Archive for The Royal Marines Band Service On-line Community Bringing the serving and ex serving communities together          The Royal Marines Band Service On-line Community Forum Index -> The Careers Office laura Audition hi i got my audition in march i am so nervous anyone got any advice for me? i play the cornet but i have no idea what to play? please help i am looking forward to seeing the bands in febuary at the mount batten festival in London very exciting. love RAB Laura.. Nerves will only make your audition more difficult. Other than the wish to become a member of probably the most exciting and World famous group of flexible musicians, why should you be nervous..>?? If it's what you want to be, then just go for it whatever it takes. I'm sure if you make the right contact at the School Of Music, they'll give you an idea of the standard of audition piece required..But hey ho..You may think you're a cornet player, but they might decide you're better suited to Basses..or God Forbid ..French Horn... Just make sure you get there, and then you can somewhere in the future ramble on like I'm doing to some other unsuspecting candidate for "The Time Of Their Life".. Bon Chance,,xx lesbryan I am not a bandsman laura as you may know ,but just go with belief in yourself and you will do it as all of your forerunners have.They are the best and you are jioning the best General Melchett Laura, Just play a piece that you are already comfortable with, whatever your experience level. Do not try to show off with anything too difficult, the instructors and profs have seen it all before. Have a choice of three pieces that cover all angles - fast / slow, technical / expressive. The rest is down to your musicianship and confidence. Don't be shy or hold back, you have one chance, sell yourself! admin Play something that you are comfortable performing that will show the board your skills. Don't go for something that is going to be too difficult for you to perform or too easy that it doesn't show your potential. The audition is looking for POTENTIAL, not a virtuoso Hornblower Ditto to all the above - and best of luck from me too. They took me! Not only that but at least one of the members of this forum had never played a musical instrument in their life before joining, although I must admit that was a long time ago - however, Deli's advice still stands... potential is what is being looked at. Relax and play like you know you can, try to turn the nerves to your advantage and use the adrenalin to help your performance - you KNOW you can do it so what's the problem? Believe in yourself and show them how good you are!!!! Keep us informed OK? Now you've got all of us rooting for you - you can't fail... Aaron Aardvark admin wrote: Play something that you are comfortable performing that will show the board your skills. I played Uckers and the board was well impressed until I upped it. lesbryan Your not an ucker cheater|| are you aaron ????? musicmad audition i auditioned and was extremely nervous, but really theres no need they are very nice over at the school. just get yourself as fit as possible for your mile and a half, and musically- chose pieces you already know as if your starting a piece from new then on the day your sure to be more nervous. hope this helps and best of luck MrJpig Re: Audition laura wrote: i play the cornet but i have no idea what to play? The Cornet Hey Nonny Good luck Laura! I seem to remember being auditioned on nearly every firkin instrument going, inc. clarinet, cornet, piano, bugle, and ... I'm trembling as I write this ... french horn. I was trying to play a C major scale to the horn prof (I think he was known as Jiz???) and instead came out with 'The flight of the bumble bee'. Firkin 'ell, those harmonics are close together! As has already been hinted at on this thread, don't be surprised if you get offered a different instrument than cornet. After 2 yrs and 8 months, clarinet and violin will seem OK, just ask Loof! General Melchett wrote: Don't be shy or hold back, you have one chance, sell yourself! Finally, be velly velly careful about 'selling yourself'. I thought I was selling my soul to Satan in return for virtuoso french horn technique in order to pass my audition. Boy was I disappointed when I found out it I'd misread the contract and it was Santa instead. General Melchett But Nonny, I'm sure I've seen you at odd conventions in George Street selling yourself to some of the more "liberal" members of society! Hey Nonny General Melchett wrote: But Nonny, I'm sure I've seen you at odd conventions in George Street selling yourself to some of the more "liberal" members of society! Ah Melchy, you are perfectly correct of course: you did indeed see me, and I was indeed selling myself, but unfortunately we couldn't agree a price. You were trying to barter with an old boiled sweet covered in fluff ; you know the minimum price I charge so make sure you've got your pocket money with you in future, there's a good fellow! Now, jog my memory Melchett old bean, what was the name of the french horn prof? I seem to remember him being an obnoxious t**t. Another prof was known as 'slippery' though I can't remember why. Happy memories of Albert the trombone prof. He stopped and gave some of the new entries a lift back to barracks during the Commandant's Day exercise. Oh dear, oh dear, we all got it in the neck for that one as he dropped them off right outside the guard room. Oops. Albert was famous for cycling to work and then wondering why he couldn't find his car. I asked about him while working with his former orchestra a few years ago and he was fondly remembered by the trombone section. What a character! Eff Audition If I may jump in, the Horn "Prof" was S. Caldicott I believe. Best not to get Melchy started about him though-the less said the better. In fact, I'm sure it's all been brought up on this forum on a different thread elsewhere... General Melchett Caldicot Grrrrr...........! townsergeant Re: audition musicmad wrote: i auditioned and was extremely nervous, but really there's no need, they are very nice over at the school. just get yourself as fit as possible for your mile and a half run. I hope this helps and best of luck You make an interesting comment. Something that will make us older folk cringe! By what you're saying, they are probably more concerned about whether you can run a mile and a half, rather than being a musician! Either way Laura, good luck with your running and I'm sure the musical side will be no problem... Hornblower Re: audition townsergeant wrote: Either way Laura, good luck with your running and I'm sure the musical side will be no problem... I had problems with both - in equal measure. Hey Nonny Fitness vs. music By the time of my 17th audition and having tried every instrument available several times over, I had a pretty good idea what they were looking for and had attended to the fitness. On my final audition, I was competing for a place with a lad from Yorkshire who was musically far more competent than I, and also far more experienced in terms of ensemble playing, he had been playing in brass bands for years etc etc. Literally come the day of the race, he ended up walking when he should have been running. The PTI Bungy Williams was not impressed. And so, in one of these cruel twists of fate, I got in, he didn't, and probably because he hadn't bothered to take the fitness seriously. A bit like Jade Goody and the marathon preparation. So, the moral of the story is: take heed of the information they send you about the physical requirements. Prepare pieces that you are comfortable and confident playing. Make an effort to get on with your fellow auditionees. Listen to the instructions given to you at RMSM. Smile and do your best! Can someone direct me to the thread Eff mentioned about the horny prof? I can't be a***d to hunt for it. Eff The thread can be found in 'Uniforms and Instruments' -Boehm System Clarinet. The post is by Gen. Melchet on the 2nd page of said thread. I couldn't work out how to quote from it so you'll have read it there I'm afraid Hey Nonny! Probably best to leave it there anyway or Melch will get mad again! (It did take ages to find) admin This is the thread: http://royalmarinesbands.myfreefo...2.html&highlight=boehm+system townsergeant Thanks for that Mark. It was funny to read that thread again! Probably not for Melch, though (SC!) MJ I have my audition in march too! It's natural to be nervous, I'm starting to get butterflies myself. I can't give advice like the guys who've been there and done it but once you've decided on your pieces, try doing 'mock' performances in front of friends/family to help get used to playing them in front of people. Strange how the pressure of having people watching can highlight areas where tension and panic can creep up on you in the music. Hope this helps, I know it's bit obvious. Good luck Hey Nonny Missing thread.... Well it's obvious I'm a newbie on this site, but give me a couple of more weeks and I'll be up to speed with all the various threads. Must be 6th sense but I had an inkling that with such a strong presence from the good general on this site, something was missing... now what was that something... ah yes, someone he hated with a passion... and lo! There it was, bloody reams of the stuff. Thank you all for pointing me in the direction of that thread, and making an old man very happy! I remember Jis once trying to drop me in the $hit with DoMT. While locking up East Barracks at the end of the day, I had run around the door into the roundhouse, which leads into the office, which was normally open, but someone else had already locked it. Jis clearly watched me running around it. Yes, I know what you're thinking, "so what? Where is this story going?" Be patient my little forum monkeys, all will be revealed. He then tried to pass through the same door. And that's where the story proper begins, because he couldn't do what any normal person would do and just shrug their shoulders and walk around it, realising that the reason the person they'd just watched run around it and not try to open it, was because the firkin thing was locked. (Are you following this?) Oh no no no, he stomped off to complain to DoMT that I "should have told him it was locked before he had tried to open it, when I clearly knew it was locked". DoMT was somewhat baffled by this complaint; I was left with the impression that life must be difficult for someone so highly strung. Or at least he should have been. (Highly strung / strung highly you get the idea... ) The purpose of this rather pointless story that has laid dormant, gathering dust in the locker of my mind, is merely to corroborate previous evidence from Melch that Jis was simply unbelievably petty and infantile. Ahh, that's better. Thank you all, fellow forummers, for allowing me to unburden the guilt and anguish I've carried around for so long. I feel a huge burden has now been lifted from me, and at last I can truly move on and live my life to the full. General Melchett Will you lot stop mentioning him townsergeant General Melchett wrote: Will you lot stop mentioning him Who? General Melchett The worst thing he ever, ever did was the now somewhat legendary: Scales Times 64 Imagine, a Monday morning, East Barracks. A weekend on the lash and you've just returned from the Monday morning run to Kingsdown and back....... I'm just setting the scene. Off you pop to Jizz's grot in 'Q' Block for 40 minutes of being wasted oxygen thieving boredom. You start off with the Farkas warm-ups then on to scales, this is after he's decided to use either your trapezoid or toe-cap as an alternative method of relaying a beat. Then, scales x64.......... One scale sixty-four times, I think the longest I ever got was 38 before putting my horn down, telling him to find some who actually gave a toss and walking out to see DoM(T). Thankfully, Profs like John Williams and Bill Kenchington saved me by introducing me to Wind quintets, octets etc and the music of Krommer. Now, stop mentioning him! A One of the comments that stuck in my mind from my audition was 'You've got personality and a sense of humour, we like that in our musicians!' Try not to be too shy, and don't be afraid to have a laugh (obviously not in your tests and auditions though!) The instructors are all great people, and remember that they do want you to succeed. Also, be completely open to anything they suggest. A willingness to learn, change and try new things will make you go far. Fizzie Hey Laura! I auditioned at the last one in November. It feels nerve racking at first but you'll have such a great time once you've settled in for the week! I made loads of new friends and we all had a laugh. Just remember your all feeling nervous and you've all got to go through the same thing. The people at the school of music are really helpful and you're well looked after! The food is quite nice as well... Oh and try to get as fit as you can before you get there cos it'll help the nerves when it comes to meeting the PT instructors! GOOD LUCK! Sharpy Having spent 3 years at Uni before my audition I had more training in drinking than press ups and running!! All I can remember about my audition was that I drank a lot of beer and was in a lot of pain from the PTI's making me do lots of phys!!! Must have done something right tho cos they let me in!!!!! General Melchett Feeling a little better Sharpster......? Sharpy Oh yes!! Stopped expelling from both ends but have no appetite and food tastes weird!! On the plus side Ive lost half a stone in 3days!! eastneyslapper General Melchett wrote: Feeling a little better Sharpster......? What's the secret for this dramatic weight loss?? Was it a dodgy ruby, a nasty bug thats going round?? Traumatic dentistry??? Or did someone 'spike' your mouthpiece with Ralgex??? bootybandy ......Or Cocoa with Exlax.??? Sharpy A very nasty bug thats going round at the mo. That and having to do a gig when I was still suffering!! Every note I played made me want to !!! I left the stage 4 times during the rehearsal and three times I think during the gig. Not nice.        The Royal Marines Band Service On-line Community Forum Index -> The Careers Office Page 1 of 1