Orchestra Life
:: For Aspiring Orchestra Musicians
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Audition Mastery Guide |
Too often, audition takers find themselves focusing on their solo pieces for auditions in a way that is out of proportion to the total task at hand. When auditioning for an orchestral position, remember that the committee is most interested in a poised, polished, team player.
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Do As I Say: Music Conservatory Culture and its Contribution to Discontentment |
Of all the issues raised in discussion of problems in American orchestras, the culture of the American music school, and its contribution to the problems in professional orchestra remains an unexplored subject. Those musicians who choose a career in orchestral performance come from a variety of schools, which, despite their differences, all harbor similar cultures and music school traditions that percolate and foster the very issues raised by the musicians in today's orchestras. I wonder if perhaps discussion at the professional level address problems that have become ingrained in music culture well before students hit the audition circuit.
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What Is ICSOM? |
The International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians (ICSOM) currently represents of the top 52 AFM orchestras in the United States and Puerto Rico. It is a voluntary organization that is supported entirely by a voluntary dues structure.
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"Gee, All I Ever Wanted to Do Was Play My Instrument..." |
So why shouldn't a highly skilled conservatory graduate want to "just play my instrument?"