Hi! I’m back.

I’ve had the pleasure of talking to some lovely young flute players lately, and realized I feel very strongly about sharing my experiences with other young aspiring flutists. When I was just starting to take auditions, I was more self conscious and insecure about telling people that, because I didn’t want to have to share every time I didn’t get the job. Now I’m more open about sharing my struggles. I think a big part of this is the kindness and honesty I’ve received from other flutists- my teachers and colleagues, providing me so much support on this journey.

Every audition I take is a learning experience- some are more positive, some are more frustrating. I’ve taken three auditions in the past month and it has been intense but very exciting.

Symphony Silicon Valley (Principal Flute)- January 21, 2020

I’ve gotten into the habit of recording my live auditions- I use the Tonal Energy app and press record when I get called to go to the stage. I put it in the pocket of my binder or my pocket if I have one.

For this audition, the preliminary list was Mozart G Exposition, Mendelssohn Scherzo, Brahms 4, Leonore Overture (fast excerpt), Debussy Faun (Opening- #3), and Peter and the Wolf (#2-4).

I played the first four excerpts- the first three were pretty strong but for Faun my lips started shaking. I wasn’t shocked by this, to be honest, because my lips had been shaking when I was warming up. I made a mental note while I was warming up that this was likely to happen in the audition.

This was partially nerves and partially lack of muscle tone. The reality of auditioning while working and having children is that my practice time is extremely limited. As the audition comes nearer (and I get more anxious), I tend to want to practice more, but since my muscles are not accustomed to long hours of practice, they get fatigued. I try to be mindful of this and not increase my practice right before an audition.

Anyway, I was shaking, particularly in the quiet parts. In the recording, the shaking was not as noticeable as it felt, but it definitely compromised the quality of the sound. So I got cut (“Thank you!”) after that, which I was expecting.

I had a friend at this audition, which was nice, and also met the flutist who ended up winning. I met her while she was waiting for the semi final round, and since she had driven to the audition, she said she had gone to her car and napped between the rounds. That is so genius! I packed a pillow and blanket in my car for Colburn because of her tip 🙂

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