someone, seemingly quite knowledgeable, then I get to the audition and it's as clueless as you describe, miles beyond bizarre. Pft. Once, I even left my snare at the place and it was just uncomfortable to go back, turn down the gig, and grab my drum. I probably should just have an off-brand special for such endeavors, but this was a Yamaha Peter Erskine 14" birch piccolo. Yikes.

I've modified my aim when engaging someone on the phone, it's more "What kind of places do you play?" and "What kind of money is on the table?" than "Isn't Jackson Browne a great songwriter?" I have to get a sense of their grasp of reality. If it's not there, I thank them for their time and get off of the phone.


Dan
 
Bozozoid said:
Doesn't that suck when you feel you have to stay awhile instead of leaving in 10 minutes. Probably one of the longest hours of your life. It's bad when not playing at all feels good. I felt in my gut exactly what you went through. 😥
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Yes, it sucked. I wanted to leave ten minutes into it and it must have shown. Then, the keys player had the nerve to call and leave a message on my voicemail saying they didn't want to work with me. Can you believe that sh**? They don't "work" at all. They sit in the basement. I called him back and left a message on his voicemail saying the feeling was very mutual. Amateurs!
 
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I think mines funny and should fall under the “whoever plays before you, don’t get intimidated and leave” category. Right out of high school I found out Disneyland was hiring musicians for the Christmas season, so I called and made an appointment for the day and showed up. I got to the local Musicians Union hall in Santa Ana and was confronted with about 80 guys in the parking lot all with their marching sticks banging on everything in sight preparing for their “slot”. I had done drum corps by then and had been studying privately with a local teacher but a lot of those drum corps guys were moving their hands and fingers at mind-bending rates. I signed in, they took my picture and had me fill out an audition form and told me to hang until they called my name. I had warmed up before getting there so I didn’t partake of the chance to play the parking lot.

From outside I heard this incredible snare drum solo and figured “well, I guess he’s got it”, and then they called me in next before I could decide to leave or not.

I get in there to see a snare drum and a music stand with music on it and the auditioner introduces himself and asks if I wanted a water or anything then says, play #3 on the stand. I flip it over and look at it and then started playing it. He then asks me to play #1 which was an easier march in 12/8, which I nail it until bar 7 and I laughingly stop and apologize - the room sort of chuckles with me because one of them said the first one I played was harder. Then they asked me to play some kind of street beat so remembering this is for Disneyland, I figure some kind of New Orleans improv to get the band down the street and I did that. Then almost as if they forgot something, one of the guys asks me for some flam-a-diddles (which I do them slow after telling them they had to ask for the one I suck at). They thank me for coming in and I go home.

Here’s the funny part - I think the actual “being able to play” part was BS. I get the call to find out I was the only one they hired, then show up for first rehearsal and a costume fitting, they gave me a bass drum spot in the Marry Poppins Pearly Band. I put the blue suit on with the buttons and they put me on a 24” bass drum. Know this: I’m 4’ 11” - with a 24” bass drum, you hardly see me. The costumers are chuckling and when the music director shows up he laughs and says I look great. Then I meet the tuba player, and he’s this over-6-foot guy and find out choreographically, we’re next to each other most of the time dancing around and playing a Marry Poppins medley, big laughter ensues at the site.

So if you ever get intimidated by who plays before you at an audition, don’t! I think I got this gig by visual sight gag alone. Anybody could play rings around me - but none of them looked as funny as I did when paired up with the monster tuba player!

And that’s how my career started over 30 years ago now. I did do one other audition on a drumset, which got me into a show playing behind Benji the dog, but that’s all I’ve ever done. Everything else was a friendly
Phone call after that. My friendly attitude kept me around all these creative people more than having any burning chops. And now I’m just waiting the next 8 years so I can retire 😉
 
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Bozozoid said:
In my minds eye juniper I can see you doing the homework. Forgive me I can't think of his name right now but the drummer in Dweezil Zappas band put in alot of work to get that gig. You remind me of him. I need more of that work ethic.
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Like anything in life you’ve got to put the work in if you want the rewards. Very rarely is anything handed to you on a plate.

Next gig with this band is on Friday.

Already reconnecting with their bank of 50+ songs.
 
Bo Eder said:
I think mines funny and should fall under the “whoever plays before you, don’t get intimidated and leave” category. Right out of high school I found out Disneyland was hiring musicians for the Christmas season, so I called and made an appointment for the day and showed up. I got to the local Musicians Union hall in Santa Ana and was confronted with about 80 guys in the parking lot all with their marching sticks banging on everything in sight preparing for their “slot”. I had done drum corps by then and had been studying privately with a local teacher but a lot of those drum corps guys were moving their hands and fingers at mind-bending rates. I signed in, they took my picture and had me fill out an audition form and told me to hang until they called my name. I had warmed up before getting there so I didn’t partake of the chance to play the parking lot.

From outside I heard this incredible snare drum solo and figured “well, I guess he’s got it”, and then they called me in next before I could decide to leave or not.

I get in there to see a snare drum and a music stand with music on it and the auditioner introduces himself and asks if I wanted a water or anything then says, play #3 on the stand. I flip it over and look at it and then started playing it. He then asks me to play #1 which was an easier march in 12/8, which I nail it until bar 7 and I laughingly stop and apologize - the room sort of chuckles with me because one of them said the first one I played was harder. Then they asked me to play some kind of street beat so remembering this is for Disneyland, I figure some kind of New Orleans improv to get the band down the street and I did that. Then almost as if they forgot something, one of the guys asks me for some flam-a-diddles (which I do them slow after telling them they had to ask for the one I suck at). They thank me for coming in and I go home.

Here’s the funny part - I think the actual “being able to play” part was BS. I get the call to find out I was the only one they hired, then show up for first rehearsal and a costume fitting, they gave me a bass drum spot in the Marry Poppins Pearly Band. I put the blue suit on with the buttons and they put me on a 24” bass drum. Know this: I’m 4’ 11” - with a 24” bass drum, you hardly see me. The costumers are chuckling and when the music shows up he laughs and says I look great. Then I meet the tuba player, and he’s this over-6-foot guy and find out choreographically, we’re next to each other most of the time dancing around and playing a Marry Poppins medley, big laughter ensues at the site.

So if you ever get intimidated by who plays before you at an audition, don’t! I think I got this gig by visual sight gag alone. Anybody could play rings around me - but none of them looked as funny as I did when paired up with the monster tuba player!

And that’s how my career started over 30 years ago now. I did do one other audition on a drumset, which got me into a show playing behind Benji the dog, but that’s all I’ve ever done. Everything else was a friendly
Phone call after that. My friendly attitude kept me around all these creative people more than having any burning chops. And now I’m just waiting the next 8 years so I can retire 😉
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Yeah, chops don’t win a lot of gigs. Maybe Dream Theater and speed metal bands. And even if you win a “chops gig”, being a difficult person will LOSE you the gig.

Young players don’t want to hear that lol
 
Push pull stroke said:
Yeah, chops don’t win a lot of gigs. Maybe Dream Theater and speed metal bands. And even if you win a “chops gig”, being a difficult person will LOSE you the gig.

Young players don’t want to hear that lol
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yeah...I will bet you were one of the most "honest" guys they saw, and they could tell it by your demeanor. I would imagine they were looking for "honest, reliable and adaptable" for that particular situation
 
Bo Eder said:
Also small to look funny with the big bass drum 😂😂😂
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true!!! looks sell...which is probably why I failed most of my auditions for "popular" type bands back in the day....
 
BruceW said:
It's funny, around here at least, it always seems to be what is in need, is what is the most rare. For a while, there seemed to be lots of available drummers, but no available bass players. Then it would switch around, the other way. Even tho guitar players often seem available, a few months ago there was a local band struggling to find one.

The one thing that has remained constant...there are never available keyboard players around here ;)
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And after I've posted this, our keyboard player has told us he's getting done, sigh...
 
BruceW said:
And after I've posted this, our keyboard player has told us he's getting done, sigh...
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We supposedly have a young man sitting in with us this weekend, that'll be the audition, lololol... both as to whether we like him, and whether he wants to deal with our craziness.

(our leader sent him our setlist for this Saturday. We pointed out to Leader that there are 3 medley's in the first set alone, another 1 in the second set in addition to a song that we have our own arrangement for, and one more medley in the 3rd set....good luck, kid! ;) At least the rest are done in the original style, and original key. Maybe you might wanna chart those out for him to give him a chance. Leader agreed. And may very well pull some of those, or we might just have him lay out. Set list was written before we knew he was gonna sit in.)

From what I've seen in the facebook videos, he's quite talented. Funny, how he almost fell into our lap, his current band is getting done in 3 more gigs.
 
Push pull stroke said:
I’m surprised there was no drumset portion of that first audition, though. I mean, it got you your entire playing career at Disney
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Well, it was specifically for marching band groups for the Christmas parade (hence why all the drum corps guys showed up). The drumset audition happened the next April - and a whole different group of drummers showed up for that one - same auditioners but with a piano player who also played bass pedals with his feet. I recall he just called different feels and I remembered a teachers advice: “whatever they ask for, play it simpler and state the time”. For example, when he said “samba”, I just played four on the floor with the bass drum and kinda implied the samba ride pattern. After hearing a lot of textbook playing from the guys before me, I think they preferred my approach since I got the gig (a summer of playing a live animal show with Benji the dog with an emcee and three musicians (and ten other animals and trainers).

Ironically, a guy was at the audition who I’ve become good friends with since, told me he left after I played. But he went on to become one of my bosses when I became a sound engineer there, and he just retired from Yamaha audios’ R&D department.

Edit: this is also when I learned the Disney music writers were big on writing everything in 2/2 time. So that was an adjustment too. I guess it just made everything easier to write and not look so busy on the page.
 
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Bo Eder said:
My friendly attitude kept me around all these creative people more than having any burning chops.
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I have never been a "chops" player. I am reliable, show up on time and make every effort to play what my director wants. That goes a long way.
 
BobC said:
Yes, it sucked. I wanted to leave ten minutes into it and it must have shown. Then, the keys player had the nerve to call and leave a message on my voicemail saying they didn't want to work with me. Can you believe that sh**? They don't "work" at all. They sit in the basement. I called him back and left a message on his voicemail saying the feeling was very mutual. Amateurs!
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The leader knew what you thought of them and tried to protect his ego by ditching first, because they keep getting rejected. He'd change his tune if you told him you were disappointed.
 
I made it to 1st call for fill ins with a busy band. Good players. Another guy called for a fill in that I'm looking forward to playing with, coming up in a couple of weeks.
 
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