The easiest way possible to fail an audition

Last Thursday, I had a marathon series of interviews for the Trumpet Dynamics podcast. Full day of work producing clients podcasts, then 3 consecutive interviews between the hours of 8-11 pm. Then back to work Friday.

Let it not be said I’m lazy.

One thing that stuck out to me from all those conversations in my weary yet fully lucid mind, and remains in my mind nearly a week later is a comment made by a professor at a university that’s known for producing above average musicians, especially trumpeters.

He was talking about one thing that will get a prospective student immediately disqualified from an entrance audition. And that is playing one simple scale from the low end of the register up two octaves. If you’re not a musician, not to worry, suffice it to say what he’s talking about is not difficult – at least in thought.

But this one thing, that appears to be simple on the surface, exposes a lot of weaknesses in a student’s abilities if they’re unable to do it. Namely they haven’t mastered the fundamentals. Actually, they’ve most likely neglected the fundamentals and focused on things that suave the ego, such as playing high, fast and loud.

This person I was speaking to said if a student – even if they have multiple degrees in “trumpet performance” and want another advanced degree to hang on their wall – is unable to do that one thing, they’re automatically disqualified.

Seems a bit harsh. But there are hundreds of people going for probably 20 or so openings, so he can afford to be a bit selective with whom he chooses to work with.

And it seems to be working for him as that studio is consistently one of the top in the U.S.

The fundamentals aren’t always fun to do. Mastering them is oftentimes rather boring.

But doing anything – be it music, a podcast, what have you – without an understanding of them is fruitless, and leads to frustration, agony, exasperation and ultimately quitting before one’s time.

And that’s no fun.

It’s the fundamentals I had in mind when I jotted down what I call the Podcasting Principles last fall. I’m currently reviewing them, making some needed updates with the wording, concepts and formatting, but you can check out what was on my mind back then on the Podcast Artistry™ web page.

And if you like what you see, maybe you want to consider using us for your podcasting needs – if that’s your thing.

To read the Principles, and learn more about what we offer, check us out: https://committedmedia.org/podcast-artistry