Another audition question

[MissyHPhoenix]

I'm still getting ready for an audition that should be scheduled sometime in February or March. The prepared pieces are coming along very well and I've got the scales down, at least I think. My question is about sight-reading -- when sight-reading for an audition, is it better to keep going even when you blow a phrase, or to pause and re-play the part before continuing? I sight-read fairly well but, of course, there are always the flubs.

Thanks!

[lianeandflute]

If I were you and I made a mistake during sight reading I definitely would NOT start that part again. It's all in the recovery; if you make a mistake but recover well, that's still very impressive and professional.

[Arlee]

With out a doubt keep going! I used to always stop because I felt like in an audition setting I should at least show that I know I messed something up but after many years and talking to teacher who judge auditions (and also having had the opportunity to be a judge for chair placements) it makes sense to me why stopping is a bad idea.

They will get a good feel at where your technical abilities are from your prepared pieces. Sight-reading is about getting a feel for how fast you are likely to learn new things. For instance if you have a very hard time the first time you see something it will take a lot more work to get it to where it needs to be. Also, you can't stop in a performance and auditions are a type of performance. No one expects a sight-reading to be perfect (if you can great but if you can't don't freak out about it).

If you feel like sight-reading is something you need to work on some I would get a good etude book and drill one a day. Play it all the way through without stopping and then go back and figure out where you made mistakes and how you would avoid doing that mistake next time

[MissyHPhoenix]

Thanks! That is exactly what I needed to know -- how to handle it correctly. I do sight-read pretty well, and I practice on it just about every day because I like to try out new pieces a lot.

I'll let y'all know how it goes. Keep your fingers crossed for me, please.

[Bo]

Yes, keep going! Actually, even great musicians make mistakes now and then, but know how to recover in a way that makes it sound right! To be able to recover belongs to the art of music...

[Arlee]

Yes, keep going! Actually, even great musicians make mistakes now and then, but know how to recover in a way that makes it sound right! To be able to recover belongs to the art of music...

Actually music played perfectly live in an anomaly I had a long talk with the Head of the College of Music I attended about this while I was their because a lot of my anxiety about playing in front of people is because I am afraid to mess up. She point out that the one downside to recorded music is it sort of gives people the wrong impression that once you reach a certain level you never make mistakes anymore and that even the most accomplished musicians will rarely after a live performance think there was nothing they could have done better.

[Phineas]

Actually music played perfectly live in an anomaly I had a long talk with the Head of the College of Music I attended about this while I was their because a lot of my anxiety about playing in front of people is because I am afraid to mess up. She point out that the one downside to recorded music is it sort of gives people the wrong impression that once you reach a certain level you never make mistakes anymore and that even the most accomplished musicians will rarely after a live performance think there was nothing they could have done better.

You are so right. However, live performances can be a blessing and a curse. I know of a lot of players that will sound great live, but do not sound that good on recordings. There are a lot of distractions in live performances that allow for errors. You make a mistake on a recording, it is there forever! On the other hand, performances that are not perfect make for more interesting listening. They seem to have more "feel".

Phineas